Walk without fear

The Maine Speak Out Project holds its third annual “Walk with the One You Love” on Sunday. The first two were in Portland only — this year it expands to nine other Maine communities, including Bangor.

Also expanded is the support of public officials and the public at large for respect and understanding between persons of differing sexual orientation. The Legislature endorsed the walk with a joint resolution. The police chiefs of Portland, Bangor, Old Town, Auburn, Lewiston and Augusta backed it with public statements. Local businesses placed posters in their store windows promoting the walk.

Taken separately, these seem small things — collectively, they are not. Tolerance defeats intolerance only through the accumulation of such acts. The right of all people to live their lives in peace, free from harassment and violence, depends upon such acts. The fact that state and national studies show again and again that youth subjected to unabated taunting and assault based upon their actual or perceived homosexuality are far more likely to contemplate, plan and attempt suicide undercores the importance of such acts.

The Bangor walk similarly combines small things into something of greater significance than than the sum of its parts. The walk begins at 12:30 at Pickering Street Square. The route is short, the intent is just a quiet stroll through downtown by friends, families and other folks, gay and nongay, unafraid to care for each other. There will be no speeches, no demonstrations.

There will, however, be one brief stop along the way, at the Kenduskeag Stream bridge — the bridge from which Charlie Howard, a young gay man, was thrown to his death in 1984 by three young men whose taunting escalated to killing. One life was lost, four were changed forever. The price of mindless hatred is high.

Legislative documents are not known for eloquence, but the resolve passed by both chambers on May 11 is a marvelous exception. Here’s the final “Whereas,” for which there can be no rational objection: “(E)veryone deserves the right to be who they are, love who they want and walk with whom they choose in the community without fear … .”