Thousands turned out Saturday, June 18, 2022, for Stonewall Columbus' Pride parade Downtown. It was the first in-person event since 2019 and a welcome sight for many.
In June 1981, 200 people marched from Ohio State University to the Statehouse to commemorate the Stonewall Inn riot of 1969, which was a key event in the fight for gay rights.
The following year, Columbus held its first Gay Pride Parade, organized by Stonewall Columbus, with about 1,000 marchers.
Over the years, the event has turned into the second largest Pride Parade in the Midwest behind Chicago with about 750,000 people participating. Columbus was named among U.S. News & World Report's top 21 Pride parades and celebrations in the U.S. for 2023.
U.S. News noted Columbus is "one of the fastest-growing and most LGBTQ-friendly cities in the country." The outlet also highlighted Stonewall Columbus' "Purpose. Passion. Power." theme this year, which serves as a reminder of the original Stonewall uprisings, highlighting the purpose of Pride protests as well as the passion and power of the LGBTQ+ community.
Here's a look back at photos of the parade and festival through the years.
(Left) Ed Grudus of Dayton was one of more than 500 gay rights supporters from all over the state to march in the Ohio Gay Pride Parade on June 26, 1982. The parade concluded with a rally on the Statehouse lawn. (Right) Marchers in Columbus' first Gay Pride Parade on June 26, 1982 head southbound on Front Street in Columbus to the west of the Nationwide building. Some resources say the Pride Parade started with the 1981 march and some say it started in 1982, since that was the first year it was officially named the Gay Pride Parade.
An estimated 1000 people participated in the 2nd Annual Ohio Gay Pride Parade on June 27, 1983. The march, and the rally that followed on the lawn of the Statehouse, attracted participants from across the state.
A member of the Pentecostal Holiness Church of Columbus, shown here, was among the fundamentalists who heckled several thousand gay activists marching in the city on June 24, 1984 for the Ohio-Michigan Lesbian and Gay Pride Parade. The marchers, however, drowned out the anti-gay demonstrators. Gay activist speakers said the gay community is gaining political clout. Close to 4,000 marchers left Goodale Park about 2 p.m. to march to the Ohio Statehouse.
Taken on June 30, 1985. Danny and Mary of Columbus, Ohio, light freedom torch at rally at Ohio Capitol grounds. Crowd estimate about 6,000 people.
1993 Gay Pride March in Columbus. Marchers in front carry Stonewall Union banner.
Participants in the 1995 Gay Pride Parade and Festival carry a banner Sunday, June 25, 1995, in Columbus, Ohio. About 5,000 people gathered for the event, sponsored by the local chapter of Stonewall Union, a gay-rights organization.
Jim VanHorn of Columbus was just one of thousands of participants in the gay pride parade June 30, 1996. The parade began at Goodale Park in the Short North and made it's way down High Street to Bicentennial Park. Photo by: John F Martin
A person helps carry the rainbow flag down High street during the Pride Parade June 23, 2001 in downtown Columbus. (file)
Lovers and friends walked hand in hand down High Street in celebration of Gay Pride.
Poodle Pride on display before the start of the 2011 Gay Pride March held on June 18, 2011
Patrick Powell of Amazing Giants walks on stilts to entertain the crowd at the Gay Pride Parade in Columbus June 22, 2013.
George Takei rides on a float while appearing as the Grand Marshal of the Stonewall Columbus Pride Parade in downtown Columbus on Saturday, June 21, 2014.
Grand Marshall of the 2015 Stonewall Columbus Pride Parade, Jim Obergefell waves to the soggy crowds on June 20, 2015.
Members of the L Brands group carry balloons during the 2017 Stonewall Columbus Pride Parade in Columbus, Ohio on June 17, 2017.
Grand marshal drag queen Nina West (Andrew Levitt) waves to the crowd during the 2019 Stonewall Columbus Pride Parade.
A trans rights group marches in the pride parade. Saturday, June 18, 2022, in Columbus. Thousands turned out for Stonewall Columbus' Pride parade Downtown. It was the first in-person event since 2019 and a welcome sight for many. (Credit: Courtney Hergesheimer/ Columbus Dispatch)
