Charlie Giguere, the owner of Silver Street Tavern in Waterville, stands Friday beside the Pride flag he flies every year in June for Pride Month. Anna Chadwick/Staff Photographer
WATERVILLE — Silver Street Tavern owner Charlie Giguere has flown a rainbow-colored flag outside his business during June for several years as a sign of support for the LGBTQ community.
He barely heard a whisper of discontent until last year, when a few people posted negative comments about it on social media.
But this year, it’s a different story. The business posted a photo of the flag outside the 2 Silver St. eatery and received a flurry of backlash on social media. Fourteen hundred people reacted to the photo, and more than 700 have commented on it by late Friday morning.
People have posted bitter, angry, vitriolic comments, saying they won’t patronize the restaurant and bar. Other people supported Silver Street’s post, saying they appreciate the stance and will eat there more often because of it and love the Pride flag.
“We have put it up every June 1st and have, for years,” Giguere, the owner, said Thursday. “I don’t remember it being as bad as it is this year. There are a lot of MAGA reactions, like: ‘Why don’t you fly the American flag?’”
Other downtown businesses also have Pride-related displays in their windows. The Robin’s Nest, a florist on Main Street, features a framed statement displayed in various colors that says, “I see you, I accept you, I respect you, I support you, I admire you, I love you.” The business posted a photo of the display on social media that drew only positive comments, with one person posting: “I’m glad to see you don’t have the same disgusting people posting their bigoted hateful comments like Silver Street Tavern does. I certainly hope all of Maine Street follows yours and Silver Street Taverns lead with the wonderful support of Pride month.”
Giguere is experiencing what many businesses across Maine and the country are facing in light of angry debate between those who support the LGBTQ community and those who not only don’t, but also lash out in anger toward others. The issue has become political, and businesses targeted. For example, Target stores in 2023 and 2024 removed Pride-themed merchandize after employees were threatened, store displays knocked down and the company faced backlash from anti-LGBTQ people. Some shoppers are currently boycotting Target, following the announcement that the retail chain ended its diversity, equity and inclusion policies. Other businesses have rolled them back as well.
Giguere said he won’t be intimidated to take down his Pride flag.
“Hell no,” he said. “I don’t leave that Pride flag out at night because I think it’s going to get stolen.”
A Pride festival was held a week ago at Head of Falls off Front Street in Waterville and Silver Street Tavern was a sponsor. Giguere said he hung posters in the restaurant’s bathrooms and on the bulletin board before the event to help advertise it.
“My poster got stolen out of the bathroom,” he said.
Every June, the restaurant, which has an outdoor seating area where the flag is flown, offers a Rainbow Pride drink whose ingredients are layered with colors of the rainbow, manager Karen Dennis Thompson said.
“Generally, the people that are commenting negatively aren’t going to come here,” she said.
The tavern’s post drew 1,400 thumbs ups or heart symbols from readers on social media, but no thumbs down, Thompson noted. It appears some comments were taken down.
One commenter posted: The rainbow flag is fine. But that’s the child predator flag. Well I’m going to miss eating there.” Another commented: “Won’t go there again.” Another: “I wouldn’t dine there and if they keep that (flag) out for the entire month, I would never step foot in there. Where’s the American flag that’s the only flag that matters.”
Those commenters didn’t immediately respond Friday to invitations to discuss their posts and views
But Chellsye Lewis did. She had posted the following on the Silver Street page: “Can you imagine getting that upset over a flag? Yikes! Yay, Silver Street. I’ll come eat the next time I’m up.”
Lewis, 33, of Westbrook, said Friday that she posted the comments because she wanted to show Silver Street Tavern that it is supported “for standing up for inclusion, even when others are being negative.”
“It helps drown out the hate, encourages others to speak up, and reminds the business that their values attract loyal customers,” Lewis said. “I don’t think there should be a debate at all, personally.”
Christopher Weeks, of Fairfield, is one of those posters.
“Social media has seriously leveled up, with people starting podcasts, rallying groups, and protesting for what they care about,” Weeks said. “It’s never been easier to anonymously post in local groups, spouting off whatever’s on your mind without any repercussions. Some folks say they’ll never set foot in a place again or that a business has lost their support. But you’ve got to wonder, did they actually go there in the first place?”
Weeks said transgender issues are front and center of debates these days.
“But here’s the deal — those who oppose it usually focus on the most extreme cases, right? It’s not fair to stereotype the whole community based on a few extreme instances,” Weeks said.
“I’m grateful for places like Silver St. Tavern, standing firm in their beliefs. As a small business owner, you’ve got to make some tough calls on issues, and I really appreciate them sticking to their beliefs. That flag on the building is just about loving everyone, which is pretty straightforward, don’t you think? It’s just too bad that we can’t agree on that.”
Commenter Abigail Kinsman had posted “Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve. Hope that helps.”
Kinsman, 19, initially declined to comment about her social media post when contacted Friday, but then decided to do so. Kinsman said she was born and raised in Waterville but now lives in New Jersey.
“All it was is a different opinion, and some people don’t like that,” she said in a message. “I have no issue with lgbtq but I don’t think we should have flags like it’s important. We are all human beings, and we can be with who we want to be with, and we can do whatever we want to do in the end. But I believe instead of equality, it’s becoming a weird supremacy.”
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