COLUMBUS, Ohio — For the first time Timothy LeDuc will be traveling to Columbus for this year's Pride celebration.
They are the first openly non-binary skater to compete in the Olympic Winter Games.
"It was a complicated experience," LeDuc said. "I'll be honest, there were a lot of people saying a lot of really negative things about me. But that to me sort of highlighted the need for me to be open and for me to be visible for others, because I know there's so many other non-binary athletes out there, and other queer athletes that just need a beacon. They need someone to stand up and say, ‘no, this is who I am and I still belong in sport.’”
LeDuc said now is more important than ever to band together and support members of the LGBTQ+ community.
In a safety notice, Stonewall Columbus is urging everyone to remain vigilant.
"Recent incidents involving extremist and domestic terrorist groups targeting LGBTQ+ events have caused great unrest and concern among us all," the statement said.
They said there will be heightened security at the festival and march and they are working with law enforcement to assess potential threats.
According to the Columbus Division of Police, they have not identified any specific threats at this time and say they are dedicated to keeping everyone safe.
They provided a statement that reads in part, "We are always stronger together when love conquers hate."
Back in April, there was a scene of hate outside a local business: Nazi flags outside Land Grant in Franklinton, where a drag brunch was supposed to take place.
"Unfortunately, you know, we've come to a point where we expect that some of these groups might show up that particularly a large Pride event like Columbus pride,” said Ben Huelskamp from Loveboldly. “In some ways that makes you know, that makes us extra vigilant about making sure that we're safe, making sure that our community is safe during Pride. In another way that also makes this pride one of the safest Prides we've probably ever had.”
As for LeDuc, they are excited to explore Columbus for the first time and see the festival and march in the parade. And it won't be their last trip. They’ll be back in January when Columbus hosts the Toyota U.S. Figure Skating Championships.
"What a time to celebrate everything that makes us unique and different and come together and celebrate that."