“Rights are won only by those who make their voices heard.“ —Harvey Milk
Harvey Milk was a trailblazer and a visionary. He was the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California, in 1977. He was assassinated for sponsoring a bill that was signed into law by the mayor of San Francisco (who was also assassinated), banning discrimination based on sexual orientation in housing and employment. His legacy lived on, and in 2009 he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
June is Pride Month, a time to honor and celebrate our LGBTQ community. Oak Bluffs will have a weekend full of events June 13 to 15. The fabulous parade and dance party at Ocean Park is Saturday, starting at 3 pm. The very popular Drag Brunch at the Red Cat is on Sunday, the 15th, with two shows, 11 am and 2 pm. Get your tickets now at redcatkitchen.com. Look up! The June full moon rises on Wednesday, June 11. This has been called the Strawberry Moon by the Algonquian tribes that live in the Northeast, for the time of gathering the ripe strawberries that traditionally grew so abundantly in the area. The strawberry was, and remains, a symbol of the abundance of early summer.
Island Wide Youth Collaborative is a sponsor and producer of Pride MV events. The IWYC also runs great family programs throughout the month. “Safe Sitter” is a program for middle schoolers who want to learn basic babysitting and child safety skills. The classes will be on Monday, June 23, and Tuesday, June 24, from noon to 3:30 pm. Contact Ali by June 16 to register: ageroche@mvcommunityservices.org.
There is a great new band in town, Dock Street Fight Club. They will be playing some regular gigs this summer; don’t miss them! This Thursday they start a weekly residency at Nomans from 6 to 9 pm The weather looks good; can’t wait to sit outside and listen to this talented group.
Linda Coito let me know that her daughter Jenny is having a grand opening of her new shop in the Tisbury Marketplace this Saturday, June 7. Frankie’s Revival is a thrift shop and more — you can find gently used, vintage, and repurposed clothing for adults and children, plus lots of other goodies. The opening on Saturday is from noon to 7 pm, so stop by and check it out.
Happy birthday to Dolores Borza and Laura Hayden on June 5! On the 6th we send best wishes to Sandi Santinello, Jennifer Robinson, and Amelie Loyott. June 7 is the day to celebrate Janet Howard, Ray Moreis, Leandra Seward, and Zoe Thompson. On June 8, we send many happy returns across the water to expat Jude Sanches! Jude shares the day with Scott Robinson, Bob Murphy, Alan Slatas, and Frank Lloyd Wright.
Balloons go to Brie Sylvia Olender, Michael J. Fox, and Brooke Leahy on June 9. Lisa Williston celebrates on the 10th, along with Maggie Pacheco, Haley Hines, and Sasha Obama — AND happy anniversary to Will and Sue deBettencourt! Happiest of birthdays to Hilde Combra on June 11!
Apparently I was too eager to say happy birthday to Morningstar Healy last week — her birthday is in December. But, hey, it’s never too early to celebrate!
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If you have any Oak Bluffs Town Column suggestions, email Joanne Lambert, joannelamber@gmail.com.
