The raising of a gay pride flag in a Maine town’s veterans park is stirring controversy among some men and women who served in the military.
The town of Ogunquit raised a gay pride rainbow flag in the Ogunquit Veterans Park at the beginning of June to commemorate Gay Pride Month.
“I was absolutely shocked. I couldn’t believe that someone was even considering it," veteran John Mixon told WMTW-TV.
He is affiliated with the Wells-Ogunquit American Legion Post 143.
The flag was raised June 1 to fly alongside the American flag, the Maine flag and the POW/MIA flag.
Town manager Pat Finnegan, though, defended the flag’s raising.
“The rainbow flag represents that we have a significant number of people who come to Ogunquit partly because of our welcoming nature to gay people, and we want to recognize their contributions to this town," she told the TV station.
The event was placed on the town’s website, and officials urged the community to come.
“Join Us in this community celebration … as we raise the Pride Flag in Veterans Park 95 Main Street Ogunquit to celebrate Pride Month!” it read.
Mixon said he doesn’t oppose the gay pride flag but wants it to fly elsewhere in the town.
“If it flew 25 yards over there on the front porch, I'd go to the celebration. Nobody would care. But to put it in veterans park and disrespect veterans, it's a travesty,” he told WMTW.
Michael Foust is a freelance writer. Visit his blog, MichaelFoust.com.
Photo courtesy: ©Thinkstock/CatEyePerspective
Publication date: June 6, 2018
