Latest news with #ColumbusPride
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Out in Ohio: Stonewall Columbus gets ready for Pride 2025
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Kick off Pride Month with Stonewall Columbus organizers, who join NBC4's LGBTQ+ show 'Out in Ohio' to talk about Columbus Pride weekend and the history of Pride. Digital Reporter David Rees hosts 'Out in Ohio' and chats with Stonewall Columbus executive director Densil Porteous, Pride coordinator and business manager Sierra Prince, and marketing and business coordinator Leo Rodriguez. Porteous explains that the month-long celebration each June recognizes the achievements of the LGBTQ+ community and remembers the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan, a series of conflicts between police and LGBTQ+ protesters that stretched over six days. Today, Pride commemorates the Stonewall movement with parades, festivals, memorials and more. 'What we then now see today are sort of ancestors or artifacts of what used to be, our Pride marches today are a little bit of celebration, a little bit of history, and most important, remembrance,' Porteous said. In the wake of federal measures and Ohio Statehouse legislation deemed 'anti-LGBTQ+' by opponents, Porteous said Stonewall is very 'thoughtful and intentional about the message' for Pride. This year's Pride theme, 'United in Power,' is a call for community members to come together 'to see their neighbors' and 'to be free to live as they so choose and to love as they so choose.' 'It's about saying that when we come together we are stronger, we can accomplish more, we can achieve more and we can move forward faster when we work together,' Porteous said. 'I think in isolation we miss the opportunity to help others get to a place of joy and freedom.' Stonewall's Pride festival begins at 4 p.m. on June 13 at Goodale Park and runs until 10 p.m. with food, vendors, nonprofit organizations, community resources, and live entertainment. The celebration continues at 10:30 a.m. on June 14 with the Pride parade at Broad and High streets. While the city's first march happened in 1981 with just 200, Stonewall Columbus Pride welcomes more than 700,000 visitors today. 'We're just really excited to have nearly 200 businesses comprised of LGBTQ-owned businesses, community organizations, faith-based organizations that are affirming for our community, and we can bring them all to one place,' Prince said. As Stonewall's parade expands, Prince said it's 'a bit of an untamable beast' with 17,000 to 20,000 Ohioans taking part in this year's march. But, the Pride coordinator is encouraged and energized to see the annual event continue to grow. 'We're there for a purpose and we're there for a protest,' Prince said. 'We encourage folks to stay through the end because we have so many incredible organizations that right up until the end are marching through and we wanna make sure that their voices are heard.' Part of Stonewall's Pride celebration includes designating this year's Leader of Pride, recognizing an individual or group who use their voice to speak out in support of members of the LGBTQ+ community in central Ohio and beyond. This year's recipient is Slammers, a storied lesbian bar at 202 E. Long St. 'It's a staple in our community,' Rogriguez said. 'Slammers is one of the last lesbian bars in the country and they're really a pillar of our queer community here in Columbus.' Stonewall's Pride festival and march also serve as the organization's largest annual fundraiser that secures the needed funds to support annual operations and community programs, like support groups and career fairs, at Stonewall's Short North center at 1160 N. High St. 'We are a community center, first and foremost,' Rodriguez said. 'We have a wide variety of in-house programs and community events, but we also open our doors for other community partners to host their events, typically for low cost or for free.' NBC4's 'Out in Ohio' amplifies the voices, stories and work of Ohio's LGBTQ+ community. Watch this and future 'Out in Ohio' episodes on and the 'NBC4 Columbus' streaming app on Roku, Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ground broken at Astor Park's residential development surrounding Lower.com Field
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Ground has officially been broken on a mixed-used neighborhood development located adjacent to field. Astor Park, which includes its Residential A Block complete with 261 multi-family units, Class-A offices with ground-floor retail, riverfront parks, and public art, all in plain sight of Field, is in its infancy stages of development, according to the Columbus Crew. LGBTQ+ music fest with Tinashe, Rebecca Black coming for Columbus Pride weekend The team announced Wednesday that ground was broken on the project, which is set to be completed in 2027. The development of Astor Park also consists of a five-story, 154,000 square foot Class A office building with 17,250 square feet of ground-floor retail space, a 685-space parking garage, 3,700 square feet of murals, 13,600 square feet of public plaza and 39,5000 square feet of recreation in the park. The development, which will feature studio, one-, and two-bedroom floor plans, sits across from Field. In addition to retail options, residents of Astor Park will have access to almost 40,000 square feet of amenity space, including an indoor/outdoor fitness facility, clubroom, game room, social lounge with bar and fireplace, bike storage, dog spa, and a 35,000 square-foot courtyard with pool, outdoor kitchen and dining areas, along with curated art. 'We are thrilled to break ground on the residential portion of Astor Park,' said Dee and Jimmy Haslam, Managing Partners Haslam Sports Group. 'Our vision for Field has always been for more than just our home on match days.' The plan was detailed in an announcement in March 2021, when Astor Park was given its name. Astor Park will also feature a two-acre public park, a pedestrian bridge and direct access to the Olentangy Trail, as well as the Central Ohio Greenway network. Astor Park is named after the birthplace of American soccer, Astor House, in New York City, where, in April 1913, Thomas Cahill founded the United States Football Association. It later became known as the United States Soccer Federation. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Franklin County awards grants to LGBTQ+ Pride, Fashion Alliance despite DEI rollbacks
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Franklin County commissioners awarded three diversity, equity and inclusion-related grants this month, including funding for Columbus' LGBTQ+ Pride festival, as companies and institutions nationwide are rolling back DEI initiatives. All three members of the Franklin County Board of Commissioners voted on Feb. 18 to grant $276,000 to Stonewall Columbus for year-round programming and this June's Pride festival and march; $1.4 million to the Columbus Fashion Alliance for its 'Ready to Werk' workforce development program; and $25,000 to Besa Community for a volunteer program supporting small businesses. ODOT introduces $2B road improvement project for U.S. 23 north of Columbus Each grant was awarded through the board's Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, charged with leading the DEI strategies and implementation for Franklin County. Last year, the office gave out about $10 million in grants, representing less than 1% of the county's $2 billion budget in 2024. The awards come as Columbus-based Nationwide Insurance has joined other U.S. corporations, like Target and Amazon, in altering its diversity program after President Donald Trump's January executive order to investigate private companies with DEI initiatives. The administration has also told American universities to eliminate diversity programs or risk losing federal funding. 'There are those who believe that diversity, equity and inclusion is 'dead' or that we need to get rid of it … this could not be more timely,' said Commissioner Kevin Boyce during the meeting, referring to Stonewall's grant. 'Hopefully, this year's Pride festival is representative of the time. Meaning that, let's see who's with us, and who's a part of this conversation around inclusivity.' Learn more about Columbus Pride in the video player above. Stonewall's grant marked an increase for the LGBTQ+ organization, which was provided $50,000 from county commissioners last year. Along with helping to put on the festival and march, the grant aids in funding initiatives that 'address critical needs and enhance the life for LGBTQ+ residents,' like wellness and health programming, job training, parenting workshops and various counseling. Ohio Statehouse bill to ban LGBTQ+ discrimination loses Republican support Densil Porteous, Stonewall's executive director, noted during the meeting that the organization's festival and march costs about $600,000 to put on each year, given Columbus Pride is one of the largest in the country. Porteous said the grant is a testament to 'this county's commitment to every person, no matter who they are and who they love.' 'Pride is more than a festival, it's a powerful moment for visibility, resilience and connection for the LGBTQ community,' said Porteous. 'It's also a major economic driver for Franklin County, bringing visitors from across the country and the globe; generating local businesses revenue and reinforcing Columbus' representation, and Franklin County's, as a welcoming and vibrant community.' Columbus Fashion Alliance's grant aids in funding the organization's six-month 'Ready to Werk' program, designed to instruct 28 participants in retail and entrepreneurial readiness. The program is one of several initiatives the alliance puts on to support the growth of fashioned-based businesses within Franklin County. Yohannan Terrell, founder of the alliance, said during the meeting that Columbus is the third largest fashion 'ecosystem' in the nation, behind New York and Los Angeles. Terrell argued the program casts 'a wide net to a lot of underserved communities' by providing participants a pathway to working in Columbus retail for brands like Abercrombie and Fitch, DSW and Limited Too. Retro Delaware diner featured on 'America's Best Restaurants' now for sale 'For those who haven't had access into the fashion industry but have always had a dream of getting into the fashion industry, here's a program that we created in partnership with the county to help you learn about it, to help you learn all the skills that you need to be successful in it,' said Terrell. Besa Community's grant will aid in funding the organization's 'Besa Collective' program, which provides small businesses opportunities for their employees to take part in volunteer work. Each participating business is put into a 'collective' with up to four other local businesses, enabling owners to foster a work culture of giving back that is meant to strengthen employee retention. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
