About Northern Lambda

Northern Lambda (NL) has a long and rich history in Northern Maine. Historically, NL has been a frontrunner in many ways in providing social, networking and supportive services to the GLBT population in the Aroostook county area. NL was originally founded in 1980 by three gay men who came together seeing a need for a community group and very successfully created NL. The membership was drawn from Aroostook county and the neighboring New Brunswick communities. This group covers a large rural area with a small and geographically scattered population.

The area that NL serves is fraught with both the strengths and barriers of people living in an rural area. Aroostook county is a geographical area with its own special challenges. Aroostook county is physically isolated from the rest of the state and requires a strong sense of self-sufficiency in those who choose to live here. In pure land area Aroostook county is the largest county east of the Mississippi river. There are numerous challenges faced by those who reside in this area; the physical isolation of a rural, remote, isolated area, dealing with a small and very conservative population, low wages and a depressed economy and coping with the not uncommon attitude that "Northern Maine" means "Bangor".

In recent years Northern Lambda has been relegated to a primarily inactive status as a group. Our recent efforts to reactivate NL are showing quite a bit of interest here and elsewhere in the state. We have a small core of very dedicated people that are willing to work together to accomplish this. There is a lot of excitement and dedication at the groups reinvigoration and success in making NL once again an active community resource.

To help strengthen the state of Maine's public declaration to not discriminate against GLBT persons, NL is an ideal vehicle to bring this message more fully to the broader community through education and through visibility of the group. Whereas there have been recent hate crimes around issues of diversity in Aroostook county, NL has potential to work to reduce homophobia and stigmas by continuing on with the rich tradition of providing education and resources. Where there is a youth voice around these issues coming to the front and being heard by the current membership of the group we feel the need to begin to more fully address these issues as a group with a strong history and voice in the county as well as providing a safe and supportive gathering place to hone that voice.

A Brief Timeline

• 1980 - Northern Lambda Nord (NLN) was founded.
• 1982 - NLN operated the Gay and Lesbian Phoneline of Maine.
• 1994 - NLN established the first GLBT community center in Aroostook county.
• 1986, 1989, 1992 and 1995 - NLN hosted the Maine Lesbian and Gaymen’s Symposium.
• 1997 - NLN's average membership was 58 people annually.
• 2008 - NLN officially changed to simply "Northern Lambda" and established a newer, stronger web presence.