Remarks from the Stonewall Columbus Pride Brunch
Each year at the Stonewall Columbus Pride Brunch, we gather not only to celebrate Pride but to reflect on the state of our LGBTQ+ community.
This year’s remarks were delivered under the 2026 Pride theme, “Until We’re All Free.” They explored where we find ourselves as a community today, the responsibility we share in building spaces of belonging, and the role institutions like Stonewall Columbus play in helping LGBTQ+ people connect, thrive, and know they are not alone.
The remarks also marked a personal milestone. After six years as Executive Director of Stonewall Columbus, I shared publicly that I will be stepping down from the organization at the end of June. It was important to me that this announcement not be about an ending, but about the enduring strength of the community and institution we have built together.
What follows are my prepared remarks from the 2026 Stonewall Columbus Pride Brunch.
State of Our Community
Stonewall Columbus Pride Brunch – 2026 – Densil Porteous
“How you doin’?”
Whether it’s Joey or Wendy asking the question “How you doin’?” seems appropriate in this moment.
You see, Pride has always been more than a moment of remembrance or celebration. It has been, and should continue to be, a period of reflection—
of where we are,
what we’ve endured,
what we’ve built,
and what still remains in front of us.
So this morning, I want to offer a reflection on “How we doin’”, on the state of our community—the LGBTQ+ community—not as a report, but as an honest accounting of what we are seeing, feeling, and being asked to carry forward.
[Transition]In parts of the world, LGBTQ+ people are gaining recognition, protection, and visibility in ways that would have been unimaginable even a generation ago.
And at the same time there are places where simply living openly remains dangerous.
Criminalization still exists.
Violence still exists.
Silence is still the norm in too many places.
All of these truths exist at once.
Our progress is real…and so is the resistance to it.
[Transition]Here in the United States, that tension is felt every day.
We are living through a moment where the rights of LGBTQ+ people, especially transgender people, are being actively challenged.
In some cases, erased.
We’ve seen historic gains in visibility and representation.
We see queer community shaping culture, business, and public life in powerful ways.
And still access, safety, and protections remain uneven.
And let me be clear:
Visibility without protection is not progress.
Visibility without protection is not progress.
And the data reinforces what many already feel.
According to national surveys, more than 70% of queer young people report experiencing symptoms of anxiety or depression and many report seriously considering suicide. That is not just data.
These are people.
These are lives.
This is a warning.
A warning that our community is being asked to carry more than it should…often without the support it deserves.
[Transition]And when we click in closer—to Ohio, to Central Ohio, to Columbus—we begin to see how those broader patterns show up in real, tangible ways.
We see individuals trying to find affirming healthcare.
We see young people searching for spaces where they feel safe and understood.
We see members of our community navigating employment, housing, and economic uncertainty while also carrying the weight of identity in systems that are not always affirming.
And at the same time we see something else.
We see community.
We’ve seen the continued evolution of Stonewall Columbus.
We’ve seen history markers erected in honor of the LGBTQ+ community.
We’ve seen the creation of Columbus’ LGBTQ+ Affairs Commission.
We see people showing up for one another—just like they have for Kaleidoscope Youth Center.
We see organizations, partners, advocates, and leaders working together every day to create something better—something that will far outlast many of us in this work and in this room.
[Transition]At Stonewall Columbus, we experience this not as theory—but as reality.
Over the past year, we’ve connected thousands of individuals to community, programming, and resources.
Through our C.A.R.E.S. navigation work, we’ve helped individuals access basic needs and affirming services.
Through efforts like our new Out to Work program, we are building pathways to employment and economic stability.
Through our programs and partnerships—including the work happening every day through our café—we are creating spaces where people can connect, not just to services, but to each other.
And what we are seeing is clear:
The need for connection is growing.
The need for belonging is real.
And the expectation that spaces like Stonewall will serve as a point of entry—a front door—is only increasing.
Stonewall Columbus is not just a place people come to.
It is part of how our community holds itself together.
[Transition]And as we look ahead, we are also beginning to ask a larger question:
What does our community need Stonewall Columbus to become over the next decade?
Founded in 1981, Stonewall Columbus will celebrate its 50th anniversary in just a few short years.
That milestone is not simply about looking back…it is about looking forward.
It is about ensuring that future generations inherit not only Pride celebrations, but strong institutions capable of supporting LGBTQ+ people throughout their lives.
It is about ensuring that someone searching for connection can find it.
That someone looking for support can access it.
That someone looking for community can experience it.
And that understanding has helped shape a North Star for Stonewall Columbus:
To ensure that every LGBTQ+ person in Ohio is connected, supported, and able to thrive in a community where they are seen and belong.
That vision is bigger than any single program. Bigger than any single Pride. And certainly bigger than any single person.
It belongs to all of us.
[Transition]I’ll offer this—I know what it means to search for spaces where you can fully be yourself.
Where you feel fully seen.
The joy you feel when you find those spaces is immeasurable.
That sense of being welcomed, of being understood, of not having to explain yourself…it is not something we should take for granted.
I also know what it feels like to lose that sense of safety.
As a community, that is not a feeling we should accept as inevitable.
It is something we should fight against every single day to ensure others do not have to experience that loss of safety.
[Transition]That responsibility brings us to this moment.
To Pride.
In the coming days, hundreds of thousands of people will gather here in Columbus.
It will be joyful.
It will be visible.
It will be powerful.
Because visibility matters.
Because celebration matters.
Because queer joy, especially in a world that does not always make space for it, is both an act of defiance and a demonstration of resilience.
[Transition]This year, as we gather under the theme “Until We’re All Free,” we are reminded of something even deeper.
That our work is not finished.
That freedom is not evenly experienced.
That community is not just something we inherit—
it is something we are responsible for building.
So, when we talk about the state of our community, what we see is this:
We are resilient—but resilience is not the end goal.
We are visible—but visibility alone is not enough.
We are present—but presence must be met with support.
What is required of us now is not just celebration. It is commitment.
Commitment to one another.
Commitment to building spaces where people can show up fully.
Commitment to ensuring that no one has to navigate their life, their identity, or their journey alone.
[Transition]And so as we gather here today—and as we move into Pride Month—I want to offer a simple invitation:
Be part of what comes next.
Show up. Support the work. Volunteer your time.
Invest in the spaces and organizations that make this community possible.
Make space for connection in your own life.
Because Pride is not something we attend…It is something we build.
Together.
[Transition]And because today is about both reflection and looking ahead, I want to share something with you personally.
Since the summer of 2020 I have had the honor of helping guide Stonewall Columbus as Executive Director and just this past Friday I informed the Board of Directors that I will be stepping down from my role later this summer.
This community changed my life long before I ever had the opportunity to lead one of its institutions.
And serving this organization has been one of the greatest honors of my professional career.
Together, we have navigated uncertainty.
We have expanded programs and partnerships.
We have strengthened Stonewall Columbus as a year-round center for connection, support, and belonging.
And we have continued building Columbus Pride as one of the largest celebrations of LGBTQ+ community in the Midwest.
I am deeply proud of what we have built together.
But what gives me the greatest sense of peace about this transition is knowing that Stonewall Columbus is stronger than any one leader.
Because institutions matter. Community matters. And the future of Stonewall Columbus has never depended on a single Executive Director…it depends on a community that continues to believe in the importance of this work.
I believe deeply in that future.
I believe in this organization.
And I believe in all of you.
And I cannot wait to see what comes next.
[Transition]At Stonewall Columbus, we hold clear the direction for our work:
To ensure that every LGBTQ+ person in Central Ohio is connected, supported, and able to thrive in a community where they are seen and belong.
And that is work we cannot do alone.
We will get by with a little help from our friends.
So, we must keep showing.
We must keep building community.
We must keep making room for one another.
Because none of us are truly free—
Until We’re All Free.
Thank you.
And Happy Pride, Columbus.
I am so thankful to everyone who joined us for this year’s Pride Brunch, to our sponsors and supporters, and to the volunteers, staff, and community members who continue to make Stonewall Columbus and Pride possible.
As I shared during these remarks, our work is guided by a simple but ambitious North Star:
To ensure that every LGBTQ+ person in Central Ohio is connected, supported, and able to thrive in a community where they are seen and belong.
That work belongs to all of us.
Happy Pride.
— Densil Porteous
Executive Director (2020 – 2026)
Stonewall Columbus
