They had come to mark progress - the Boy Scouts of America’s breakthrough vote last year to end a decades-old policy of prohibiting openly gay youths from being scouts - and to call for more. Khaki shirts, olive pants and rainbow neckerchiefs: the Boy Scout uniform, pride-style - a uniform that had never been seen on a group of marchers in New York City’s pride parade before. But, for these marchers, the colors that mattered most were the ones they wore. Summing up the parade and month-long events schedule, Fournier said, “The support for Pride shows the progress made by the GLBT community.The color guard leading the annual Gay Pride March down Fifth Avenue in Manhattan on Sunday carried flags of sky blue, navy blue, red-white-and-blue and rainbow. Other pride events during the weekend included Bat-N-Rouge-drag queen baseball (or at least baseball with sensible pumps) – and performances by Lisa Lisa and Inaya Day. This year’s parade, which included many corporate and community sponsors, including Huntington Bank and Union Station Video Cafe, also included fund-raising based on the estimated 3,000 steps of the parade route, with individuals and teams pledging support.
Scattered throughout the route, a few protesters held large signs stating, “Homosexuality is a sin.” Although the protesters with their black signs stood out from the crowd, they were not audible – the motorcyclists who had kicked off the parade circled back, revving their engines to drown-out the words of demonstrators as the parade participants passed by. Court personnel need to understand that family is as important to the gay community as it is to every other community (group).” OSU law school alumna Elizabeth Gill, now running for family court judge in Franklin County, said, “It is very important to be here. “The state in which we live must be one that stands for tolerance,” he said. Lee Fisher, candidate for lieutenant governor, said everyone should be welcome to live, work and play in Ohio.
Some of the loudest crowd responses came as the many politicos passed by, waving and smiling, with volunteer supporters handing out stickers.
Flanking the route on both sides of the street, the crowd cheered as colorful, tropical-theme floats glided along side a Macy’s-esque Chipotle balloon, a rolling disco and the flag-waving drill team Flaggots Ohio. “This is the 25th year of Stonewall (Columbus) and we have to remember this is not a one day, one month, one year or one election battle,” said Terry Penrod of the Human Rights Campaign, speaking to the crowd before the kickoff of the parade.įloats, marchers, classic cars, motorcycles and a band referred to by one of the speakers as “The Best Damn Gay Band In The Land” filled the parade route, which stretched almost two miles. During a routine raid by police of the Stonewall Inn, a New York gay bar, the crowd decided to fight back, simultaneously starting a week of riots and the Gay Liberation movement. In June 1970, the first Gay Pride Parade took place in Greenwich Village in New York, in solidarity to the Stonewall riots that took place a year earlier. This year marks the 24th anniversary of the parade and the silver anniversary of Stonewall Columbus, the city’s gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community organization and center. Russ Goodwin, president of the Stonewall Democrats, speaking of the importance of the two grand marshals said, “…it shows how good Holbrook has been to the gay community, and to have an openly gay student body president is huge.” “It’s exciting to be part of a community that can come together with support from so many different areas.”
“I’m really honored to be part of this celebration,” Fournier said. Holbrook and Fournier served as Grand Marshals of the Pride Parade that started in Goodale Park, filled High Street from the Short North to the State House and finally ended in Bicentennial Park, on the south side of downtown. They celebrated Gay Pride Month with festivities that culminated this weekend across the city of Columbus. Holbrook, Student Government President Ryan Fournier, countless drag queens and 100,000 people representing every age, color, creed, ethnicity and sexual orientation have in common?