North Yarmouth votes to remove Pride flag display, form policy

North Yarmouth Select Board Votes to Remove Pride Flag, Prompting Debate Over Inclusion and Town Policy

The North Yarmouth Select Board voted Tuesday to take down a Pride flag that has hung in the window of the town's community center since the start of June, a decision that followed a contentious series of meetings and drew strong reactions from residents on both sides of the debate.

The board's 3-2 vote came after several weeks of discussion that began when Select Board Chair Paul Whitmarsh placed the issue on the agenda in early July. Whitmarsh said residents had contacted him after Pride month ended, requesting the flag be removed. He compared the situation to boxing up a Christmas tree after December 25. Because town policy prevents a single Select Board member from directing staff, the former town manager suggested the full board make a decision on the matter.

North Yarmouth began displaying the Pride flag each June at Wescustogo Hall, the community center building, starting in 2024, after the Select Board voted at that time to put it up. The town currently has no broader policy governing which flags may be displayed on municipal property.

The motion that passed Tuesday included not only the removal of the flag but also a directive that the Select Board develop a formal policy regarding flag displays on town property. Select Board members Whitmarsh, Michael Sweatt, and Dana Rogers voted in favor. Members Molly Gilligan and Andrea Berry voted against.

Ahead of the vote, public comment drew a crowd. The majority of residents who spoke urged the board to leave the flag in place, with many warning that removing it would send an unwelcoming message.

"While it may not be your intention, the result will make people feel less welcome and less safe in this town," said resident Stacey Cramp.

"It's a democracy question, and it's an inclusivity question," said resident Debra Spark. "Certainly taking it down suggests to me that you're going to make certain people in my community feel uncomfortable, which makes me very unhappy."

Resident Keith Bubblo pushed back against what he described as outside pressure influencing the board.

"You're here to represent your community. It seems uncomfortable for me to have a couple of people email the Select Board and say, 'Think you should act on that,' and then you take it down. I don't think that's representative of the community," Bubblo said.

The remarks left an impression on at least some board members. Both Gilligan and Berry said the public comment changed their thinking. Gilligan had previously supported taking the flag down after Pride month concluded but said she reconsidered after hearing from residents.

"The community center should be a place of belonging and this signifies belonging to so many members of our community," Gilligan said. "I would agree with maintaining the Pride flag up based on what we heard tonight."

The debate has played out against a broader backdrop. Earlier this summer, tensions on the board became visible during the July 2 meeting, when Berry attempted to re-read a statement the board had issued the previous year recognizing June as Pride month and affirming that the town welcomes all residents. Whitmarsh interrupted her, citing his religious beliefs as his reason for objecting. He then got up and left the meeting. Whitmarsh was also chosen to replace Berry as chair during that same session.

Whitmarsh, defending the decision to remove the flag, said the community center should be a neutral space.

"I know someone said it's not a political flag," Whitmarsh said. "The truth is it has taken on political meanings."

Sweatt, who voted in favor of removing the flag, said his reasoning was not related to his views on the LGBTQ+ community. Instead, he expressed concern about what might come next if the board allowed one group's flag to remain displayed.

"My fear is opening up to the next group that wants to do the next flag, the next flag, the next flag," Sweatt said.

Rogers, who also voted to remove the flag, said he was nonetheless interested in crafting a policy specifying when the Pride display would appear.

"You'll know June 1, when I drive past the Wescustogo Hall, that flag is going to be up there," Rogers said, adding he expected it to come down again at the end of Pride month.

Berry offered a motion to keep the flag up during June going forward, but that proposal failed, with Whitmarsh, Sweatt, and Rogers opposed and Berry and Gilligan in favor. Berry said she plans to ask the board to take up the broader question of a flag policy at its next meeting.

The community of North Yarmouth, along with neighboring Cumberland, drew statewide and national attention earlier this year after a transgender student athlete in their shared school district became the subject of conservative criticism. The incident prompted rallies supporting transgender students and intensified conversations about LGBTQ+ visibility in the region.

The flag display and the broader policy question now sit at the center of those ongoing debates. For residents like Cramp, the outcome of Tuesday's vote carries weight that extends beyond a single banner.

For Berry, the next step will be pushing for a clear, inclusive policy so the community knows what to expect in the years ahead.