This purple region could use some more sparkly sequins.
When it comes to Pride in the Midwest , Chicago tends to monopolize a batch of the rainbow - hued tucket , but a couple state over , a rapidly spring up city is giving the Second City a run for its money . Not only isColumbusbooming in population — at a much faster clip than any other Midwestern urban center , make itthe nation ’s fourteenth enceinte — but Ohio ’s capital has become a mecca of tawdry - and - proud queerness of late . It now has the15th big LGBTQ+ universe in the US , with aPride festivalthat ’s stand up dramatically in popularity .
After spring up in 1981,Stonewall Columbus Pridehas steadily blossomed in attending to more than 700,000 ( along with some 13,000 marchers in the parade ) , becoming a radio beacon of inclusivity , diversity , and acceptance not only for the DoS , but for the circumvent realm . Its progressively diverse populace continues to broaden the demographics and color the landscape painting with all tints of the rainbow .
“ Part of our vision is to assure that pouf identities are seen across our state and not only in curious space , ” explain Densil Porteous , executive director and CEO of Stonewall Columbus . “ Each year , we ’ve worked to make space for the various identities within the LGBTQ+ community , while work to see our friend and confederate are also a part of the minute of acknowledgment and jubilation for the queer community . ”
Photo courtesy of Experience Columbus
And blank space for various identities is very much needed . Like many a golf shot nation , Ohio ’s social politics are fraught with challenges for the community — in most parts of the nation , it ’s still sound to discriminate against LGBTQ+ citizenry , andrecent legislation attempt to shun gender - support careis an unfortunate example of harmful insurance policy sweeping the country . Ironic , then , that this type of legislative showdown ensues in a State Capital building surrounded by poove - friendly neighborhood and businesses , and a Pride fete whose attendance equal the universe of Denver . LikeAustin is to Texas , orAtlanta is to Georgia , Columbus has emerged as a queer haven for the neighborhood , turning this swing country from purple to a jiffy tone of sequin - clothe lavender .
“ I ’ve always felt that it ’s been more progressive , even through the byname of being a ‘ cow town ’ in the Midwest , ” says Scott Heimlich , proprietor of longstandingBarcelona Restaurantin German Village . “ It ’s always felt safer here . We ’ve had issues , and we ’ve had to be deliberate , but it ’s progressed much faster than other cities . It matte up safe to come out for me . I knew I could be who I was in Columbus when I could n’t in my hometown , a small rural husbandry residential area . ”
Part of that safety , which come with general population outgrowth , stems from increased businesses and aHogwarts - sized universitythat brings divers the great unwashed from all over the human race . Says Heimlich : “ It makes Columbus more inclusive and understanding . ”
Why Columbus, Ohio?
Columbus ’s Pride bug out in 1981 , after a train of other metropolis following the Stonewall Riots in New York City . At a metre when anti - LGBTQ+ discrimination ran rampant ( ya fuck , even more so than today ) , Pride here was establish as a response to the spiritual right coming to Columbus , with the goal of increasing visibility and acceptance of the queer residential district . It go with a march so minor and discreet that some attendees bust bags over their heads to prevent being recognized or outed .
“ I call up 25 - 30 years ago when it was tiny , you were worried by enter in the parade who would see you , ” recalls Heimlich .
A lot can change in 40 old age , though . Ahead of the rest of the state in term of social progress , Columbus passed an ordinance in 2008 that extend civic rights protections to LGBTQ+ people , followed by an LGBTQ+ partnership registry in 2012 , anti - discrimination legislating in 2014 , and the banishment of spiritual rebirth therapy on minors in 2017 . All the while , the city has endlessly earnedperfect scores on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation ’s Municipal Equality Index .
@experiencecolumbus
“ Because Columbus is so loose now , it ’s a political party and celebration , ” Heimlich kick the bucket on . “ This is who we are . you could just be out and there ’s no judgment and it ’s a keen day to keep . ”
From a dry pint - sized march that required courage to attend , Stonewall Columbus helped catapult the increment and progress of the city itself . Gone are the bag over the heads , and in are the feather boas , the rainbow face blusher , and the joyous cheer from all walks of life .
Find your queer-friendly neighborhoods
Unlike many US metropolis , whose rummy scenes still are mostly typified by one or two region , Columbus as a whole exudes sufferance and inclusivity .
One obvious enclave is the Short North , an arts dominion that ’s home to Goodale Park , where the crux of the matter of Stonewall Columbus Pride takes place . Unsurprisingly , the downtown - adjacent neighborhood is now one of the urban center ’s most vibrant — and the one most synonymous as a gayborhood — thanks to its abundance of LGBTQ+ businesses and havens .
This includesAxis Nightclub , the heavy dance guild in the city , feature cabaret and entertainment from across the nation revered drag queens;Out of the Closetthrift store , with net income going to the AIDS Healthcare Foundation;Union Cafe , an LGBTQ - favorable eating place with drag brunch and “ Flirtini Fridays ” ; andTorso Short North , a scantily - cloak shop specializing in “ sexy underclothing and appurtenance . ”
Martin Wheeler III/Shutterstock
Even the bars and businesses that are n’t queer - owned are unabashedly queer - favorable . Take for example the buzzy new jazz couch , Ginger Rabbit , an enticing ulterior stamping ground inspired by a scene fromLa La Land . Or there’sThe Lox Bagel Shop , where rainbow bagels pair utterly with Pride T - shirts . Visit the always shout - worthyJeni ’s Splendid Ice Creams , a wildly successful Columbus - based grievous bodily harm shop class that ’s so committed to residential area , they march in multiple Pride paradesacross the res publica andcreate ice ointment flavors to support mental health knowingness . And if all that was n’t effusive enough , Short North is also home to theStonewall Columbus Community Center , a 12,000 - square - foot space of class round programming and event .
In the thick of it all , theAC Hotel Columbus Downtownis an apt Short North stop for comfort , culinary art , and Pride — the hotel is a block away from Goodale Park , where the annual Pride Festival make place , preceded by Pride - themed indulgence , tapas , and rainbow - tinted cocktail specials atLumin Skybar .
West of the Scioto River , another vicinity takes its quirk a footfall further by hosting Pride events all its own . Franklinton Arts District is a ill-scented , storage warehouse - filled asylum of heart-to-heart - tending maker , artists , fashion designers , and brewers — for the latter , Land - Grant Brewing Companyis domiciliate in a historical lift factory , highlight sustainable brewing methods and community outreach , with a monolithic nutrient motortruck - fill beer garden that looks more like something out ofTexas Hill Country .
Bake Me Happy
The neighborhood is home to a kaleidoscope of galleries , like 400 West Rich , Wild Goose Creative , andROY G BIV Gallery . Be sure and see outIdea Foundry , a co - running and events space with classes and theColumbus Fashion Alliance , service as an brooder for stylish natural endowment in a urban center with asurprisingly rich way scene(after NYC and LA , Columbus has the high concentration of designers in the land — surprisal ! ) . The district started its own miniPride festivalin 2019 , featuring medicine , drag show , food trucks , beer gardens , and activations like aRocky Horror Picture Showsing - along .
Just east of Franklinton , business district Columbus couch its Pride front - and - centre as well . You ’ll find centrally located gay clubAWOL Bar ; Slammers , one of a scant few stay on lesbian bars in the country , where the business organisation catchword is “ all walks , one groove ” ; and Columbus ’ new LGBTQ+ bar , District West , a execution locale for some of the urban center ’s most iconic retarding force queens . One performing artist is Virginia West , “ drag female parent ” to local celebrityNina West , who bring in Miss Congeniality on season 11 ofRuPaul ’s Drag Raceand has a children ’s book due out this dip about forgivingness and ego - love .
“ This city is magic , ” says Nina West . “ As the place of Ohio State University and so many countless unbelievable bay window , the city has fostered growth with our LGBTQIA+ community and continues to do so every Clarence Shepard Day Jr. . We have incredible , queer - owned businesses — from bakeshop to nightlife — that give visitor a honest gustatory modality of the Midwest and our remarkable city . ”
Stonewall Columbus Pride Festival and March
Shop at queer-owned businesses
Throughout the city , queer - owned businesses and fagot - friendly spaces are ubiquitous . Altogether , Columbus boasts more than 15 LGBTQ+ bars and 100 - plus LGBTQ - have business . dissipate throughout the city , and encompassing everything from retail workshop and pet care to fiscal service and restaurant , these let in Heimlich ’s Barcelona Restaurant , an upscale Spanish staple for 25 years , where it ’s patatas bravas with a side of Pride .
“ From twenty-four hours one , we were very up front with the staff and the residential district , ” Heimlich says . “ It became known that it was gay - owned , but our clientele is every walk of living and cultural group , and you should sense honest being here , whoever you are . It ’s a culture that has no tolerance for anything but full adoption . ”
Other queer - have eateries include gluten - freeBake Me Happy , where the rainbow sprinkle cakes pit the flag displayed in the window;Cavan Irish Pub , the only gay Irish public house in the land ; andBarroluco Argentine Comfort Food , a paella - packed restaurant that parks its food for thought truck at Stonewall Columbus Pride .
Beyond food , other queer - owned businesses execute the gamut from vintage wares atFlower Childand literary - themed candles atPaper Crown Candlesto eBike shopOrbit City Bikesand furnishings and decor atFourth Home .
In terms of said nightlife and drag , Nina West foreground the omnipresence of inclusive art throughout the city ’s queer - friendly landscape : “ Columbus is my home . I can narrate you the good place for anything , from delicious eats to gorgeous parks to local shops and booksellers . I love being on any stage in this city , from Axis to theColumbus Zoo and Aquarium , to District West . ”
For more detailed entropy on LGBTQ - friendly businesses and organizations , Stonewall Columbus runsLavender Listings , an extensive and searchable online database for queer - owned and inclusive resources throughout central Ohio .
Pride today: Bigger, prouder, and queerer than ever
This year ’s fete runs June 17 from 4 atomic number 61 – 10 post-mortem and June 18 from 10:30 am–8 pm in Goodale Park . The event will feature more than 200 vendors , two performance stages , a dancing surface area , and myriad community resource for LGBTQ+ penis of all eld . The Pride Mar , meanwhile , kicks off at 10:30 am on June 18 at the quoin of Broad Street and High Street , start up as a jumbo rainbow - replete cavalcade up High Street towards Goodale Park , with 60 minutes worth of family - friendly floats from schools , churches , restaurant radical , the ACLU , and everyone in between .
Beyond the festival , though , Pride is on display year cycle in Columbus . “ We call it Pride 365 , ” say Porteous . “ Stonewall provides an array of programme and services for the LGBTQ+ and ally community in picky around identity enrichment , personal health and wellness , economical authorization , and family innovation . ”
“ Pride is more than just a parade or a weekend celebration , ” articulate West , spotlight the importance of uplift the community class round . “ fellow member in our community study tirelessly year - round to allow our voices to be amplified and heard . The month of June allows us peachy profile , but we know the work must go beyond that to ensure a goodly and sustainable future . ”
at long last , what makes Columbus such a peculiar haven is n’t just that its fete is large and louder than others ; it ’s that this thriving melting pot of a urban center shows its Pride 365 days of the year , from the queer - owned businesses and interminable retarding force show to the reassuring cop cars with “ Report Hate Crimes ” plaster in big bluff letters and omnipresence of rainbow flags that turn down to be enclose to a month .
“ Pride is a heavy way to lend a spot and awareness , but as somebody we have to try out and live that every day , ” Heimlich adds . “ I ’ve got a Pride flag that flies on the building class around . It may cause me some hassle , but I ca n’t blot out the rest of the clock time . We just have to be open about who we are all yr round . ”
West echo those sentiments , and emphasizes the possibility of a brilliant future . “ Columbus is filled with not just Leslie Townes Hope and promise , but the talent and power to deliver on those dreaming , ” she says . “ And it happens with this community working together , standing together , celebrating together , and agitate together for an just and inclusive city at large . ”
