Hallowell, Maine, Shows Pride With New Rainbow Crosswalk

I was delighted to see that this has happened in my favorite little city around. In a photo shared today on Facebook by George Lapointe, a rainbow crosswalk was painted on the pavement in downtown Hallowell this week in support of our LGBTQ+ brothers and sisters.

I have been an ally of this part of our community as far back as I can remember. It's likely that my early involvement with theater and dance was where my acceptance and respect for those who loved differently than I, had emerged.

When I was a youngster growing up in Augusta, nearby Hallowell was a destination in our family for fine restaurants, fine arts, fine antiques and more. It was a place which helped to inform my tolerant attitudes toward behaviors and opinions that may different from my own.

Hallowell was also a place that made me feel okay about being a bit different myself. You see, I played with puppets while my guy friends played football. Hallowell was instrumental in my letting my freak flag fly. I love that Hallowell is as wonderfully freaky today as it was 40+ years ago.

You know. True love is never wrong and Hallowell, Maine is a very beautiful place that is absolutely powered by love.

While seeing this colorful newly painted crosswalk in Hallowell will not be a surprise to most folks, it will likely warm many hearts as a symbol of and inclusivity and diversity.

Well done Hallowell! What a fantastic way to honor the beginning of Pride Month this June! Hopefully more Maine cities and towns will follow your example and show that they stand on the side of love.

LOOK: Here are the 50 best beach towns in America

Every beach town has its share of pluses and minuses, which got us thinking about what makes a beach town the best one to live in. To find out, Stacker consulted data from WalletHub, released June 17, 2020, that compares U.S. beach towns. Ratings are based on six categories: affordability, weather, safety, economy, education and health, and quality of life. The cities ranged in population from 10,000 to 150,000, but they had to have at least one local beach listed on TripAdvisor. Read the full methodology here. From those rankings, we selected the top 50. Readers who live in California and Florida will be unsurprised to learn that many of towns featured here are in one of those two states.

Keep reading to see if your favorite beach town made the cut.