Walk, 2002 - Follow-Up Articles and Images
Bangor Daily News, New Hampshire-Foster's Daily Democrat,
Rockland-Courier-Gazette, Pictures from Portland

click on any thumbnail in this area for a larger picture - these are all pictures from the Portland walk. Thank you to Steve Farrand for the pictures! (you'll have to scroll down to see them all)

Bangor Daily News, June 10, 2002

BY RUTH-ELLEN COHEN OF THE NEWS STAFF

BANGOR - Sandi Carver and Suzanne Hara decided to throw caution to the wind Sunday.

Participants in Sunday's "Walk With the Ones You Love," including Sandi Carver (from left) of Hampden, Suzanne Hara of Hampden, and Katrina Sherman of Brewer march up Main Street in Bangor to show their support for gays and lesbians. Bangor Daily News Photo By Stephen M. Katz

They walked down Main Street holding hands.

Although the Hampden women typically are hesitant about public displays of affection, they said they were determined to be more open about their homosexuality

That's why the two participated in the city's third annual "Walk With the Ones You Love," sponsored by the Maine SPEAKOUT Project to affirm that Maine is a state where all should feel free to be themselves in public without worrying about harassment or violence.

Formed in 1995, SPEAKOUT is a nonprofit organization promoting respect among people with different sexual orientations

Starting in Pickering Square, more than 60 walkers - many of them members of the Hammond Street Congregational Church marched through downtown, stopping at the Kenduskeag Stream Bridge to cast carnations into the water as a tribute to Charlie Howard, a gay man who drowned in 1984 after being thrown from the bridge.

Fern Stearns of Milford, who helped organize the walk, pointed to a pamphlet that stated the event was born when two SPEAKOUT members traveled to Provincetown, Mass., 'and realized how wonderful it was to be in an environment where same-sex public displays of affection were the norm rather than a furtive moment."

"I know those two men," said Stearns, the mother of a gay son. "They weren't flagrant. They just love each other and wanted to be able to hold hands."

Calling tolerance "kind of static," Stearns said the walk enabled people "to go beyond tolerance to be affirming and supportive."

Walking with her daughter-in-law and her 8-month-9 old twin grandsons, Phyllis Harrington of Bangor said their participation marked the continuation of her family's support of gay rights.

"We're three generations," she said proudly

SPEAKOUT member Dan Williams of Bangor said the event drew the largest crowd in its brief three-year history

"People are becoming more tolerant and aware," he said.

But Andrew Thomits of Bangor said he and his partner had been holding hands at a local bar once when customers "told us we should go somewhere else."

"Everyone has a different feeling about what's appropriate with a public display [of affection]," Thomits said. "But if you do it as a straight person, you want to do it as a gay person."

Holding hands "is a basic right," said Hara, as she and Carver walked happily along. The women said they felt they were doing their part to promote tolerance.

"We figure repression is 50-50 and we're half of the equation," said Hara, who hoped others would see them and "feel liberated."

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Foster's Daily Democrat

PORTSMOUTH - The second annual Walk With the One You Love was held through downtown on Sunday to show support for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and straight couples.

Twelve people participated in the walk, which was organized by volunteers from New Hampshire Freedom to Marry Coalition; Parent, Family and Friends of Lesbians and Gays New Hampshire; and the Artistic Amazon Bookstore in downtown Portsmouth.

The group began the walk at Prescott Park and walked clockwise through Portsmouth, the neighborhoods along South Mill Pond's left bank to the corner of State and Middle streets. It then went back along Congress Street into Market Square and along Market and Bow Streets and back to Prescott Park.

Susie Stroud, who is on the board of New Hampshire Freedom to Marry, said the main goal of the walk is to celebrate diversity and "to raise awareness of the different kinds of families in New Hampshire." She said it also desensitizes people to the idea of seeing people of the same sex holding hands.

Also, it reminds people of how much more work needs to be done to give equal rights to same sex couples. New Hampshire has a law that prohibits discrimination based on sexual preference in employment, housing or obtaining credit. However, same sex couples are not granted the same rights that married couples have.

More information about the group's activities can be found through its Web site at www.nhftm.org.

Kevin Ross Emery, who owns an alternative healing business in Portsmouth. said the problem in this country has been that it tries to hide any issue that it does not want to address. It tried to hide slavery and now it is trying to hide the issue of gay rights.

"Why should we have to pay hundreds and thousands of dollars in legal fees just to get the same rights that opposite sex couples have?" he asked.

Sue Redkey of Barrington, who is a member of PFLAG. said she was walking to show support for her daughter, who is a lesbian, and to raise awareness about gays and their issues. "I would like to see everybody respect and love and not fear each other," she said. "I think people are afraid.'

Laura Rizzi of Washington, N.H.. said she wished she could have access to medical benefits through her partner, like married couples do. She is 53 and recently became permanently disabled.

She said she also wants people to be accepting of each other's differences. "There are so many colors that make up the rainbow. Let's celebrate diversity," she said. "This is such an important time for us to get along (especially) with 9-11."

Democrat Staff Writer Michael Goot can be reached at 431-4888 or mgoot@fosters.com

Courier-Gazette, June 7, 2002

ROCKLAND - The third annual Walk with the Ones You Love will take place Sunday. Participants are invited to gather at noon for a brown bag picnic at Buoy Park on the harbor, bringing own food and drinks, blanket or chair, frisbee, kite, etc.

The walk itself will begin 1 p.m. from the park and will make a half-mile loop through downtown, returning to the park for refreshments and brief remarks. Organizers said the walk will be child- and elder-friendly.

The local walk, sponsored by First Universalist Church and the Maine Speakout Project, is part of a statewide effort, endorsed by the legislature, a number of chiefs of police, and many community groups to build a climate of tolerance -and safety for everyone, including those who differ from the majority in sexual orientation.

There will be similar walks Sunday in Augusta, Bangor-Brewer, Brunswick, Dover-Foxcroft, Farmington, Kennebunk, Lewiston-Auburn and Portland.

The walks are an initiative to bring gay and non-gay people together to demonstrate a shared commitment to making schools, streets and communities safe and respectful places for all.

Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., is the honorary chairman of this year's walks.

"By showing that equality is a desired goal not just of gay people but of the wider community, we can hasten the achievement of full equality and of a social climate in which discrimination and second-class treatment are not tolerated," Frank said.

Last year, a number of national organizations endorsed the event: the United Church of Christ; the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism; the Unitarian Universalist Association; Dignity-USA; Parents, Family, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays; Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Alliance; Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation; National Gay and Lesbian Task Force; and Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders.

Editorials in The Courier-Gazette and other Maine newspapers have encouraged participation in the walks. Members -of First Universalist Church and a number of other Midcoast churches and religious communities have participated in the Rockland walk.

"This is a walk for everyone to come out, stand up, and help build a community which is safe for everyone regardless of sexual orientation or any other difference," said Lucie Bauer, Knox County Speakout coordinator and a member of First Universalist Church.. "It is a friendly, community and family-oriented event."

The full text of Frank's statement can be found on the Maine Speakout Project Web site, www.mainespeakout.org/walk.htm. Maine Speakout Project's telephone number is 879-0480, the email address, msoproject@gwi.net