Growing pride in an inclusive Columbus is worth celebrating

There is a lot to be proud of as Columbus turns out this weekend to support the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer communities.

As one of the nation’s larger Pride events, Stonewall Columbus Pride is expected to draw more than half a million people Downtown for its annual parade Saturday. The weekend celebration begins today with Pride Festival 2018 at Bicentennial and Genoa parks along Civic Center Dr. and ends with Pride Brunch on Sunday.

While last year’s parade will be remembered in part for a protest resulting in arrests of four demonstrators who called attention to marginalized groups within the LGBTQ community, this year Black Queer & Intersectional Columbus is offering supporters of their concerns an alternative parade in the King-Lincoln neighborhood.

It’s OK for those who feel disrespected in a community long fighting for respect to call out their grievances. That’s how change happens. We have to know where issues exist in order to address them.

In this case, BQIC is drawing attention to what they see as a failure within the larger LGBTQ community to accommodate issues of an even smaller minority — those who are black, immigrants, poor, transgender or disabled.

In an ideal world, LGBTQ people and those who love them could all celebrate as one. But while disparities are perceived, better that BQIC is offering an option for those who feel marginalized to share their pride separately rather than using disruption to promote their cause.

And Stonewall Columbus is to be commended for recognizing that it “does not have a monopoly on Pride,” as the coordinator of the events said earlier this month.

While this weekend is about celebrating and embracing the richness of our diversity, an even larger LGBTQ community is working across Ohio to get out the LGBTQ vote for midterm elections and to back those who are more likely to enact anti- discrimination legislation like Ohio House Bill 160.

Ohio is one of six states targeted by the Washington D.C.-based Human Rights Campaign with plans to spend $20 million to raise awareness of and support for the LGBTQ community leading up to the 2020 presidential elections, Chad Griffin, HRC president, told The Dispatch.

“The days are over of attacking our community for political gain,” Griffin said.

Ohio is on HRC’s radar not just because of some keys races in November, including governor, attorney general and U. S. senator. The organization typically, but not exclusively, endorses Democrats and is supporting Rich Cordray for governor, Sen. Sherrod Brown for re- election, and Steve Dettlebach for attorney general.

Ohio is also important to HRC because of an estimated 1.8 million social- equality voters — those who support gender and racial fairness — as well as the 352,000 Ohioans estimated to be eligible LGBTQ voters.

The hope is that electing those who support equality leads to enacting laws that embrace inclusiveness and prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identification. And that can help attract more business, more visitors and more investment in Ohio — an HRC position that we endorse.

Employers large and small increasingly support gay pride because they know it builds a more supportive workplace culture.

An inclusive environment — and pride in the talents and contributions of a diverse community and workforce — is something we can all celebrate.