Latest news with #DensilR.Porteous
Axios
27-05-2025
- Business
- Axios
Scoop: Sponsors drop out of Columbus Pride
As Stonewall Columbus prepares for its annual Pride March, Festival and Resource Fair, some businesses will be missing from its sponsor list — including Anheuser-Busch, a longtime partner dating back to the 1980s. Why it matters: Once-proud corporate America is pivoting. The impacts of diversity, equity and inclusion rollbacks nationwide are being felt locally, involving businesses big and small. By the numbers: The Columbus sponsor losses total over $100,000, or about a fifth of the budget needed to put on next month's Pride events, executive director Densil R. Porteous tells Axios. A $276,000 grant from the Franklin County Commission awarded in February will fill the gap. The latest: An official 2025 sponsor list will likely be posted on Stonewall's website within the next week. Porteous confirmed Anheuser-Busch, Nissan, Lowe's and Walmart— all of which supported Pride events in 2024 — are not sponsors this year. Organizers were optimistic earlier in 2025 that companies would continue their support. Some smaller businesses are also withdrawing due to the political climate, Porteous says. Between the lines: Anheuser-Busch and the others have publicly scaled back their DEI commitments in the past year amid pressure from the federal government. What they're saying: Porteous called Anheuser-Busch's departure "a little bit heartbreaking." But he noted that corporate moves don't necessarily reflect how a company's local employees feel about the LGBTQ+ community — and associates of any company are still welcome at Pride, representing themselves. Anheuser-Busch did not return an email from Axios seeking comment. The big picture: Stonewall Columbus is a year-round community center that relies on partners for support beyond just one-time parade advertisers, and many are sticking around. What we're watching: Organizers still expect 700,000 people to attend festivities over the June 13-14 weekend, themed "United in Power." The current climate — including anti-LGBTQ+ policies at the state and federal level — is a reminder of why Pride events originally started after the 1969 Stonewall Uprising, Porteous says.
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Who's running for Columbus City Council, CCS Board? Several candidates miss ballot
Multiple people who filed to run for Columbus City Council and Columbus City Schools Board of Education failed to make the primary ballot after falling short of the required number of valid signatures. The Franklin County Board of Elections voted at its meeting Friday to certify or not certify candidates based on the number of signatures collected. Aurora Dasan and Densil R. Porteous, executive director of Stonewall Columbus, both failed to make the ballot for Columbus City Council District 7. Porteous was already actively campaigning and placing advertisements online. This narrows the field to three certified candidates: Kate Curry-Da-Souza, network director of the Success by Third Grade program at the United Way of Central Ohio Tiara Ross, an attorney in the Columbus City Attorney's Office Jesse Vogel, an attorney at Community Refugee & Immigration Services Ohio who's raised over $70,000 in grassroots donations The three candidates will run in a citywide primary to narrow the race down to two who will compete in the November general election. They're vying to replace Shayla Favor as the representative for District 7, which includes much of Columbus' urban core neighborhoods such as Downtown, Franklinton, Olde Towne East, Italian Village and German Village. Otto Beatty III was appointed to fill that seat in January, but he is not running to keep it this fall. Three candidates who filed to run for school board did not make the ballot: Yasmine Farah, Ivory L. Kennedy Jr. and Tracey L. Sigers. Ten candidates for school board were certified: Liz Caslin-Turner, senior program manager for post-secondary career and technical education for the Ohio Department of Higher Education Teresa Hannah, founder and family-school liaison consultant with STEPP Forward LLC Patrick Katzenmeyer, senior project manager at The Pizzuti Companies Jermaine Kennedy, chief program officer at Boys & Girls Club of Central Ohio Janeece Keyes‐Shanklin, program manager with the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation Karrie Lumpkin, administrative professional/claims specialist with the Ohio Attorney General's Office Mounir F. Lynch, health educator Kimberley Mason, higher education partnership manager with the Ohio Bankers League Antoinette Miranda, professor and director of the school psychology program at Ohio State University and a former member of the State Board of Education representing District 6 Julie Trabold, financial manager and wealth adviser with Northwestern Mutual They are vying for three spots on the board up for election. The three incumbents, including board President Michael Cole, decided not to run again. Voters in the CCS district will vote for up to three candidates. The six top vote earners in the primary move on to the November general election. All the candidates who filed to run for Hilliard City Council and for the contested Whitehall City Council district made the ballot. (This story was updated to make a candidate's name appear as it will on the ballot.) jlaird@ @LairdWrites This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus candidates miss primary ballot for council, school board
