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Yahoo
19 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Ogunquit's gay-friendly reputation was born from protest and rebellion
Jun. 1—Two dozen protesters stood outside Valerie's, a restaurant and bar in Ogunquit, on the last Saturday in May 1975, holding up handwritten signs. "Gay, straight, we are human." "No more fear and oppression, gay is good." Days earlier, a group of young gay people had been kicked out of the bar for dancing with their same-sex partners. Among them was Steve Bull, who grew up in nearby Kennebunk and was one of the people asked to leave Valerie's. "You had to be discreet. It's the discretion that we were rebelling against, because we couldn't just be open and be ourselves," said Bull, an LGBTQ+ and civil rights activist who helped organize the protest to show they were not afraid to demand fair treatment. Others gathered across the street to yell at the demonstrators, Bull remembered. A man pulled up in a car and spit in the face of one of the protesters. Police from four or five nearby towns showed up, prepared for a confrontation. The protest ended peacefully, but it was a pivotal moment in LGBTQ history in Ogunquit, which had long been a place where gay people from across the Northeast gathered in the summer. Almost exactly 50 years later, Ogunquit is kicking off Pride month with its annual three-day celebration next weekend. Longtime residents reflected on how the town weathered a period of protest and violence in the 1970s and 80s, evolving into a community often touted as one of the most gay-friendly tourist destinations in the country. Some liken it to a "mini-Provincetown," a nod to the popular LGBTQ+ destination on the tip of Cape Cod. "We've been through a lot in this town," said Randy Coulton, who has run businesses in Ogunquit with his husband, John Cavaretta, since the 1970s. "A lot of people just don't know the history. They don't have a clue about who marched and who protested. There's a lot of angst we all went through." BECOMING 'A GAY HAVEN' Ogunquit's identity as an artist colony, which later evolved into an LGBTQ enclave, was shaped in the late 1800s as artists discovered the beauty of Perkins Cove, a small, picture-perfect fishing community. After the first bridge to Ogunquit Beach was built in 1890, summer visitors began flocking to town. Grand hotels, bed and breakfasts and restaurants were built to accommodate tourists arriving on trains and carriages. By the 1970s, Ogunquit's thriving arts scene drew in many members of the LGBTQ community. There were art museums and galleries around town and the Ogunquit Playhouse was a popular stop for notable actors. "It was a very bohemian crowd with people escaping the city and finding companionship up here," said Cavaretta, who moved to Ogunquit in 1966. Coulton said there were lots of "interesting characters" who came to Ogunquit to be part of the artist community and to open businesses. "It became a gay haven," he said. But tensions simmered. Not long before the protest at Valerie's, Cavaretta opened Anabel's, the first gay dance club in Maine, right in the middle of downtown. There were other clubs where gay and straight people mixed, Coulton said. But Valerie's, which had a piano bar, was listed in guides for gay travelers as a gay-friendly business, although patrons were expected to be discreet. A few miles up Route 1 in Wells, a gay bar called The Stage Door had been the center of controversy after it was denied a liquor license in February 1975. Activists from the Seacoast Area Gay Alliance said in a letter to town officials that the license denial was "clearly discriminatory and bias toward gay people." After the dancers were kicked out of Valerie's, Bull and other activists decided it was time to speak out about that incident and what had happened at The Stage Door. They gathered early on May 31, 1975, at The Stage Door and made their way to Wells Town Hall, where they picketed for hours. They then went to Ogunquit to protest in front of Valerie's. Bull said he and others were prepared to be arrested. He recalled one moment vividly, when two older gay men in a Cadillac with Texas license plates pulled up alongside the picketers. One man spit in Bull's face, telling him, "You're ruining it for the rest of us." "We straddled two eras," Bull said. "There were a lot of folks who were very comfortable in the closet, where they spent their whole lives. And there were some of us out there saying, 'You know, this is not enough.' We were rocking the boat and some people didn't like that." 'HUGE BACKLASH' Coulton, who grew up in Wells, clearly remembers the pushback against the gay community that continued into the early 1980s. Police targeted gay men in the dunes at night. There were beatings on the beach and a lot of name calling. Businesses frequented by gay visitors felt targeted by town officials, who they said selectively enforced local ordinances. High school seniors wrote in the yearbook that their goal in life was to beat up gay people, Coulton said. "There was a huge backlash," he said. In 1982, a canister of tear gas was thrown into the door of The Front Porch, a bar opened by John Revere two years earlier that was especially popular with gay customers. The second floor piano bar was packed with people at the time, Coulton recalled. "All these people were crowded upstairs, choking on gas, and people panicked and threw tables and chairs through the windows," he said. Luckily, no one was seriously injured. Tensions intensified when two articles were published describing Ogunquit as a gay community. One, a travel article in Torso magazine, said "Ogunquit, Maine, (is) certainly a booming gay village." Soon after, a group of local businessmen formed a group called Integrity for Ogunquit, urging town officials to crack down on businesses that defied local ordinances, including two gay nightclubs. "We just want to preserve the character of this town. The places that violate the rules just happen to be owned by gays," Graham Cookson, a local theater owner, told a reporter in 1982. Gay business owners, however, felt they were being unfairly targeted. "They (residents) feel the gay people coming in are hurting the town. They are afraid of people finding out Ogunquit is a gay community," Harold Felberg, owner of The Club, a gay bar that had come under attack for allegedly violating the noise ordinance, told a reporter at the time. OGUNQUIT PRIDE By the late 1980s, the AIDS epidemic had been raging nationally for years. Ogunquit was not spared, but townspeople showed up to support those who became sick. "We were losing members of our community," Cavaretta said. "People came and helped out dealing with people who were sick and dying at home." Gay residents, including Coulton and Cavaretta, vocally criticized the federal administration for its handling of the crisis. In 1991, more than 1,500 activists from across the Northeast converged on President George H.W. Bush's home in Kennebunkport to demand a national plan to combat AIDS. The demonstration ended with a die-in on the street. It was then, Coulton said, that Ogunquit became what it is now. The town settled into its reputation as a popular tourist destination for all kinds of people, preparing each year to see its population swell by tens of thousands between Memorial Day and Labor Day. "By the '90s, things started mixing a lot more," Cavaretta said. "It just seemed so homogeneous where people were not looking at gay or straight, they were just looking for a good time in the summertime." These days, Ogunquit is dotted with pride flags throughout the year — and a rainbow sidewalk is permanently painted in the center of town. But it's in June that celebrations really ramp up. Planning for the annual Pride celebration starts months in advance and incorporates businesses throughout town, said Ron Nassef, the general manager of the Meadowmere Resort and chair of the Ogunquit Chamber of Commerce Pride Committee. Ogunquit Pride has grown into one of the largest and longest-running Pride celebrations in the state. This year, it includes a kick-off party with live music on Friday night, free films, karaoke and a Dueling Drag Divas show. On Saturday, a unity flag raising will be held at 10:30 a.m. in the middle of town, followed by a parade to Dorothea Jacobs Grant Common for a "Pride in the Park" picnic. Throughout the weekend, businesses will host a variety of events. "It's electrifying. The community coming together and it's an amazing feeling," Nassef said. Nassef, who is adopting two children with his husband, plans to speak during the flag-raising ceremony about what pride means to him. He started coming to Ogunquit 22 years ago and found a community "where people are so welcoming" that he knew he wanted to be a part of. "You can go there and be yourself. Nobody judges you," he said. "That's the intense thing about this community." Copy the Story Link We believe it's important to offer commenting on certain stories as a benefit to our readers. At its best, our comments sections can be a productive platform for readers to engage with our journalism, offer thoughts on coverage and issues, and drive conversation in a respectful, solutions-based way. It's a form of open discourse that can be useful to our community, public officials, journalists and others. We do not enable comments on everything — exceptions include most crime stories, and coverage involving personal tragedy or sensitive issues that invite personal attacks instead of thoughtful discussion. You can read more here about our commenting policy and terms of use. More information is also found on our FAQs. 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CNN
a day ago
- Entertainment
- CNN
White Actress Files Lawsuit After Being Blocked From Portraying Black Civil Rights Icons - First Of All with Victor Blackwell - Podcast on CNN Audio
19-year-old college student Ximena Arias-Cristobal was wrongfully pulled over in Dalton, Georgia recently. She spent weeks in ICE detention. One of her supporters through this ordeal is a Republican. Georgia State Representative Kasey Carpenter joins Ximena and Victor to discuss his opposition to her detention, and their push for meaningful immigration reform. Plus, the fight over Massapequa High School's Native American mascot just escalated. Department of Education Secretary Linda McMahon is threatening to full funding from New York education officials over their objections to the school's 'Chiefs' name and logo. Victor gets reaction from Germain Smith, the former general council secretary of the Shinnecock Indian Nation and an adviser to the New York Department of Education. Also this week, the Supreme Court declined to stop a land transfer in Arizona that could lead to the destruction of a site sacred to Native Americans. Wendsler Nosie Sr. joins Victor to share why the destruction of Oak Flat to make way for a copper mine is a threat to religious freedom. Should a White actress be allowed to portray Black civil rights icons like Harriet Tubman? Annette Hubbell is the writer and performer of a one-woman show she says was called off due to her race - and now she is suing, claiming discrimination and censorship. Annette Hubbell and her attorney Chris Barnewolt join Victor to explain their case. Victor also shares the story of how the skulls of nineteen Black individuals were finally returned to New Orleans after being sent to Germany in the late 1800s. Plus, an update on Clarksdale, Mississippi's mission to get a special screening of 'Sinners' with Ryan Coogler for the people who live in that town, which lacks a movie theater.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Emotional farewell in Baltimore for Norfolk 17 member
PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — Betty Jean Reed Kea died May 13 at the age of 81. That was four days before the 71st anniversary of the historic Brown v. Board Supreme Court decision that ruled separate is inherently unequal. Five years after that court decision, on Feb. 2, 1959, after Virginia launched a series of illegal steps to avoid integration, Betty Jean Reed walked alone on a long path toward equality. An iconic photo, taken of children on the steps of First Baptist Church on Bute Street, captured Betty Jean and 16 others who bravely integrated Norfolk Public Schools. Most of the Black children traveled with fellow students as they dodged the rocks, spit balls, and n-words that were hurled by a mob of white parents. But that wasn't the case for Betty Jean, who lived in the Titustown section of the city. Hidden History: The Norfolk 17 'I guess they sent groups to other schools,' said Reed's son, Kevin Kea. 'But my mother was the only one to walk by herself. So she had police at school with her every day.' (Note: also walked alone as the only Black student to enter Northside Jr. High School in 1959, according to her daughter, Michelle Curry. At the time, Talley-Hobby was 12 years old and entering seventh grade.) Robert Gaines, who attended Norview High School, recently wrote about what happened to the late Andrew Heidelberg at Norview High School when Blacks desegregated the school. Witness to history concerned about new form of Massive Resistance 'Kids were like, right in the face,' Gaines said. 'He [Heidelberg] did not get hit, but he thought he might get killed,' Gaines said. Other stories were shared with Reed Kea's son decades after Norfolk Public Schools were desegregated. 'We did have some of the [former] White students that did reach out to us,' Kea said. 'One of them was her friend, and she felt guilty that she didn't really interact with my mother as much as she could have or should have while she was at school because she was afraid of the negative treatment she would get just by befriending.' The stories of the Norfolk 17 are hidden no more. Reed Kea earned a masters degree and served as department chair for social studies in Baltimore public schools. 'So she was a good mentor,' said Reed Kea's daughter-in-law, Angela Kea. 'And she's a trailblazer because she's a part of history. She's a part of what made it possible for all schools to be desegregated. And I want to also say that one of her greatest accomplishments was instilling the values of justice, integrity and curiosity that defined her life. And I also wanted to say, because of her legacy, it is felt in classrooms across the United States because of her trailblazing legacy with the Norfolk 17.' Betty Jean Reed Kea paved the way for others. Retired Army Colonel Angelo Riddick and WAVY-TV's Regina Willey Mobley were the first Blacks inducted into the Granby High School Hall of Fame. Dr. Kenneth Cooper Alexander, Norfolk's first Black mayor, sent the Kea family a message of condolence that underscored Kea's role as a civil rights icon. 'Betty Jean Reed Kea played a crucial role in the city's history while paving the way for a more inclusive future,' Alexander said. According to the New Journal and Guide, there are seven living members of the Norfolk 17. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
2 days ago
- General
- CBS News
Tarrant County Judge defends redistricting process: "It's 100% about partisan politics"
The Tarrant County Commissioners Court is set to vote June 3 on a controversial proposal to redraw precinct boundary lines — a move that has drawn sharp criticism from residents, local leaders, and civil rights advocates. County Judge Tim O'Hare, who initiated the redistricting process, told CBS News Texas on Friday that the effort aligns with a campaign promise he made in 2021. Tarrant County Judge Tim O'Hare CBS News Texas "This is something that I campaigned on dating back to 2021 — that this would be the time where we would look at redistricting," O'Hare said. O'Hare defends GOP strategy O'Hare has been open about his political motivations. "Give me a map that guarantees three Republican commissioners seats," he said. "That's what I've asked for." Currently, the Commissioners Court is evenly split with two Republicans and two Democrats. O'Hare, a Republican, believes adding another GOP commissioner would better serve the county. Critics cite racial concerns The proposed maps show significant changes to Precincts 1 and 2, both currently represented by Democrats. Critics say the new boundaries would shift areas with large Black and Hispanic populations out of Precinct 2 and into Precinct 1, potentially diluting minority voting power. In response to accusations of racial gerrymandering, O'Hare said, "This is about partisan politics. You can legally in this country, according to the U.S. Supreme Court, draw maps for partisan purposes. So for me, it's 100% about partisan politics." 10 mayors urge delay, review Ten Tarrant County mayors — including those from Fort Worth, Arlington, and Grand Prairie — signed a letter urging commissioners to delay the vote. They warned that the proposed maps could violate the U.S. Voting Rights Act and face legal challenges. City councils in Fort Worth, Arlington, and Grand Prairie also passed resolutions opposing the redistricting process. "We know Democrats are going to challenge," O'Hare said. "But when you say it can affect minority groups, I think Republican governance is better for all people, regardless of race. And I would also tell you, Democrats don't have a monopoly on non-whites." O'Hare said the redistricting would help ensure Republican leadership on the court for the next decade. "I believe Republicans offer better ideas for governing — better ideas for cutting taxes, eliminating waste, fraud and abuse, keeping people safe, and maintaining law and order," he said. "And I think every single countywide officeholder — judge, tax assessor, sheriff, D.A., you name it — is a Republican. This will strengthen our Republican majority on the court. And I think it's what's best for everyone in Tarrant County, not just Republicans." Support from conservative suburbs On Thursday, the mayors of Southlake, Keller, North Richland Hills, and Colleyville voiced support for redistricting. They argued that major counties like Dallas and Harris redrew maps after the 2020 census and said it was "political malfeasance" that Tarrant County did not do the same. A previous redistricting effort in 2021, led by a Republican-majority court, resulted in no changes to the precinct maps. Commissioner Alisa Simmons, who opposes the current proposal, said that process was thorough and legally sound. "Tarrant County fulfilled its duty to redistrict in 2021 following the 2020 Census," Simmons said in a statement. "A Texas-based law firm that specializes in redistricting guided the county through a detailed and deliberate process over months with extensive community involvement. Because the existing boundaries were well within the allowed deviation, complied fully with state and federal law, and fairly reflected both the political and racial makeup of our county, they were confirmed by a bipartisan vote." She added: "Any statement that Tarrant County did not fulfill its responsibility to redistrict in 2021 is blatantly false. Tim O'Hare knows this but, inexcusably, is coercing local leaders to repeat his lie." Critics have also raised concerns that the proposed changes are based on outdated data, as redistricting typically follows the decennial U.S. Census. The next census is scheduled for 2030. Legal, data questions raised The conservative law firm hired by the county, the Public Interest Legal Foundation, has not released the criteria or data used to draw the new maps. O'Hare said the firm is using a broad range of data beyond the 2020 census. "They're looking at all sorts of things," he said. "It's a very comprehensive look. The demographer, I think, is one of the top demographers in the country. The lawyers — this is what they do for a living." New maps added Friday The speed of the process has also drawn criticism. The vote is scheduled just nine weeks after the law firm was hired. "I think two months has been plenty of time," O'Hare said. "If you don't want it to change, I understand why you say that. But people have had plenty of opportunity to weigh in, look at it, become aware and participate. And we've had hundreds of people submit emails, comments, show up in person. I think the word is out." On Friday, the county added two new map options to the list of proposals under consideration.
Washington Post
2 days ago
- General
- Washington Post
Trump's education secretary says NY discriminating against school with Native American chief mascot
MASSAPEQUA, N.Y. — New York is discriminating against a school district that is refusing a state order to get rid of its Native American chief mascot , President Donald Trump's top education official said Friday. U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said on a visit to Massapequa High School on Long Island that a weekslong investigation by her agency has determined that state education officials are violating federal civil rights law and could face a Justice Department investigation or risk losing federal funding.
