Stonewall Columbus was one of a few recipients of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion grants from the Franklin County Commissioners last week as such programs come under fire from Republican-elected officials at all levels of government.
The three commissioners unanimously approved the grants from the Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, including $276,000 for Stonewall Columbus, $1.4 million for the Columbus Fashion Alliance and $25,000 for Besa Community. Franklin County Commissioner Kevin Boyce spoke about the significance of awarding these grants as the federal government and state governments like Ohio legislate against DEI programs.
"There are those who believe that diversity, equity and inclusion is 'dead,' or we need to get rid of it," Boyce said. "This investment, to me, couldn’t be more timely."
The grant to Stonewall Columbus will help offset the costs of the 2025 Columbus PRIDE Festival, Resource Fair & March including security and safety. The money will also be used to fund year-round programs for the organization.
This grant award coincides with increased attacks on the LGBTQ+ community and the government crack downs on DEI programs.
Stonewall Columbus Executive Director Densil Porteous told WOSU Wednesday the grant is timely, because of the increase in attacks on LGBTQ+ people. He said vitriol from the Trump administration and people emboldened by the country's current political climate might prompt more vigilance at the festival to prevent disruptions or violence.
"When there is a rise in anti-LGBTQ rhetoric from our elected officials, we generally tend to see a direct correlation in relation to how those who are not supportive of the LGBTQ community will come out and protest or come out in malicious ways," Porteous said.
Stonewall Columbus regularly contracts with the Columbus Division of Police and the city to add security to their events. Police are often seen on bikes at the festival and blocking streets for the march up High Street.
Porteous said the increased vitriol and rhetoric coming from the Trump administration and other elected officials at the top directly impacts how safe the LGBTQ+ community feels. He said increased safety measures ensure that those who are not supportive of the LGBTQ+ community are not doing dangerous things.
Porteous said the Trump administration's choice to remove mentions of transgender people and the "T" and "Q" and the plus sign from the LGBTQ+ acronym at the Stonewall National Monument in New York City was "shocking."
"So now we're just talking about LGB in relation to what how they're presenting a monument that really the trans community, the queer community were the impetus of that particular moment (and) were those who kicked off protests," Porteous said.
Porteous said that despite the increase in anti-LGBTQ+ actions and rhetoric, he doesn't see a shift happening at Pride to move back to the movement's origins as a protest. Porteous said he feels being able to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community in a positive way is a protest in itself.
"I believe we can be both. I think we are both. I think celebrating our community and our identity and the fact that we we've been protesting to be seen all these years is is critically important," Porteous said.
Porteous said people will be more concerned about personal safety and community safety during this year's Pride celebration.
