WestportPridelaunching 'All Are Welcome Here' sticker campaign
Aug. 12—"I'm really excited to see where it goes," said Brian McGunagle, president of Westport Pride.
McGunagle said the idea came about in response to a June 30 Supreme Court decision in 303 Creative LLC et al v. Elenis et al that ruled a website designer could decline services to create same-sex wedding websites.
After the decision came out, a coalition of local pride organizations, including Westport's, called Fairchester Pride released a statement condemning it, he said.
Within about a week of the decision, Westport Pride met to discuss how members could help facilitate a campaign within Westport to ensure people of all backgrounds feel like they're welcome in town, he said. Together, they came up with the idea for window stickers.
McGunagle then reached out to the Downtown Merchants Association and the Westport-Weston Chamber of Commerce, who were supportive of the idea and became partners.
About a week ago, the campaign officially launched. McGunagle said five businesses originally signed up, and more are in the process of joining the campaign.
He said there are "some serious businesses that want to show they're part of the welcome message."
One of the early businesses to join the campaign is Fresh Green Light Driving School.
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Owner Steve Mochel said they are always looking for ways to support their students, and being an ally of the LGBTQ+ community is important as both a parent and employer.
"It was a no-brainer for us," he said.
Mochel said they are going to place the stickers on the front door of the business. If they have enough, he would also like to put it on their cars.
In hopes of gaining more traction, McGunagle said Westport Pride is also creating flyers for volunteers to share with merchants.
Not only does the program include stickers, but Westport Pride is also providing a training video merchants can share with their employees about how to be more inclusive to marginalized customers.
Mochel said he has been looking for ways to inform and educate his staff about issues related to LGBTQ+ students and people, in general. However, it's been hard to find good material to share.
He said a majority of his employees grew up before inclusivity was a workplace priority, and they are looking for information to train that generation.
"I'm proud to be a part of that," Mochel said about the campaign.
McGunagle said he would like to see other communities get involved with this program. Westport Pride has already shared the campaign with other coalition groups to try in their towns.
He added Darien Pride has a similar program with lawn signs, as do some other communities.
McGunagle stressed the voluntary nature of the program, and that it was not intended to create animosity.
"No matter who you are, you're welcome at the door," he said.
Currently, the stickers come in a few sizes with a transparent style and a white style, which can be stuck anywhere on windows or doors. He said smaller stickers and cards could also be an option if a business owner wants to display it at a counter or somewhere else.
To sign up for the program, business owners can visit westportpride.org/welcome and fill out the Google Form.
