By The Item Editorial Board
Pride month may be over, but our support for the LGBTQIA+ community continues. As the month of July begins, it is important to bring attention to the issues that the queer community continues to face locally and nationally.
Walking through nearby towns and cities, you may see pride flags on houses, hanging from storefronts, and in front of government buildings. But what lurks behind the scenes may be a different story.
Recently, a controversy surrounding a mural in Marblehead painted the town. Last week, artist Ties Jan de Blij was commissioned by the Marblehead Cultural Council to create a permanent pride-flag mural on a sidewalk in town. What followed was a heated debate on Facebook.
Wrote Robert Cooper: “Stop catering to less than 1% of our population. NO ONE CARES! These flags cause division and fighting in ALL communities! Enough!”
Wrote Mark Palladino: “This literally only makes Marblehead a more welcoming place. That’s an issue to you? Wow.”
In an interview with The Item, recently-appointed Marblehead Select Board Chair Erin Noonan voiced her support for the project and the LGBTQIA+ community.
“The Cultural Council brought it forward to signal to visitors of the town and people in our town — in a climate of national hateful bigoted rhetoric — that this is a supportive community and a safe place,” Noonan said.
The controversy wasn’t the first incident to occur this year during Pride month in Marblehead. On June 18, a group of more than 150 people gathered at Little Grace Church to protest the previous week’s removal of pride flags from Pleasant Street Preschool, which rents space in the church.
While Marblehead certainly has a loud group of people who are not accepting of diverse identities, it doesn’t necessarily mean that other local communities are more supportive — their groups may just be quieter in their biases.
The matter is seeping into state governments nationwide. The American Civil Liberties Union is currently tracking 491 anti-LGBTQIA+ bills across the country in the 2023 legislative session.
In Massachusetts, there are two anti-queer bills in the works.
Bill H.458 would prohibit or restrict classroom discussion on sexual orientation and gender identity.
Bill H.509 aims to remove sexual education — including discussions of human-sexuality issues and sexual orientation — from the general curriculum, instead restricting it to elective courses that students would need parental permission to take. In addition, school staff would not be required to participate in any program involving subjects “that violate his or her religious beliefs.”
According to the Commonwealth’s website, the state Senate has concurred on both bills and referred them to the Joint Committee on Education.
But, there is light at the end of the tunnel. Several local communities have expressed continued support of the queer community both in words and actions.
According to Swampscott Select Board Member Peter Spellios, the town has, in general, had a history of LGBTQIA+ support. But, in the last five years, he said the town has become even more outwardly supportive.
“I think it’s awesome,” Spellios said.
In Lynn, there have been pockets of support for years, which continue to grow.
In the political realm, Ward 3 City Councilor Coco Alinsug was elected in 2021 as the first openly-gay city councilor in Lynn.
Also within the last two years, United Lynn Pride has become a pillar organization, bringing the queer community together and creating a network of solidarity. This Pride month, it organized several events.
Individuals are also stepping up to elevate LGBTQIA+ voices and talents. Olivia Werth, of Lynn, recently launched Prismatic, a zine that highlights queer creatives.
While Pride month events are a great way to bring people together and celebrate diversity, it is clear that the LGBTQIA+ community needs year-round support, now more than ever, to keep the momentum of acceptance going.
In the words of de Blij, “Through learning from each other about other perspectives, you create a richer society.”
We agree.
