Downtown business shows support for Pride Month

by Nathan Boddy

Chapter One Bookstore owners, Mara Luther and Marisa Neyenhuis, had been planning to do something in recognition and support of Pride month. However, it was the vociferous backlash to a proposal by area high schoolers and volunteers to paint a downtown crosswalk in pride colors, that made it clear for the co-owners just how they could do it.

“We heard that (the students) were bumping up against a lot of hate from certain county residents,” says Luther. The Bookstore, located on the corner of 3rd and Main in downtown Hamilton, is a central feature of Hamilton’s business district and the co-owners quickly decided that, although they couldn’t grant the students permission to paint on public right-of-way, they did have something they could offer.

“We don’t have a billboard,” says Neyenhuis, “but we do have a window!”

The co-owners decided to reach out to the students to offer their Main Street-facing window as a place to display the ‘Allyship’ flag of multiple colors. The offer was accepted, and six students from both Corvallis and Hamilton High Schools arrived to paint the glass in the multiple colors that, together, represent the greater LGBTQ+ community as well as minority populations.

“It’s our job as members of the community to put ourselves out there,” says Luther, “and we’ve got a lot of positive response so far. People have been coming in to say thank you,” both for having spoken up as well as for making members of the LGBTQ+ community feel welcome.

Marisa Neyenhuis adds that she feels it is an important thing to display, “especially on Main Street.” She adds that the meaning of the ‘inclusive’ pride flag may not be obvious to everyone, but that seeing it so prominently displayed may drive someone to search out its meaning for themselves.

The Hamilton City Council voted, on Tuesday June 15th, to adopt a new policy which would prohibit any painting of public right-of-ways within the City of Hamilton, with the exception of traffic safety measures.