COLUMBUS, Ohio — Hundreds of thousands of people filled the streets of downtown Columbus on Saturday for this year's Pride March.
The march takes place every year during Pride Month. Stonewall Columbus, the organizer, holds different events for community members to participate in throughout June. You can find that list of events here.
Among those walking in the march were Terry Traxler, with the Short North Rotary, and Solomon Dean, with The Open Shelter.
Traxler has seen the march from balconies in the past and said he is happy to join in on the parade this year with the rotary.
"We're out here to enjoy Columbus, enjoy being prideful and enjoy humanity," Traxler said.
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Earlier this month, 10TV talked to Douglas Whaley, a founding member of Stonewall Columbus who helped organize the first Pride March in 1981.
The organization was formed in response to Jerry Falwell’s attempt to establish a Moral Majority headquarters in the city. Although a national movement was underway to secure equal rights for LGBTQ+ people, they still faced a lot of discrimination across the country – including in Columbus.
“We were fueled by anger,” Whaley said in an interview. “You just get tired of being discriminated against over something you have no control.”
Although Columbus Stonewall aimed to get the entire state involved in the first Pride March, the organizers had no idea how many people would show up. Whaley was shocked when several hundred people came to participate.
This year's parade brought hundreds of thousands.
"There's no doubt it's grown to be huge," Traxler said looking around at the crowd. "It's been so enjoyable to be a part of Stonewall Columbus and just to support all of our community."
Dean said this is his second year of participating in the Pride March.
"I'm 64," Dean said. "When I was growing up there was no place like this for people to go to or for you to celebrate yourself. It took me a while to come into my own since I've been here in Columbus -- I've been here for 32 years and I've been welcomed, and I'm me."