Stepping off near 10:30 a.m., the second annual Pride and Unity Walk and Rally marched down Damariscotta’s Main Street Saturday, June 24, celebrating Pride month.
Flying colorful, rainbow Pride flags, playing music, carrying signs, and calling out to passers-by, participants walked the parade route between the Newcastle Town Office and the Rising Tide Co-op in Damariscotta. At the inaugural Pride parade in 2022, no vehicles were allowed, but this year organizers received permission to include vehicles and floats in the parade.
The theme of this year’s event was “Just Be in 2023.”
Before the parade, participants and supporters listened to speeches at the Newcastle Veterans Memorial Park. Supporters gathered at Rising Tide after the parade for a rally. Music by Elton John and Shania Twain and other artists played from speakers under a large white tent, where people of all ages gathered to celebrate and support the LGBTQ+ community.
At the rally, local and regional organizations set up information tables and people painted t-shirts and danced to music. Sponsors of the event included Rising Tide Co-op, Healthy Lincoln County, St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, and the Lincoln County Democratic Committee.
Attendees at the rally expressed pride and pleasure at being able to publicly celebrate the Pride community.
“Inclusion, community, and visibility are important,” said parade marcher Teagan O’Toole of Waldoboro. “People who are LGBTQ+ have had a lot of danger in their visibility, so having a supportive community is lifesaving.”
