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A Letter from the Board of Trustees
Stonewall Columbus
1160 N High St
Columbus, OH, 43202
June 8th, 2026
To our Community,
On behalf of the Stonewall Columbus Board of Trustees, we write to you today with an important update about our organization’s leadership. Densil Porteous will be transitioning out of his position as Executive Director of Stonewall Columbus to accept a national leadership position with the Human Rights Campaign, effective July 1st, 2026. We share this news with deep gratitude for his service and with full confidence in the strength and future of this organization.
Over the past six years, Densil has been a tireless champion for our community and for the mission of Stonewall Columbus. Under his leadership, our organization grew meaningfully:our annual Pride events expanded to welcome over 750,000 attendees, more than 200 vendors, and 21,000 marchers, consolidating Stonewall Columbus as one of the largest Pride celebrations in the Midwest; we secured significant public investment, including more than $427,000 from Franklin County to launch a new workforce development program to expand our reach beyond Pride, opening new doors of economic opportunity for LGBTQ+ residents.
We want to be direct with you: Stonewall Columbus is stable, our programs are continuing, and our commitment to this community continues. Our staff remains in place and working for our community every day. The Board of Trustees is actively engaged in ensuring a thoughtful and responsible transition, and we will be moving with purpose to identify our next Executive Director. We will keep you informed throughout this process.
Moments of transition are a natural part in an organization’s life. We are incredibly proud of everything we have accomplished under Densil’s leadership, and we are excited to see his new chapter flourish. As we move through this moment, we do so with intention, care and our community at the center.
To our donors and members, your investment in Stonewall Columbus has never been more important, and we are committed to stewarding it with the same dedication you have shown us. To all of our community: we see you, we are grateful for you, and we need you now more than ever.
Stonewall Columbus has stood for this community for over four decades. That does not change today.
With gratitude and in community,
The Stonewall Columbus Board of Trustees
