Stonewall Columbus Responds to the City’s Passage of an LGBTQ+ Commission
Last night, history stood on the right side.
On July 14, 2025—more than 40 years after Stonewall Columbus was founded to advance the rights and dignity of our LGBTQ+ community—Columbus City Council voted unanimously to establish a formal LGBTQ+ Affairs Commission for our city.
This vote is more than a policy milestone; it is a resounding recognition of our community’s visibility, our vibrancy, and our ongoing need for structural support and inclusion. We at Stonewall Columbus celebrate this moment and honor the many advocates—past and present—who made it possible.
From the corridors of City Hall to the meeting rooms where grassroots organizations challenge some of our most profound problems, LGBTQ+ people in Columbus have always shown up, spoken out, and demanded better. This Commission is a result of that persistence—and a sign that our city is listening.
As Council President Shannon Hardin so powerfully reminded us: “People that forget their history are doomed to repeat it… It seems that too many of us have forgotten our history, and at the state and federal level right now, we are repeating demonizing people just for who they are.
We could not agree more. In a time when queer and trans people—especially trans youth—are facing renewed attacks across the nation, local action matters. Representation matters. Advisory bodies like this one, rooted in lived experience and community engagement, matter.
To be clear: This is not the end of the work. It’s a new beginning. A foundation on which we will continue to build. Stonewall Columbus remains committed to advancing equity, justice, representation, and liberation for all members of our LGBTQ+ community—especially those who are most marginalized.
We are proud to have contributed to the vision and advocacy that led to this commission. And we are ready to roll up our sleeves and do the work alongside community members and city leaders alike–welcome.
Thank you to Columbus City Council for listening. Thank you to the community for pushing. Thank you to our elders for laying the path.
Let’s continue forward. Together.
With Pride and Purpose,
Densil Porteous
Executive Director, Stonewall Columbus
