Belated Portland, ME Pride Festival Report

Loyal GP Reader Noah from Southern Maine helped staff the Log Cabin Republican booth during the Portland Pride Festival (June 16-18). He recounted the experience in a recent email to me.

I ended up being in the parade (again), and then it was time for the festival, which was indoors due to rainy weather. The festival went from 1pm to 5pm, and I staffed the Log Cabin table from 3-5. For the first two hours I was able to enjoy the festival, and occasionally I overheard people making comments about Log Cabin being there, ranging from neutral to negative.

I was actually approached by HRC (or rather, a cute boy hired by HRC), and I politely explained to him I felt the organization?s words and actions countered any claim they made about being bipartisan, and they weren?t getting anywhere with the *majority* party. But yes, I?d love a sticker, thanks! I wore the sticker sideways to make a pause sign, and when people asked why it was sideways (or upside-down, as one genius put it), I said it was because HRC wasn?t getting anywhere. (GP Ed. Note: LOL!)

Then it was time to staff the LCR table. Amazingly, only once was I compared to a Jewish Nazi. The new thing I heard, and this really bugs me, is ?You?re too young to be a Republican.? One person actually ripped off my Log Cabin sticker and ripped it up! Anyway, the whole point of the table was a postcard campaign for the Military Readiness Enhancement Act, which would overturn DADT. We collected about 250 postcards, most of which will go to my local rep, Tom Allen (D-ME).

All in all, it was pretty good. James [Dozier from LCR National] said it was better than a lot of other places he?d been too, where people had been more hostile. Maybe my grassroots campaign to educate gay Portland one bar buddy at a time has actually paid off!

And now I?m back in the regular world, fully recharged and ready to face another year of minority complex. Yay for gay!

Keep up the fight, Noah!

-Bruce (GayPatriot) — gaypatriot2004@aol.com