Stonewall Columbus offering numerous community events ahead of Pride March
Stonewall Columbus, which serves as a bastion of support for the LGBTQ+ community in central Ohio, has become synonymous with its annual Pride March that draws hundreds of thousands of visitors to the area.
Though the June 15 march is the flagship event for Pride Month, what some might not know is that the festivities actually begin earlier with a Pride Hop from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 1, at the Stonewall Columbus Community Center at 1160 N. High St.
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The open house, part of the Short North Alliance's Hops on High, gives visitors the chance to view Stonewall's gallery exhibition while enjoying music by a DJ.
Here are a few other events leading up to the Pride March:
Pride Illumination
7:30 p.m. Monday at Columbus City Hall, 90 W. Broad St.
A rainbow of hues will light up City Hall and the Shellabarger Illuminator Award is to be given to recognize an individual in the community who has shown outstanding initiative to promote LGBTQ+ rights and created a more inclusive Columbus.
Identity in Pride
5 p.m. June 11 at Stonewall Columbus
Join Stonewall Columbus Executive Director Densil Porteous in conversation with Terry Dyer, author of “Letters to a Gay Black Boy," in collaboration with Columbus’ Black Futures Week. The conversation will take place from 5:30-6:30 p.m., with mixers before and after.
Stonewall Columbus & LOVEboldy Interfaith Service
7 p.m. June 11 at Stonewall Columbus
The prayer service brings together LGBTQ+ people and their allies from multiple faith traditions, as well as secular belief systems for celebration and reflection.
Parking in Stonewall's lot (between the center and the garden) is free and first-come, first-served, with space for 15 cars. The parking lot can be accessed via the North Pearl Street alley. A metered lot is across from Stonewall on High Street, between BrewDog and Magnolia, the record store.
Pride in Politics: 'Milk'
7-10 p.m. June 12 at the Drexel Theatre, 2254 E. Main St.
"Milk" stars Sean Penn as gay-rights activist and politician Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California. Part of the Drexel's “Voices: A Century of Political Cinema" series, the film is to be followed by a discussion with LGBTQ+ advocate and Alternative Auto Care owner-president Chris Cozad and Stonewall Columbus Executive Director Densil Porteous.
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Stonewall Pride 5K with Fleet Feet runners
This year, participants have the choice of a virtual 5K and a monthlong virtual-mileage challenge. For the virtual 5K, log your 5K at a time and place of your choosing during June. For the challenge, complete as many miles as you can throughout June by setting a personal goal or challenging your friends to see who can log the most miles.
Along the way, share your pictures to social media with the hashtags #StonewallPRIDE5K, #Pride365 and #fleetfeetcbus.
For either event, pick up Stonewall Columbus Pride 5K packets (which include a Run Ohio shirt) at Fleet Feet Upper Arlington, 1344 W. Lane Ave., throughout June during business hours: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.
Registration costs $30 plus a $3.95 sign-up fee through Saturday, after which the price increases to $35 through June 30. Proceeds help fund Stonewall programming and operations. Register at fleetfeet.com/s/columbus/news/pride5k.
For questions about the 5K, contact the race director at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Stonewall Columbus offers numerous events before June 15 Pride March
