June 28, 2019 by Laura Winters
Fifty years ago today, in the early hours of the morning, police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay club in Greenwich Village. Though the club was merely a social refuge for the gay community where they could let loose and be their authentic selves, 13 people were arrested and many more beaten and severely injured, many for simply violating a law that stated that clothing must be "gender appropriate." That bar in Greenwich Village was merely a central gathering place. It was the where a community could find refuge during a time in our country when they were often shunned. The Stonewall Inn raid and the riots that followed launched the modern American LGBTQ rights movement and changed the world.
234 miles away and 50 years later, our small town of Hingham changed too. As you drive down lower Main Street this PRIDE month, you will see an abundance of rainbow flags proudly declaring Hingham to be welcoming and accepting of the LGTBQ+ community. Same-sex couples proudly walked the red carpet on Hingham Prom night, hand in hand, as they celebrated the evening's festivities with their classmates. All were invited to attend the Pride event hosted by Old Ship church and students are welcome to join Hingham High school's " Gay-Straight Alliance" with the mission is to promote tolerance and spread awareness of all sexual and gender orientations. As a town, Hingham aims to offer the acceptance that was so elusive to the LGBTQ+ community just a few decades ago. While we must acknowledge there have been set-backs along the way and negative press around local LBTQ matters, there has also been great progress and victories made over the decades to make, not only Hingham, but the entire world a more welcoming and accepting place to the LGBTQ+ community.
On this day, as we think back to the past and use the lessons we've learned to create a better future, we honor Hingham's LGBTQ+ community and learn what our community's support means to them. And, more importantly, what we can do as a community to better accept not only these neighbors, but ANYONE who calls Hingham Home.
Daniel Miller-Dempsey, Hingham Resident
We moved to Hingham in the Spring of 2017, and like any newbies, we were nervous, yet hopeful, that we would fit in nicely.
I had grown up driving through Hingham every summer on my way to our beach house in Hull, and always thought it was such a beautiful town. As an adult, my husband and I moved to nearby Jackson Square where we quickly grew our family to four with the adoptions of our two beautiful boys. Finding the best education for them was high on our list of priorities and we heard enough about Hingham’s superb school system that we made the decision to purchase a home and raise our family here.
Our experience as a gay couple and family in Hingham has been incredibly positive. In just over two years, we have met so many neighbors, parents, and teachers who welcomed us and whom we value greatly. There is no denying that gay couples are still an anomaly here – despite our almost 15 years of marriage, we’re finding that that gay families are still new to a lot of people – but what Hingham lacks in diversity, it makes up for in its fundamental tone of inclusiveness. Hingham places enormous value on culture, diversity, and social justice. A quick look at recent, local Facebook posts alone reveals parents participating in local pride parades with their children and celebrating the LBTQI communities. While there is still work to be done, all of that has us feeling very hopeful. And most important of all, my children aren’t made to feel differently for having two fathers here. This I am very thankful for.
Barrie Smith, Hingham Resident
I feel so grateful to live in a community that accepts me and my family. I have a 12 year old son that is now in the 6th grade at Hingham Middle School. He went to PRS from K-5th grade. I can honestly say that he (and myself) have never experienced any type of discrimination because of my lifestyle or because of the fact that Ben has two moms. Not only have the parents and the school faculty been accepting, but the kids/students have been as well. Some kids may have asked questions out of curiosity, but that’s about it. It’s never really spoken about, it just is. And that’s the way it should be. Ben’s other mother and I are no longer together, but we both are in longterm relationships with other women. When we all go to school, sporting or town events…we feel nothing but welcomed. We always make the joke…how many lesbians does it take to raise a child. In our family it takes 4! We are the new modern family and I would never want to live or raise my son anywhere else. Thank you Hingham for accepting me, my son and our family.
Christopher Landis, Teacher, Hingham Middle School
I currently see many students opening up about identifying as part of the LGBTQ+ community. It is a testament to how far we have come as a society, as well as an educational institution. Students are starting to feel comfortable, and even more so, safe in self expression. I feel this is in part to an awareness and acceptance in the students’ community. I would also attribute this to the amount of exposure and visibility individuals in the LGBTQ+ community have in media, music, movies, theater, etc.
My only hesitation comes in knowing while students in the Hingham community for the most part find acceptance and safety in being themselves, this is not true in all communities. This is also not true in individual student homes. This is where outreach is needed most. These are the students quietly hurting to find acceptance and are struggling to be themselves. These are the students who may be getting bullied or find it hard to settle into a social circle. We as teachers need to be vigilant for these students.
I came out in 1995 before television shows like “Will & Grace”; before openly gay celebrities like Neil Patrick Harris; even before an openly gay man, Pete Buttigieg, ran for President. I came out sadly during a time when Ellen DeGeneres was blacklisted for coming out as a gay woman on her sitcom. I can remember making sure I was home that evening to watch the historic moment on television. I was not as fortunate to be surrounded by LGBTQ+ imagery. It was painful and yet necessary to come out for my own mental health and well-being.
I can empathize with those students who still struggle, and yet I am so glad to see the others who are so open. Allowing everyone, especially an adolescent, to express themselves openly and to identify their own truth is an essential way to represent oneself as an ally in the LGBTQ+ community.
Matt Gallagher, Owner Assembly Showroom and Evan Shuman, Hingham Realtor, Compass
Since opening the shop - the support has been strong and consistent from everyone we’ve met. We are proud to have a business in Hingham and grateful for the kindness shown to us by our community.
Stop pushing marriage and children as that is the only route to acceptance for gays. This is a total copout. You’re just reflecting what the current fads are. AIDS killed off the truly gay people. People who had the courage to be who they were without socially conforming. I’m 73 out man for 50 years and I’m ashamed of the way the world has been lesbianized. This is not what the original gay rights movement was about.