Demand that Columbus Stonewall meet with representatives from the Lesbian Community to commit to stopping Lesbian erasure. .

Columbus Stonewall’s recent virtual Pride did not include any lesbian performers.

We, the undersigned, are businesses, organizations, influencers, artists, and individuals, that represent and serve the Central Ohio Lesbian community, along with our allies. We are demanding a meeting with Stonewall Columbus regarding lesbian erasure.,

We understand that Stonewall is having to address the needs and concerns of a diverse community, and that is no easy task. We don’t expect perfection or that mistakes will not be made. We believe, however, that inadvertently or not, lesbians were erased from this year’s virtual Pride by Stonewall.

Lesbians have always been a primary presence in the LGBTQ+ community. From the early Daughters of Bilitis to Storme DeLaverie, the Black Butch lesbian that sent forth the clarion call that instigated the original Stonewall riot, we have been a part of pushing for LGBTQ+ rights. From the multitudes of lesbians who rallied, lobbied, supported, and took care of their gay brothers with AIDS to the Lesbian Avengers who made “good trouble,” we have always been on the front lines of the LGBTQ+ community. Whether the issue was disability rights where lesbians were the early adopters of ASL signing for the deaf at our events or responding to the immoral racism displayed by conservatives and the police by attending rallies, contacting legislators, and fighting for our brothers and sisters. We have always been amongst those in the forefront, fighting for social and political justice our sisters and brothers.

It is especially disheartening and disappointing then, to have been left out of the entertainment portion of Columbus LGBTQ+ Pride. If one is paying attention at all, it is widely acknowledged that inclusivity in our major events is crucial. Inclusivity and representing ALL parts of our large community has become a primary focus of our communities and our politics, both locally and nationally, yet not one lesbian musician was featured in Columbus Pride. In a city with a large and thriving lesbian community and many lesbian performers and bands, what message are Lesbians to draw from that omission?

While we do not want to speculate about the reasons for this surprising exclusion, it is apparent that you need help in ensuring that this never happens again. With that in mind, we want a meeting with Executive Director and the Board members to discuss an ongoing plan to ensure that Lesbians and the Lesbian Community are not an afterthought to Stonewall.
We, the undersigned, are demanding that you meet with a representative committee from the lesbian community that we are creating to help right this wrong. We look forward to meeting with you.