US Congressman Seth Moulton took a stand against a homophobic school committee member and Beacon Hill hopeful from the South Shore who tried to shut down an LGBTQ youth dance in Moulton’s North Shore district.
Newburyport Youth Services and the North Shore Alliance of GLBTQ Youth were forced to find a new venue for their “Over the Rainbow” dance. Originally scheduled for May 13 at St. John’s Lodge/Masonic Hall in Newburyport, Mass., the event had to find a new location after the Lodge backed out because of criticism from Bourne school committee member Kari MacRae, who is also running to become a state rep. in Plymouth and Barnstable. (Back in Oct. 13, the Cape Cod Times reported MacRae was “fired from teaching [in Hanover] after posting anti-LGBTQ, anti-critical race theory on TikTok” amid calls to recall her from the school committee).
Reports Boston.com:
Congressman Seth Moulton has chimed in on the debate surrounding “Over the Rainbow,” a community dance for North Shore teens that would include a drag queen performer.
The dance was originally set to be held at St. John’s Lodge Masonic Hall in Newburyport. Following a complaint from Plymouth and Barnstable District state Senate candidate Kari MacRae, representatives from the venue have backed out of hosting the event, according to the Newburyport Daily News.
“The views of one hateful @massgop candidate should not deny a group of #Newburyport LGBTQ teens the opportunity to enjoy themselves,” Moulton wrote on Twitter Monday.
Moulton, a Democrat, then told MacRae to keep her “bigotry” out of Massachusetts’s 6th Congressional District.
The dance will be [co]hosted by Newburyport Youth Services (NYS), and work is currently underway to find a new venue. It will still take place on May 13. The First Religious Society Unitarian Universalist Church in Newburyport has offered to host the dance, according to a press release.
“The outpouring of love, encouragement and offers of support has been incredible. They reflect the true heart of our community,” NYS Director Andrea Egmont said. “We will announce a new location online by the end of the week.”
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