LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth |
CAMPTalk: Days of Future Past |
by Bill Sievert |
As the summer season kicks into high gear this Memorial Day Weekend, it seems an appropriate moment to remember a time when Rehoboth Beach wasn't quite the gay-friendly community it is today. Just a quarter century ago, there weren't many openly gay people in Rehoboth, and there was nothing in the way of a gay-support institution like CAMP Rehoboth. Then, Joyce Felton got to know Victor Pisapia at the Back Porch, and together they made a bold move by opening the Blue Moon, giving the town a great new gourmet restaurant and providing gay people a friendly gathering spot within the city limits. Despite good crowds, the Moon didn't have an easy path to public acceptance in the early days, as misunderstanding folks often targeted the bar with rocks and eggs hurled from passing vehicles.
Still, Joyce and Victor persevered, and with each passing year, more gay people came. And more gay-owned and gay-friendly businesses opened in Rehoboth, encouraging people like John and myself, then Steve and Murray to come for more than a short stay. When Steve and Murray began organizing CAMP Rehoboth a dozen years ago, police-sensitivity training was not a comforting annual ritual but a real necessity. Gangs of teenagers still routinely picked fights with gay couples on the Boardwalk, and even many local homeowners were fearful that the arrival of more gays might somehow negatively affect their "family" town. The political atmosphere was tense, particularly for a town with a name that means "room for all." Not that everything is perfect in Rehoboth today, but the gay and straight communities not only get along much better but also frequently work together toward common causes. Gay residents and visitors have numerous permanent support institutions, and all of Southern Delaware is better for the progress made. Sometimes, watching history repeat can be fun. I must say I get a sense of dj vu as I watch John's and my favorite little Florida community begin its emergence from the closet. Similar to the Rehoboth of two decades ago, the gay population of the pretty little lakeside town of Mount Dora, located a half-hour northwest of Orlando, is finding its voice. Of course, there have always been gay folks in Mount Dora, especially given its reputation as an artists' community (with a nationally known art festival each winter), its quaint architecture and shops, horse-drawn carriages, and hilly New England-like appeal. There's no place like it in the state of Florida, and John and I were drawn to the town from the moment we first dropped in for a visit a little over three years ago. Our "gaydar" set on high, we immediately noticed quite a few gay men and women working the boutiques and bistros, but as we talked with them, we learned that the only gay social life was the occasional dinner party at someone's house. Most of us commuted to Orlando for fun or affiliation with institutions that supported the gay community. Then, in February of 2002, two women from the New Jersey suburbs of New York joined the growing number of gay northerners who were moving to the Mount. Marsha and Glenna loved the town's ambiance but were surprised at how few gay people knew each other. With backgrounds in public relations, graphic design, travel and event promotion, they immediately set out to bring the area's gay community together. They booked a local beer cellar and bistro, the Frosty Mug, for the town's first ever public gay party last July. About a dozen people showed up, not including the unhappy individuals who tossed a brick through the restaurant's glass door. Undaunted, the women set out to recruit more gay people to attend a sequel event a month later, going business to business, even stopping people on the street to extend an invitation. (Yes, sometimes gay people do recruit.) The August "Tuesday Night Friends" gathering drew a standing-room crowd of 150 gay men and lesbians (and a few straight friends), ranging in age from their early 20s to mid 80s. That success led to a mystery-train party aboard a local historical steam railroad the next month, and further get-togethers throughout the fall. The crowd grew with almost every event, and this year Glenna and Marsha moved the regularly scheduled parties to a larger restaurant, the Gables. Now, the monthly events are so bigthe April one passed the 200 attendance markthat both the Gables and Frosty Mug are designated as official sites, and many partiers hop from one venue to the other. Next up is the Friends' first dance (with live music), to be held at a large reception center in June. The group's first-ever tea dance is scheduled for a Sunday in September. About 50 local businesses (many of which provide substantial door prizes for the parties) now list themselves in the Friends' monthly newsletter. The newsletter itself looks a lot like the first year's edition of Letters from CAMP Rehoboth, full of news, a calendar of events, and all those business listings. There is talk of a more formal gay business association, as well as charity fundraisers; and news media from the Orlando Sentinel to GayOrlando.com have profiled the group's rise. "Each month, we get more people from Orlando coming to Mount Dora for Friends nights," Glenna said at one recent event. "It's fun to have the city people commuting in our direction instead of the other way around." The women, who are aware of CAMP Rehoboth and what has happened in Rehoboth Beach, say they have no big goals for their fledgling group "other than to offer our community a chance to get together regularly." But, Glenna notes, when you bring people together, "new ideas tend to evolve." The baby steps are having an impact on the town, as more businesses and a growing number of art galleries get involved. There has even been a spin-off men's night party, and a group of local women joined together this month for a trip to the Southern Womyn's Festival near Atlanta. Before long, I expect to see a variety of social-support programs and possibly even a Sundance style auction emanating from the group. "We thought we'd move down here to take it easy after the hectic pace of our lives in the New York area," Glenna says, "but this is on the verge of becoming a full-time job." That sounds like something Steve Elkins might have said a dozen years ago, as his and Murray's idea for a community organization for Rehoboth was rapidly growing into a more than full-time commitment. Visit the website Tuesdaynightfriends.com. for additional information. Oh, yes, and Victor Pisapia, who moved to Australia a few years back with his partner Jim Barr (who was the first editor of Letters from CAMP Rehoboth), is now leading international Gourmet Safaris, the next being planned for Greece this fall. All of us still like to keep in close contact with everyone at CAMP Rehoboth, for it is indeed a small world after all. Bill Sievert, who this month celebrates his 30th anniversary with life partner John Theis, may be reached by e-mail at allforthecause@aol.com. |
LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 13, No.5, May 16, 2003 |