Byron Cortez came to the Boothbay Harbor selectboard May 28 in search of help. He hoped the board would officially celebrate June as Pride Month, the annual celebration of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) people. Cortez has made several specific requests to towns around the Boothbay region, but this time he left the details to the board. However, with no particular request made, the board did not take any particular action. 

“I don't think right now we are prepared to do anything in particular other than to continue inviting and welcoming and taking all concerns and all topics that are brought forward in a serious nature,” said Selectboard Chair Michael Tomko.    

The municipality will not be celebrating or recognizing Pride Month this June according to Tomko and Town Manager Julia Latter. However, they did not eliminate the possibility of future efforts.  

Cortez said he moved to the Boothbay region with his husband in 2022 and found it to be welcoming and open. Now, he wants others to know about the positive community. 

“What we have here is unique, it really is, and I’m just trying to get the word out,” Cortez told the board. “I’m asking for your help in any capacity that makes sense. Any gesture that you think is appropriate for the community ...”   

Cortez has already requested neighboring towns enact a proclamation supporting Pride, fly the Pride Flag in June, and/or paint a crosswalk in a rainbow pattern. Southport agreed to a proclamation and to fly the Pride Flag at town hall, Edgecomb will craft an official recognition for Pride Month and will fly the Pride Flag at town hall, and Boothbay took no action. 

Cortez said he realized his initial requests alarmed people, especially around the suggestion a Pride Flag be put on an official flagstaff. With that in mind, he decided to just ask Boothbay Harbor for help and hoped selectmen would act at their own discretion. Tomko said he welcomed him to be a part of the public policy process, as they would any resident, but did not commit to special action.  

“We’re not under a position to take any kind of action on this but we will, as always, be transparent and open and talk about policy as it’s being developed,” Tomko said.  

After the meeting, Selectman Mark Osborn told the Register he would support a general statement of inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility that expresses the town does not discriminate. Osborn, who is gay, said he personally thinks the town should go down that path as opposed to focusing on a certain population.  

At the meeting, several people spoke up against Cortez’s requests made to other towns. Boothbay Harbor resident Al Roberts raised concerns about flying a pride flag on a municipal flagstaff. “The flag means an awful lot to me, and I just think that flag staff should be nothing else than the United States American flag,” he said.  

Boothbay resident Pamela Mancuso said she welcomes Cortez but urged the board to remain neutral and not fly a Pride Flag or sign a Pride proclamation because she does not want her town to look like Brunswick, Portland, or Boston. Pam Miller of Nobleboro said she and her family often stay here and spend a lot of money. She said they “will not be coming in and doing business here if you're going to be a little village like this that's going to replicate California.” In addition, Boothbay resident Chuck House took the opportunity to express his concerns with gender issues in education.  

However, not all members of the public were against supporting Pride. Board member Alyssa Allen said she received personal communications from two peninsula residents during the streamed meeting that criticized the public comments and their tone.

Several board members told the Register they felt some in-person comments were unrelated to the meeting’s agenda items, and it was unusual to hear input from non-residents. However, board members said they welcome public opinion and do not want to discourage input from neighbors.  

“I think that some of the people got off topic. I think people went down paths that Mr. Cortez was not asking us to go down or to consider ... and some people were not from the town of Boothbay Harbor,” said Osborn. “I don't think any of the board members want to go down that path of silencing people or not having people express their opinions. And I think when people express their opinions, it's educational for everyone.” 

Overall, Cortez told the Register he was happy with the outcome of the meeting and respects the process and the board’s decisions. He said perhaps next year the town will do something, or there can be a private celebration. For now, he said he felt the board was receptive and the people who spoke were respectful and passionate about the issues.  

“I'm not on a path to change the region. That's not it, no. We're in love with it. So, we just want other people to know what a great place it is,” Cortez said. He added, he was glad people expressed their opinions as part of democracy. “I think people have concerns, and this is the right way to bring them to light.”