Celebrate
PRIDE
Month
A Reinvigorated
Bangor Festival EVENTS & CELEBRATIONS • BANGOR’S NEW FLAG WHAT PRIDE MEANS THIS YEAR • AND MORE! BDN FILE PHOTO / SAWYER LOFTUS
A Special Advertising Section of the Bangor Daily News • Friday, June 6, 2025
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CELEBRATE PRIDE MONTH • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • June 6, 2025
A Brief History of PRIDE MONTH
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ach June, pride celebrations serve to recognize and highlight the contributions of people who identify as LGBTQ+ and shed light on issues currently facing the community. Pride events have taken place in some shape or form since the LGBTQ+ liberation movement occurred in the 1970s. Modern day pride celebrations can be traced back to New York City and an event called the Stonewall Uprising. In the mid-1960s, the Stonewall Inn was a popular gay bar, and one of the few establishments that welcomed drag queens and allowed dancing. Homeless gay runaways often took refuge there each night. Police raids frequently took place at gay establishments during this period in time. On June 28, 1969, the police arrived at Stonewall and reportedly assaulted customers and arrested 13 employees and patrons who were in violation of liquor laws. They also took into custody individuals who were not conforming to a New York statute requiring gender-appropriate clothing be worn in public. The Stonewall Riot incident gave rise to protests else-
COURTESY OF METRO CREATIVE where, and became a unifying incident upon which equality-based advocacy for these groups was built. the observance in 2011 to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Pride Month emerged as a way to achieve equal justice Transgender Pride Month. Informally, June is referred to and opportunity for LGBTQ+ individuals. simply as Pride Month. In Bangor, the murder of Charlie Howard, a 23-yearThe rainbow flag, which is now the unifying symbol old gay man who was chased down and thrown over the of the LGBTQ+ community, first appeared in the 1970s. State Street Bridge into the Kenduskeag Stream, spurred Harvey Milk, an openly gay San Francisco politician a local movement that began the Maine Lesbian/Gay and activist, tasked artist Gilbert Baker to come up with Political Alliance, which later became EqualityMaine. A a unifying symbol for the gay community, and the rainmemorial now stands along the Kenduskeag Stream bow flag was born. Bangor has a long tradition of flying honoring the memory of Charlie Howard, and Equality- a giant rainbow flag downtown during the month of Maine is now the oldest and largest stateJune — see the story on page 5. wide organization dedicated to creIn addition, cities and towns throughout ating a fair and just society for Maine and across the country offer variON SUNDAY, JUNE 8 lesbian, gay, bisexual, transous pride events this month, includAT 6 P.M., BANGOR PRIDE IS gender, and queer Mainers. ing street fairs, art exhibits, and HOSTING A CANDLELIGHT VIGIL In 2000, President Bill town-wide decorations that feature FOR CHARLIE HOWARD AT THE Clinton officially declared the rainbow flag prominently. June as Gay and Lesbian Check out page 6 for a list of just MEMORIAL BY THE STATE Pride Month. President a few of the celebrations planned STREET BRIDGE. Barack Obama expanded around our state.
CELEBRATE PRIDE MONTH • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • June 6, 2025
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A Reinvigorated Festival Bangor Pride Festival organizers ramp up events because ‘Pride is about more than just June’
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rganizers of this year’s Bangor Pride Festival, set for June 28, have expanded events leading up to the annual parade and gathering in West Market Square along with its presence on social media. “Pride is about more than just June,” Samantha White, co-lead organizer, said. One of the group’s goals is to host Pride events throughout the year, she said. White and others involved in planning this year’s festival have used Facebook postings to communicate their plans and to ask for input. This has included seeking sponsorships from individuals and businesses as well as holding a variety of fundraising events from a bottle drive to pet photos to pizza and fudge sales and drag shows. Organizers hope that presence on social media will draw in more people than the 7,500 who attended last year. About This Year’s Event Bangor’s Pride festival will take place on June 28 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with the parade starting at 11 a.m. Main stage festivities will take place from 12 to 4 p.m. More than 125 vendors and information booths will be set up in West Market Square, along Broad Street, and in the Key Bank building parking lot. A children’s activities area will be set up in Hannibal Hamlin Park. In addition to speakers, the event will honor couples who married on Dec. 29, 2012, the first day same-sex couples could marry after Mainers approved a ballot measure the previous month. Generations of Pride Followers of Bangor Pride’s social media posts have offered ideas on what they’d like to see at this year’s event and chose the theme. The winner was Generations of Pride. The logo, designed by co-lead organizer Cam Grover, features a pine tree, its roots showing, with the rainbow colors imposed over it. Dominick Varney of Bangor and his family are excited to be attending the festival. “As a gay parent, it’s important to raise our child to be kind and tolerant of everyone,” he said. “We want him to see that people love differently. At the festival, it’s good
BY JUDY HARRISON that he sees lots of other families with two dads, like ours, and two moms.” A Long Tradition Betsy Lundy, executive director of Downtown Bangor Partnership, praised the efforts of this year’s organizers. “The current Pride Committee has really knocked it out of the park with social media and events,” she said. “The ongoing presence and activities keeps the community at the top of the mind and provides connection.” Bangor’s first gay pride parade was held in 1992. It was organized by three University of Maine students – Jim Martin, Meredith Noyes, and Sarah Lowden – who were seniors studying social work. They planned the parade as an advocacy project for a class. Between 150 and 200 people, including protesters, who held up signs with Bible quotes hand printed on them, showed up and an annual tradition was born. Martin organized the event for 10 years, then turned it over to others. It languished for a few years before other groups stepped in to coordinate the parade and festival in West Market Square. Martin died of ALS in 2018. Bangor Pride, the group that has organized the event in recent years, announced in November that Downtown Bangor Partnership, a local nonprofit, would be the financial agent for the 2025 parade and festival. In this role, Downtown Bangor Partnership will help collect money and oversee bookkeeping for Bangor Pride’s annual Pride Festival, according to Lundy. Previously, Bangor-based Health Equity Alliance, or HEAL, held that role. Bangor Pride decided to “gracefully step away” from HEAL, as it’s believed to be “best for both parties,” according to the group’s Facebook post last year. That turned out to be a good decision as HEAL closed at the end of March after months of turbulence. “We are working with Downtown Bangor Partnership to form a non-profit so we can raise our own money going forward,” White said. The fundraising goal this year is between $13,000 and $15,000. “The support has been overwhelming in the best way,” White said. One of those supporters is Bangor City Council Chair
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Cara Pelletier, who praised this year’s organizers. “It’s great to see a reinvigorated festival with such a wide variety of ways to get involved,” she said. “The diversity of events helps to amplify the message of unity and pride, while allowing more individuals to find connection opportunities that resonate with them personally. There’s art, theater, outdoor activities – it’s much more than just a parade! “We know that Bangor Pride historically has drawn people from across northern and central Maine and Atlantic Canada who want to celebrate,” Pelletier continued. “I have no doubt we’ll see that again this year. My personal thanks go out to the committee that is working so hard to pull everything together. Having been involved in Pride in the past, I know how much time, energy, and love it takes to make it happen.” Pelletier said that Bangor Pride continues to be an important event for Bangor because it offers a space for people to connect, celebrate, and find strength in community. “Even in 2025, and even in a welcoming state like Maine, LGBTQ+ people continue to face discrimination, political attacks, and social exclusion,” she said. “In light of the Trump administration’s policies targeting transgender athletes and DEI programs, this year’s pride feels even more vital. Community and solidarity are our best response, and pride remains a powerful act of visibility and resistance,” Pelletier added. “It’s also a celebration of love, progress, and a space to find healing. Pride reminds us that the fight for equality isn’t over – and that no one should have to stand alone.”
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CELEBRATE PRIDE MONTH • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • June 6, 2025 A NEW FLAG WILL REPLACE THE WORN AND FADED ONE IN DOWNTOWN BANGOR SEEN HERE IN 2024. BDN FILE PHOTO / BILL TROTTER
New Pride flag
Coming to Downtown Bangor BY JUDY HARRISON
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here will be a new pride flag hanging from the roof of Paddy Murphy’s in Westmarket Square this month. The decade-old rainbow flag was faded and tattered after years in the sun, wind, rain, and the unpredictable Bangor weather, according to organizers. The replacement flag will look a bit different from the old, classic flag. It will be the Progress Pride Flag, also known as the Pride Flag Reboot. That flag and others around the city help make members of the LGBTQ+ community feel welcome in Bangor, according to Betsy Lundy, executive director of Downtown Bangor Partnership. “Downtown Bangor is the highest density residential, commercial, and visitor hub north of Portland and what flag we fly gets seen,” she said. “We often hear from people how many rainbow flags they see around and how safe and welcome it makes them feel. … That is a visible representation of our city’s commitment to creating a safe and welcoming environment for LGBTQ+ population.” Designed in 2018 by Daniel Quasar, it adds a chevron of white, pink, blue, brown, and black to the traditional sixstripe rainbow flag to place greater emphasis on inclusion in the LBGTQ+ community, representing trans and nonbinary individuals, as well as marginalised People of Colour (POC) communities. The black stripe has a double meaning as it is also intended for those living with AIDS and those who have been lost to the disease. The new 15- by 25-foot flag is listed at $2,680 from Pride Flags SD in San Diego, California.
People who donated funds for the flag had their names or the name of a loved one placed on the back of the flag. The cost was $5 per name. Bangor Pride also held a fundraiser in April at Therapeutic Bodywork Learning Center in Brewer. That event raised $1,000 toward the purchase of the new flag. As of early May, fundraising for the new flag was complete, with half of the funds donated by community members and the remaining portion from Bangor Pride fundraisers and sponsorships. The first rainbow flag debuted in 1978 at a gay pride event in San Francisco. Designed by artist Gilbert Baker, it sported eight colors that each symbolized an aspect of life – hot pink for sexuality, red for life, orange for healing, yellow for the sun, green for nature, blue for art, indigo for harmony, and violet for spirit. The next year, two of the colors, hot pink and indigo, were dropped due, in part, to the unavailability of some colors, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica. Since 1979, that flag has become the most recognized symbol of gay pride. Each year before Bangor’s Pride Festival, city workers paint rainbow colors on the crosswalk on State Street near the Kenduskeag Stream bridge, where Charlie Howard was killed in 1984. An even bigger flag than the one that flies from Paddy Murphy’s roof will be part of this year’s Bangor Pride
Parade for the first time. A portion of the more than a ¼-mile-long River of Pride Flag will be held by volunteers marching in the parade. Depending on the number of people available to hold it, between 150 and 300 feet of the flag, or two sections of the flag, will be in the Queen City. Between 50 and 60 people are needed to hold 300 feet of the flag, according to organizers. The first 125 feet was sewn by Bishop McKechnie, then a Portland bartender, and friends in 2006, according to the River of Pride website. Over the next two years, 775 feet were added. McKechnie, now of Augusta, added another 750 feet in 2019. The huge flag also will be in this year’s Portland Pride Parade on June 21. It was carried in 2019 in the 50th anniversary parade in New York City in commemoration of the Stonewall riots, which are considered to be the beginning of the Gay Rights Movement.
CELEBRATE PRIDE MONTH • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • June 6, 2025
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More Important Than Ever
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his year, Pride feels more important than ever to members of the LGBTQ+ community and allies. For more than 30 years, the Pride Parade has been held in June in downtown Bangor. Celebrating the LGBTQ+ community, the Pride Parade is also an important way LGBTQ+ community members and allies raise awareness about equality and advocate for rights and visibility. “Pride has always been about visibility and resistance, but also about authenticity, representation, and joy,” said Chris McLaughlin, owner and lead consultant for Inspired Consulting Group, which is one of the sponsors of this year’s Bangor Pride events. “However, this year, I feel both a sense of heightened urgency and greater importance around celebrating Pride. Across the country, we’re witnessing the continued rise in disturbing antiLGBTQIA+ rhetoric, legislation, and in some cases, even violence. In many ways, I believe that this year’s Pride isn’t just a celebration, it’s a declaration of sorts. A declaration that we will not be erased, and that our stories, our joy, our resilience, and our truths matter.”
This year’s celebration is going to be bigger than ever. “There will be vendors and community partners spread out across the Pride Festival grounds, a community art project, a community history project, music and drag performers, the annual Rainbow Awards, and, of course, the Pride Parade (with the River of Pride flag from Portland, for the first time).” Because the political climate around LGBTQ+ issues has become so complicated, some may worry about security for the events. But McLaughlin emphasized the organizers understand the importance of everyone involved feeling safe. Organizers are already been working to secure extra volunteer peacekeepers for the events. “We want all our attendees to feel safe and to know that there are folks there to offer assistance should attendees need any additional support,” McLaughlin said. And, if you are interested in volunteering, McLaughlin said you can email Hello@BangorPride.com McLaughlin said an important addition this year is the “Pride in Our Stories” initiative. Pride organizers are collecting personal stories, memories, and reflections from
BY CRYSTAL SANDS
LGBTQIA+ community members. This project is open to people of all ages. Those interested in participating in the “Pride in Our Stories” project can learn more and sign up here: tinyurl.com/BangorPrideInOurStories. While the Bangor Pride Parade is a fun and important event every year, this year’s celebration shows how community support continues to grow. “For me, Pride 2025 is about honoring those who came before us and fiercely protecting those who are coming up behind us,” McLaughlin said. “There is still so much joy to be found in this world, and I’m so grateful for the Bangor Pride team for creating opportunities to embrace joy in all forms.” tune in to McLaughlin’s Inspired Insights Podcast episodes at Inspiredcg.com. in june, his guests include bangor Pride organizers Samantha White & Betsy Lundy.
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CELEBRATE PRIDE MONTH • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • June 6, 2025
Celebrate Maine Pride
Show your Pride at events all around Maine
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ride events are taking place all over our great state this month. Here’s just a small sample of events, parades, parties, and more to celebrate Pride locally and show your support for our LGBTQ+ community.
Bar Harbor
Bangor Some big additions to this year’s events include a stronger focus on community and nature activities. There will be sunrise and sunset Paddle with Pride outings (June 14 at 9 a.m. and 6 p.m.) at the Hirundo Wildlife Refuge in Old Town, a Read with Pride book signing at Books-A-Million (June 14 at 1 p.m.), a Golf with Pride event at Bangor Municipal Golf Course (June 17 at 5:30 p.m.), and Pride Night at “Rocky Horror Show” at Penobscot Theatre (June 20 at 7 p.m.). And if that’s not enough, check out the Pride Pub Crawl (June 21 in downtown Bangor) and the Rainbow Charcuterie Fundraiser (June 22 at 11 a.m.) at Downtown Charcuterie. It’s all leading to the main event: Bangor’s Generations of Pride Parade & Festival on June 28, followed by ABRACABANGOR Drag Show that evening at 7 p.m. at Hollywood Casino. Also available this year, the Spiral Goddess Collective is opening their doors to be a sensory safe place during the festival, so people can take a break in a calming environment.
Bar Harbor is celebrating with a big weekend of events, including a drag show and dance party on June 6, and Pride March on June 7 starting at the Village Green at 12:30 p.m., followed by Bar Harbor’s Pride Festival from 1-5 p.m. Festival fun includes the Curbside Queens, a DJ, and live band. And don’t miss the Curbside Queens Drag Show at 7 p.m. at the Criterion. BARHARBORPRIDE.COM
Belfast Mark your calendar for June 7 to celebrate Pride in Belfast. The Belfast Pride Celebration parade starts at 11 a.m., traveling down Waldo Avenue to Main Street and ending at Heritage Park, where the celebration continues. OURTOWNBELFAST.ORG/BELFAST-PRIDECELEBRATION
BANGORPRIDE.COM
Ellsworth
A DOG, SHOWING ITS SUPPORT DURING BANGOR’S ANNUAL PRIDE PARADE, WALKS DOWN MAIN STREET IN 2023. BDN FILE PHOTO / SAWYER LOFTUS
Ellsworth PrideFest 2025 will take place Sunday, June 8, from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Knowlton Park. This annual celebration is a free and familyfriendly event for people who embrace diversity and love. The fun includes live music, a Curbside Queens drag show, yoga, story hour, food trucks, artist and maker vendors, and much more. HEARTOFELLSWORTH.ORG/PRIDE
Downeast Consider expanding your experience by serving as a volunteer at one of these local events. For more events around Maine, visit outmaine.org/pride
Downeast Pride is scheduled for June 28-29 in Eastport and Lubec. Enjoy a craft fair, art activities, live music, and Curbside Queens on Saturday, June 28 beginning at 12 p.m. On Sunday, June 29, don’t miss the Trail Mixer with Queerly ME at Red Point Nature Preserve and a walking parade beginning at 11:45 a.m. at Lubec Brewing Company and ending at Stockford Park. Curbside Queen perform at 12 p.m., followed by live music in the park, and much more. DOWNEASTRAINBOWALLIANCE.COM/PRIDE
CELEBRATE PRIDE MONTH • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • June 6, 2025
THE 2024 PRIDE PARADE MAKES ITS WAY DOWN MAIN STREET IN BANGOR. BDN FILE PHOTO / SAWYER LOFTUS
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CELEBRATE PRIDE MONTH • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • June 6, 2025
Social Security’s Legacy—and Its Future COURTESY OF AARP MAINE AARP has started our Countdown to 90 Years—a recognition and call to action leading up to the 90th anniversary of Social Security on August 14, 2025. For nine decades, Social Security has been a stable and reliable foundation of retirement security for millions of Americans—and we believe it must remain that way for generations to come. Since 1935, Social Security has helped older Americans live and retire with dignity, supported people with disabilities, and provided vital income to families after the loss of a loved one. It’s a promise earned through a lifetime of hard work—and it has stood the test of time, weathering economic downturns, political shifts, and demographic change. In its 90 years of existence, a payment has never been missed. Social Security will face challenges in the years ahead, but it’s incumbent on us to ensure the program continues to work for those who rely on it. Here in Maine, 369,221 Mainers collect Social Security benefits, and 102,000 are lifted out of poverty every month. Social
Security helps Mainers live and retire with dignity, offers crucial support to those with disabilities, and serves as a financial lifeline for families navigating the loss of a loved one. Social Security will never “go broke.” That’s a fact. But the program does face funding challenges. The most recent Social Security Trustees’ Report finds that the surplus will run out in 2035. To prevent that shortfall, Congress must once again step up – as it did when it reformed the program in 1983 – before millions of Americans are left with less than they’ve earned. Customer service is another area where Social Security is facing challenges. Administrative chaos at the Social Security Administration (SSA) this year has contributed to a customer service crisis that has been ongoing for years. SSA has struggled with call wait times, hold times, customer service resolutions and staffing issues, according to SSA’s own data. Many Americans who need access to the program face hours on the phone or in line at their local offices. In addition,
budget and staffing levels have strained SSA’s ability to provide vital services. For more than 65 years, AARP has worked with every administration and Congress to protect and strengthen Social Security. Now, AARP is leading the charge to defend our Social Security from harmful changes, and to ensure it remains strong for your children and grandchildren. From now until August, AARP state offices across the country will celebrate Social Security’s 90th anniversary in a number of ways, including at Pride Festivals across Maine in June. But this is more than a celebration. It’s a call to action. Social Security is your money—you earned it. And AARP will never stop fighting to make sure it’s there when you need it. Let’s honor 90 years of stability—and work together to ensure Social Security stays strong for the next 90. Please visit states.aarp.org/maine/social-security-90 to learn more and to take our Fight for Social Security pledge today.