Columbus Illumination of City Hall (Virtual)

Join City Council President Shannon G. Hardin, Mayor Andrew J. Ginther, Auditor Megan Kilgore and Stonewall Columbus Executive Director Densil Porteous on Tuesday, June 1, 2021, at 8:30 pm for the virtual Columbus Pride Month kick-off celebration.

This is a virtual presentation, and only media may attend in-person.

The festivities will begin with the annual Pride kick-off celebration, lighting of City Hall in rainbow lights, performance by the Gay Men’s Chorus and the presentation of the Steven Shellabarger Illuminator Award. The 2021 recipient is Erin Upchurch.

The award is an annual recognition presented to individuals for outstanding initiatives promoting LGBTQIA+ rights in the City. 

Erin Upchurch is a leading voice in the LGBTQIA+ community on the issues of diversity, inclusion and cultural competency. An educator, activist and advocate of marginalized communities, Upchurch believes in using the power of education, conversation, advocacy and relationship building as the foundation to real progress for equity and equality. 

Upchurch is the executive director for Kaleidoscope Youth Center. The organization serves Columbus LGBTQIA+ youth and young adults. As a licensed social worker, her expertise is with youth, families, and communities in the areas of mental health, trauma recovery and resilience and building collective and individual power. She is also an adjunct faculty member at the Ohio State University College of Social Work.