Flags Are Not Enough! What Is?

Maine's 1901 state flag recently updated with rainbow stripes.

In a rare moment of relevancy, the current issue of The Northern Forecaster, our bi-weekly local paper -- 20 pages filled with news of interest to almost nobody but the people written about -- contains an article of national interest. Under the headline, "Yarmouth to celebrate its first LGBTQ Pride Month," the author celebrates the fact that "the Yarmouth Town Council unanimously passed a resolution declaring June as Pride Month and residents have backed it as well. " Some local businesses started showing their support by flying Pride flags this month.

The article goes on about how great this development is, and how it's about time, and how Yarmouth is influential and special and solidarity and awareness and feeling safe and being supportive and more like that. But at the very end, Town Councilor Heather Abbott is quoted as saying, "There is so much more that can and should be done, but this is one way that Yarmouth can make it clear that we are proud to have a vibrant LGBTQ community here."

This got me wondering about just what more can and should be done. Should all local residents have sex with someone of their own gender to show their support? Should everyone host a gay or lesbian or bisexual or transgender person for dinner? Just once or on a weekly basis? Should we have Drag Shows in the elementary schools? How about in churches and synagogues? Perhaps an annual LGBTQ Festival to replace the popular Yarmouth Clam Festival? 

What, exactly, can and should be done? What will be enough to stop the deafening cacophony of gay pride and parades and pronouns and drag queens and transgender surgery and which bathroom and what sports team we now all contend with already to placate this small segment  -- estimated %7.2 -- of society? 

Just tell us and we'll do it. Anything to quiet the noise.