The Color of History: Port Townsend Victorian Festival Sparks Disagreement Over Inclusivity

History doesn’t happen in a vacuum, and neither do festivals celebrating it. 

At the 2026 Victorian Heritage Festival “Historical Figures” Fashion Show on April 25, a Black costumer was invited to walk in her creation in a move that Gigi Coulson, director of the nonprofit organization Costumers of Color, called encouraging. 

However, the woman, whose name we are withholding for privacy reasons, was lined up to walk two spots behind an individual announced explicitly as a Confederate Civil War Zouave soldier.

“To invite a Black woman to participate in a public celebration and then ask her to share a stage with a representation of the Confederacy is a profound oversight. It demonstrates a lack of regard for the historical context of that uniform and the impact it had and has on Black community members,” Coulson said in her official statement to the Beacon. 

Coulson approached festival co-organizer Scott Rovanpera on behalf of the woman who walked in the fashion show. 

“When I approached the event leadership to express concern, my feedback was dismissed. This lack of accountability suggests that the inclusion of diverse participants was a gesture without a corresponding commitment to their dignity. If one can conceptualize the harm of allowing a person dressed as a Nazi to walk ahead of a Jewish costumer, then the error of allowing a Confederate soldier to walk ahead of a Black woman should be equally evident,” Coulson said.

Rovanpera doesn’t see it that way. In an email to the Beacon, he emphasized that the individual spent nine months assembling an authentic costume of an 1860 Confederate Zouave soldier from Louisiana. And because of its historical accuracy, the individual was included in the event. 

In an official statement, Rovanpera claimed, “Apologies were made in person to those involved over the weekend. These apologies were accepted.” However, according to Coulson, no apology was offered when she spoke with him later that evening. 

“The statement shared with you claims that apologies were made in person and accepted. This is false. I am the individual who approached Scott to express concern, and my concerns were dismissed without an apology,” Coulson said. “What is more, the focus on the time and effort put into the costume misses the point. Historical accuracy does not mitigate the harm of platforming Confederate symbols in a celebratory public fashion show, especially when placed in proximity to a Black participant. A costume can be historically accurate and still be an inappropriate choice for a city-sanctioned inclusive event.”

Rovenpera remembers the conversation differently. “Gigi told me that she spoke to the fashion show organizers and that they expressed their apologies for this unfortunate situation. I even offered my condolence if the African-American costumer was offended, but it was not intentional, and no one in the audience reacted as Gigi had,” Rovanpera said. 

He acknowledged that “Gigi asked me multiple times how I was going to fix this, and I told her I cannot fix something that has already happened. I told her the only way that I can personally fix this is for me to resign as the festival co-chair.”

And while Rovanpera has chosen not to step down, he confirmed that at least two of his board members have resigned. 

“Because of this incident, the president and a director (husband and wife) resigned from the PTHA Board on April 27,” Rovanpera confirmed. “I suspect they had other reasons to offer their resignation, but this hardened their resolve.”

Putting this incident into perspective

Though the Confederacy existed within the Victorian time period, the way society represents that history has changed along with social values. 

As an example, the Confederate battle flag, the image most identified in modern times as a symbol of the South’s uprising, has been labeled as a hate symbol by the Anti-Defamation League. 

Not all events in history are celebrated or continue to be celebrated. Modern people make choices about what we platform and when. 

And this discussion continues. A TikTok video Coulson made about the incident now has over 18,000 views. Commenters deeply disagree over how the incident was handled and how to bring inclusiveness into events that celebrate history.

“As the director of Costumers of Color,” Coulson said, “I lead a nonprofit dedicated to creating access to historical costuming for people who have not traditionally been included in these spaces,” Coulson said. “Our work funds scholarships, inclusive events, and educational travel so more people can participate in history. We are not just preserving history . . . we are expanding who gets to belong in it.”

Those expansions aren’t always easy, but the success of shows like The Crown and Bridgerton confirms there is not only one kind of person who loves costumes and historical reenactment. If the audience for events like the Port Townsend Heritage Festival is expanding, then the approach to celebrating that heritage can also expand.

For his part, Rovenpera and the remaining board members are willing to have those conversations, albeit internally. When asked how his organization is planning to better serve his patrons and how they are working towards becoming more inclusive, he responded, “The festival organizers will be meeting in the coming days to discuss those very questions.”

Though Coulson has no intention of returning to Port Townsend, she did express that she has been speaking with members of the costuming community who want to plan a separate inclusive Victorian event in Port Townsend in 2027.

“My goal is to ensure that people of color and their allies have a safe space to celebrate history without being forced to navigate symbols of hate,” Coulson said.