Brunswick Councilor Thieme Sits During Pledge, Sparking Resident Outrage
Brunswick's first openly transgender town councilor, Ramona Thieme, has drawn resident outrage by repeatedly sitting during the Pledge of Allegiance at council meetings, with video circulating online.
Ramona Thieme, Brunswick's first openly transgender town councilor, has drawn sharp criticism from residents after repeatedly remaining seated while colleagues stood for the Pledge of Allegiance at Town Council meetings, with video footage of the act circulating and amplifying the backlash.
Thieme, who represents District 6, was sworn in this past January after winning one of the closest races in recent Brunswick memory, defeating incumbent Nathaniel Shed by just two votes in the November 2025 election following a hand-count recount. Since taking her seat at the council table at 85 Union Street, she has consistently declined to stand for the opening pledge, a decision that has become a flashpoint in the Sagadahoc County town.
Video of Thieme seated at the dais while the rest of the council and chamber rose for the pledge spread quickly among residents, with reaction running strongly against her choice. The footage made visible what had otherwise been a local procedural moment, converting it into a broader public controversy about the conduct expected of elected officials.
Thieme, a Brunswick High School alumna who holds technical certifications from Southern Maine Community College and operates an IT support business, ran her District 6 campaign on issues including housing affordability and pedestrian safety. Her district covers downtown Brunswick, the corridor around Water Street, the area near Harriet Beecher Stowe Elementary School and Crimmins Field, and portions of the Bowdoin College campus boundary.
Her election was already a subject of national conservative commentary, with outlets zeroing in on her DSA endorsement and her advocacy for rent control. The pledge controversy has renewed that attention at the local level, drawing residents who feel the gesture disrespects the office she holds into direct tension with the democratic process that placed her there by the narrowest possible margin.
No council action regarding the pledge had been announced as of Tuesday.
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