First Downeast Pride Festival to be held in June

The first annual Downeast Pride Festival will be held in Machias and Eastport on the weekend of June 21, with a film festival, ice cream social and dance party scheduled to run from Thursday, June 20, through Saturday, June 22. The Downeast Rainbow Alliance has facilitated the event. All events are free admission.
Organizer Kathleen Dunbar explains, "Last year's Pride event at the Chowder House was part of Bay Days, and it was pretty groundbreaking for this area. As far as I know, it was the first big Pride event locally. The planning of Downeast Pride Festival by the Downeast Rainbow Alliance, however, was born totally separately. For the past couple of years, Dr. Lois Ann Kuntz -- University of Maine Machias (UMM) -- has been talking about having a celebration in 2019 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots, which played a major part in kicking off lesbian, gay bisexual, transgender and gay (LGBTQ) activism in this country."
The idea for combining the Stonewall commemoration with a Pride festival percolated into the conversation, with co‑organizer and Eastport resident Anne Hopkins suggesting the idea. Gay Pride events are held in June around the world to commemorate the Stonewall riots, which occurred at the end of June 1969 in New York City, N.Y. The riots were considered to be a watershed moment in the gay liberation movement.
"The idea of a Downeast Pride Festival has been a dream of mine," says Hopkins. "I always think about the questioning youth in our rural community and imagine how alone they must feel in our community. We want them to see the posters, banners and know that they have a community right here where they live."
Starting on June 20, the UMM Performing Arts Center will show the film From Selma to Stonewall: Are We There Yet? at 6 p.m. Organizers plan to have a speaker and an opportunity for an open discussion. On Friday, June 21, the film series will continue at UMM at 6 p.m. with Pride, and at 8 p.m. with The Miseducation of Cameron Post, a film about conversion therapy. All films are rated R. Kuntz says, "The mini-film festival offers a slice of LGBTQ history that is still relevant today and is a wonderful opportunity for people to come together and see some of their own or their friends' and family members' stories on screen."
The festival continues in Eastport on June 22 with an ice cream social from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Eastport Arts Center. The event is family‑friendly and meant for all ages. Along with free ice cream will be a live band, Beach Trash, youth door prizes and the Portland‑based Little Chair Printing's mobile printing press. With support from SPACE Gallery, the Kindling Fund and the Andy Warhol Foundation, press owner and artist Hope Rovelto has launched a social justice screen-printing project for groups throughout Maine. Dunbar and Hopkins expect that bandannas will be used for the screen-printing project and offered to youth as a fun commemoration of the event.
Later on Saturday, from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Eastport Chowder House pier, the festival will continue with a dance party featuring DJ Boston Bob, a 50/50 raffle and a cash bar with drink specials. The event is for those 21 and older.
Dunbar notes the 2018 event was organized by others, including Eastport resident and artist Jim Riccio, who brought the event to the table for the Downeast Rainbow Alliance to consider for inclusion in the 2019 festival.
Hopkins adds, "Visibility is key for change to occur. Also the queer community is so vibrant, so fun and it's something to celebrate. It's about making a safe space for families to be themselves. To have this festival happening right here in Machias and Eastport says that you can be out and proud and not have to travel to Bangor or Portland to be yourself." Kuntz says, "When rural young people, especially, are able to be their true selves in a safe and affirming environment it can be a transformative experience and promotes a sense of self and belonging to a larger community."
The Downeast Rainbow Alliance's mission is advocacy, education and support for the LGBTQ community in Washington County.
For more information contact, <downeastrainbowalliance@gmail.com>.