BELLOWS FALLS, Vt. – Bellows Falls Pride will unfurl the historic 14-foot by 25-foot Sacred Cloth, aka Section 93 of the original Key West Sea-to-Sea Rainbow Flag, to recognize National Coming Out Day. The flag will be unfurled 25 feet from the top of the Windham Hotel, which houses Caio Popolo, and was formerly the site of the iconic Andrews Inn in downtown Bellows Falls, Vt. The public is welcome to witness this unique opportunity on Wednesday, Oct. 9, to recognize the importance of National Coming Out Day. The event will begin at 10 a.m., in front of Ciao Popolo, prior to the unfurling. Special guests have been invited to offer remarks.
“The flag, known as Section 93, measures 14 by 25 feet, is one section of the historic Rainbow25 flag sewn together by Gilbert Baker in Key West, Fla., in 2003, to create a 1.25-mile-long flag in the original eight colors (versus the six colors that became more common). That flag marked the 25th anniversary of the 1978 flag originally created by Baker. The Sea-to-Sea Flag was later cut into sections, and Section 93 is preserved as the Sacred Cloth. It has traveled the globe to be displayed at celebrations, occasions of mourning, and historic moments. Section 93 was displayed in downtown Orlando in June 2016 following the deadly Pulse nightclub shootings, and has returned to Orlando each year on the anniversary of the tragedy.”
Attendees and residents are invited to visit the Ciao Popolo lounge from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m., to participate in the “Postcards to Swing States” project. The goal of Bellows Falls Pride is to send 500 completed postcards to Ohio residents. The national project aims to send 25 million postcards nationwide. Coffee and refreshments will be available during this time. The bar will open at 2 p.m., and the new dinner and a movie deal is available beginning at 4 p.m.
That evening at the Bellows Falls Opera House, the classic 1939 black-and-white film “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington,” is sponsored by Bellows Falls Pride. The award-winning film was directed by Frank Capra, and stars James Stewart as an idealistic, small-town senator who heads to Washington, and suddenly finds himself single-handedly battling ruthless politicians out to destroy him. Stewart received his first Academy Award nomination, and the film won Best Motion Picture Story.
National Coming Out Day brings awareness for the LGBTQ+ community and allies. The annual remembrance, which officially takes place on Oct. 11, encourages gays, lesbians, bisexuals, transgender people, and other members of the LGBTQ+ community to “come out of the closet,” which is a metaphor the community has used to mean recognizing and revealing one’s authentic self.
Mark Ebenhoch of Key West and Brattleboro manages stewardship of the Sacred Cloth throughout the country, and is bringing it to Bellows Falls. Most recently, CNN created a display in Atlanta.
Keller Williams Metro Keene Realty and M&T Bank Bellows Falls are sponsors of this event. Find Bellows Falls Pride on Facebook, Instagram, and on www.bellowsfallspride.com.