Come out to Columbus, Indiana’s first ever LGBTQ Pride Festival on April 14th!
We’ll be celebrating downtown on 4th Street from 11:00 am – 2:00 pm. Let’s help make Columbus a more welcoming community for everyone. There will be informational booths, vendors, food, entertainment, and more!
The Columbus Pride Festival is being held for members of the LGBTQ community and allies.
I want everyone to know that Columbus is a welcoming and diverse community.
Columbus is so much more than just a small town that Mike Pence grew up in. It is important for this event to be happening now, so that others know that even in this time of hatred, we don’t all agree with it.
This is an opportunity to show support for an all-inclusive community.”
The festival was organised by Erin Bailey, a senior at Columbus Signature Academy-New Tech as part of her Senior Project. Columbus is a small, conservative town, with many people proud of Mike Pence. The number of people taking a risk and coming out of the woodwork to help out with the pride festival is truly amazing.
We got to chat with her about the project!
What spurred you into action to make this Pride Festival happen?
I wanted to make my senior project something really big that would be remembered and help bring the community together. I wanted to change the community and help get rid of the stigma that Columbus is just Mike Pence’s hometown. There are many members of the LGBTQ community in Columbus but we don’t have any big celebration for it. I want to make everyone feel welcome here.
What have been some of your greatest achievements and setbacks in the process?
One of my greatest achievements would have to be creating a Press Release with the help of Samantha Aulick and Brae Benson. They helped me write it up and send it out so I could really get the word out about my project. It’s been pretty stressful though, I’ve been doing this project all by myself up until recently when I’ve gotten a bunch of help from members in the community. Jill Tasker has been a huge help to me.
What does it mean to you, and the community, to have this pride festival?
This project means so much to me. This project is going to hopefully change Columbus and let others know that we are an accepting community. Maybe we can even have a Pride Festival every year!
Anything else you’d like our readers to know?
I just want everyone to come out and have a great time! And if anyone would like to help, we will need volunteers! They can also donate to the GoFundMe page!
WHAT
Columbus Pride Festival
WHEN
April 14
11am – 2pm
WHERE
4th Street, Downtown Columbus
MORE INFO
Check out the Gofundme page and the facebook event.