The theme of this year’s Carnival theme in Provincetown, MA may be “Enchanted Forest”, but the events of Thursday morning on Cape Cod’s most glorious towns kicked off the festivities a little earlier, with a true nod to the LGBT community’s history. The brand new LGBTQ vacation company Vacaya orchestrated one of their boats to come directly into Provincetown for this glorious celebration. The ship is built to carry over 2,200 people, arriving Thursday early in the morning and is set depart Friday in the evening.
On Thursday morning, a ceremony took place on the beach that was attended by both cruise officials and the Cape Cod haven’s supporters and residents. Their reason for coming together was to celebrate the origins of the LGBTQ community’s historic rainbow flag, which Gilbert Baker himself stitched in San Francisco CA in 1978, giving the community both a beacon that they all could look to, as well as a true statement of representation for all of us. Baker did continue to craft many more rainbow flags (including the Gilbert Baker Rainbow 25 Sea to Sea Flag), but the first stitching of the flag truly stand on its own. Baker, who passed away several years ago, stitched the original flag with eight full colors, reconfiguring it to the six colors that are currently on the flag.
“It’s an honor to host it in Provincetown,” said Robert Sanborn, executive director of the Provincetown Business Guild, who calls the flag as “a tangible piece of gay rights history”.
The guild, which promotes LGBTQ tourism, is hosting the flag in tandem with the Stonewall National Museum and Archives in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and the Key West Business Guild in Key West, Florida.
“This year is very important to everyone in the LGBTQ community,” Provincetown tourism director Anthony Fucillo said. “It’s important that Provincetown show that support.”
Pictures courtesy of Provincetown Facebook page
Rainbow flag display picture courtesy San Francisco Museum