A gay couple moved to Orcas Island and opened a bakery in the little town of Eastsound. Orcas Issues News and Views:

And while most folks welcomed the addition of the new bakery with genuine warmth, some it seems did not share Orcas’ typical and long-standing non-judgmental attitudes and ability to accept folks based on their merits as contributing members of our community—and not on outdated, bigoted labels. Brown Bear Baking proudly flies the American flag—the International symbol of freedom—at the top of their flagpole. Below, it flew the gay pride flag. We say ‘flew,’ as the owners were recently contacted by another Eastsound businessperson, who passed along ‘numerous requests’ from folks who wanted the flag taken down… but who did not want their names revealed. If these folks felt so uncomfortable in asking for its removal as to not ask the bakery boys personally, or to reveal their identity, then surely they knew they were doing something of questionable motivation and little value. The ‘cross burners’ of the old south also hid (quite literally) behind these same shrouds of secrecy.

Commenters at Orcas Issues were outraged to learn why the pride flag at the town's new bakery had been taken down and called for the pride flag to go back up. And the pride flag is back up at Brown Bear Bakery—and at scores of other businesses all over Eastsound.

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Photo by Lin McNulty courtesy of OrcasIssues.com.