Advocacy is how we show up—intentionally, responsibly, and in community.
At Stonewall Columbus, advocacy is rooted in our mission to increase visibility, inclusion, and connection for LGBTQ+ people so that all of us can thrive. We understand advocacy not as a single action or statement, but as an ongoing commitment to protecting dignity, expanding access, and advancing equity—locally and beyond.
Our approach to advocacy reflects who we are as a community center and trusted institution: values-driven, relationship-based, and grounded in the lived experiences of LGBTQ+ people across Central Ohio.
What Advocacy Means at Stonewall Columbus
Advocacy at Stonewall Columbus takes many forms. It includes how we respond in moments of crisis, how we build partnerships, how we educate our community, and how we engage systems that impact LGBTQ+ lives.
- Centering lived experience—especially voices most impacted by inequity
- Advancing dignity and safety for LGBTQ+ people across identities
- Promoting access to affirming services, resources, and opportunities
- Holding systems accountable through education, dialogue, and public engagement
We recognize that advocacy looks different across issues, communities, and moments in time. Our work is guided by listening, learning, and acting with care.
How We Advocate
Stonewall Columbus engages in advocacy through a combination of direct action, education, convening, and institutional leadership. This includes:
- Public Statements & Community Messaging
When the safety, dignity, or well-being of LGBTQ+ people is at stake, we speak—thoughtfully and clearly—consistent with our internal Statement Policy and governance practices. - Community Education & Learning
Through workshops, forums, and Pride 365 learning opportunities, we help individuals, organizations, and partners better understand LGBTQ+ identities, histories, and realities. - Coalition & Partner Advocacy
We work alongside local, state, and national partners to support shared goals—recognizing that collective action strengthens impact. - Institutional Leadership
As a long-standing LGBTQ+ organization, we leverage our position to influence conversations around policy, public safety, health equity, and community well-being.
What Advocacy Is—and Is Not
Stonewall Columbus is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. As such, our advocacy work:
- Does not include endorsing political candidates
- Does not operate as a political action committee
- Does not attempt to speak for every individual or organization
What we do commit to is showing up with integrity, clarity, and accountability—especially when LGBTQ+ people are navigating harm, uncertainty, or systemic barriers.
Advocacy in Action
Our advocacy priorities evolve as community needs evolve. Recent and ongoing areas of focus include:
- LGBTQ+ safety and community-centered approaches to harm prevention
- Health equity, including HIV prevention, care, and access
- Support for LGBTQ+ youth, families, and elders
- Immigrant and asylum-seeking LGBTQ+ communities
- Intersectional justice across race, gender identity, ability, and class
In all of this work, we strive to balance urgency with responsibility—acting when action is needed, and pausing to listen when that is what the moment requires.
Staying Engaged
Advocacy is stronger when it is shared. We invite community members, partners, and allies to stay engaged by:
- Participating in Stonewall Columbus programs and learning opportunities
- Following our public communications and statements
- Supporting our work through membership, volunteering, or partnership
- Engaging in dialogue that centers care, accountability, and growth
Together, we continue building a community where LGBTQ+ people are seen, supported, and empowered—not just during moments of visibility, but every day.
Advocacy Timeline
Stonewall Columbus’s advocacy has evolved alongside our community. While the issues, language, and strategies have changed over time, our commitment to dignity, equity, and collective care has remained constant.
- Formation of Stonewall Union amid anti-LGBTQ+ organizing
- Political education, voter guides, and legislative engagement
- Early Pride marches during limited legal protections
- Growth of public education and community dialogue
- Anti-Violence Project created at Stonewall (now BRAVO)
- Community Center strengthens organizing and support
- Ongoing engagement around nondiscrimination and access
- Stronger collaboration with youth, health, and civic partners
- Building long-term institutional presence and stability
- Advocacy through national milestones and local change
- Stonewall Builds expands access to community space
- Repair work following the 2017 Pride March protest
- Rapid response advocacy through COVID-19 disruptions
- Safety planning and virtual engagement for continuity
- Growing focus on intersectionality and community care
- Advocacy strengthened through education and partnerships
- Pride 365 integrates advocacy beyond a single season
- Long-term trust, sustainability, and accountability
This timeline reflects an evolving understanding of advocacy—one that balances urgency with responsibility, and action with reflection. As the needs of our community continue to change, so too will the ways we advocate.
Voting Matters!
Elections are important in helping to build safer and more affirming spaces in our communities.
LGBTQ+ adults in the United States voted at record rates in the 2020 election. However, this masks the reality that a substantial portion of LGBTQ+ adults have experienced barriers to voting in the past, including explicit forms of discrimination and voter suppression at the ballot box.
