A local harbormaster on Aug. 29 raised a rainbow flag at Silvercreek Harbor in solidarity with LGBTQ+ residents. After discussions with advocacy groups, Andy Macdonald, 48, said he wanted to show his support for marginalized communities. “Ever since my daughter came out to me and my wife a few months back, I’ve really just wanted to do my part to help the movement,” Macdonald said. “I’m new to all this, so I reached out to a few groups for help and ideas. Figured this was an easy thing anyone could do and since I’m in control of the harbor, it felt like the only real platform I had.”
While many Silvercreek residents have reached out to praise Macdonald for flying the flag, he said the gesture has also been met with some pushback from local religious groups. “I’ve gotten a lot of really positive messages online and stuff, but some people have been really nasty about it,” he said. “All I would tell them is, look, I’ve been where you were, but at some point, you have to realize you’re living in the past with some of those traditional ideas and you need to adapt to the times and join the rest of us in 2018.”