Brecksville declines to host LGBTQ+ Pride event on city property

At 3:45 p.m. on a Sunday in February, six people helped rearrange tables at the back corner of the Panera in Brecksville.

By 3:58 p.m., a crowd had gathered, swelling to almost 30.

The group scrambled to add more chairs as people crammed into the makeshift meeting space, shoulder-to-shoulder. 

Before the clock struck 4 p.m., the meeting’s official start time, Brecksville-Broadview Heights (BBH) Pride director Jennifer Portaro Speer called the group to order.

Speer, a local designer and digital marketing director, led the group to a successful Pride celebration in 2023 – along with its newly acquired status as a registered 501c3 nonprofit.

“We have a lot to get to,” Speer said.

Although the meeting was BBH Pride’s first of the year, most members arrived already impassioned: the group had a Pride celebration to plan – or rather, a Pride celebration to save.

“We now know exactly how to do this,” Speer added. “The template is ready.”

But first, they needed to secure a location.

Declining to host Pride Fest

BBH’s inaugural Pride Fest last summer was held at the local middle school in Broadview Heights, but the group originally asked to hold the celebration in Brecksville. 

Organizers said then-Mayor Jerry Hruby told them the town square was under construction and unavailable. 

Hruby suggested the group host the event in Broadview Heights.

Pride Fest organizers and local news publications deemed the 2023 celebration a success – counting roughly 600 attendees throughout the day with more than 25 vendors and food trucks.

But the site selection of a middle school was not necessarily ideal: In the days leading up to the event, organizers experienced a barrage of violent anti-LGBTQ+ harassment online directly related to the location of the event.

Request denied outright

As BBH Pride encompasses both sister cities, the group intended to alternate between the two municipalities.

On Jan. 24, Speer submitted a written request to utilize one of three public spaces in Brecksville for the celebration on one of eight different dates in June – in part, looking to avoid further conflict by hosting the event at a school.

“We invite you to consider this approval not only as a service to your community, but also as a prudent economic and development decision,” the letter read. “Hosting a Pride celebration signals a culture of care and inclusivity that translates into a healthy and thriving city.”

On Feb. 2, Brecksville Mayor Daryl Kingston denied the request outright via email, citing safety and parking concerns.

“None of the locations you requested are able to support an event of the magnitude that you are predicting,” he wrote. 

BBH Pride leadership disagreed. 

“Our event is no bigger than Home Days,” Speer said, referring to Brecksville’s annual city-wide celebration held each summer.

In his response, Kingston directed BBH Pride out of Brecksville, back into Broadview Heights. 

“It sounds as if that [2023] location worked well for your needs and, in my opinion, would be the best location to hold this event again this year.”

BBH Pride leadership took exception with this redirection. As Kingston had been on Brecksville City Council in 2023, they said he knew about the online harassment they had faced.

In their response to the mayor’s rejection letter, the BBH Pride Task Force said the city’s rejection of the event sends the wrong message:

“We are open to using any (or multiple) of the spaces we previously mentioned, or alternatives, such as the municipal lot, which is more than twice the space of Brecksville-Broadview Heights Middle School. While we are glad that you believe the school was an ideal location, as you know, there was significant resistance to our group ghosting there last year. An alternative public location is preferable this year. And we seek to alternate years between Broadview Heights and Brecksville.”

Addressing city leadership

At a city council meeting Feb 6, four days after Kingston denied Speer’s original request, she remained persistent – questioning councilmembers and clearing up misinformation around the scope of the festival, which was the reason Kingston noted in his original denial.

Around one dozen supporters accompanied her, huddling near the entrance to Brecksville City Hall, some wearing rainbow LGBTQ+ Pride T-shirts and accessories.

Speer told The Buckeye Flame she expected an “olive branch,” and remained optimistic that Kingston would choose to reverse the decision after organizers clarified it’s scope and size. 

Speer addressed Kingston directly, asking him to reverse his decision and allow Pride Fest to be held on city grounds, but Kingston declined to do so.

During the meeting Kingston and city councilmembers told residents that the city of Brecksville does not have an established permit process for events like Pride Fest, and has never allowed a non-profit group to host an event on city-owned property.

Speer offered to work with lawmakers and city officials to secure a safe location for the event on city property both during the meeting and in separate follow-up letter.

In response, councilmembers asked for time to create an official permit process, which could take weeks or months – effectively canceling Pride Fest.

“We don’t have time,” Speer said. “We need to secure a location and reach out to our sponsors and vendors now,” – which include Key Bank, Cleveland Clinic, the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District and ReMax Realty, among others.

Pride Fest in limbo

On Feb. 9, Speer and BBH members met with Kingston, alongside Brecksville City Council President Dominic Caruso and council Vice President Beth Savage.

According to Speer, members discussed specifics around the event, including:

• Safety and procedural videos sent to vendors
• “Two private safety assessments” performed prior to the event
• Prior planning and relationship with Broadview Heights police chief and fire chief
• Required health board documentation, liability insurance and proper sanitation provisions

“The city explained they have no precedent for rental of city properties large enough to accommodate us,” Speer said, also noting that Kingston said he is hesitant to utilize taxpayer money for additional police and fire resources.

“We suggested and described a scenario in which Mayor Kingston would approve the city holding its first Pride Fest with BBH Pride as the sponsor,” Speer said. “We explained that we would organize and pay for the event and that this would be a great step forward in working together for the benefit of our LGBTQ+ residents.”

In response, Speer said Kingston “didn’t want to set a precedent allowing this for our group, which would lead to an influx of other groups asking.”

Speer and BBH members still await a final decision from Kingston, who told organizers BBH Pride will be permitted at this year’s Home Days after the previous mayor declined to include the group in the 2023 community celebration.

According to Speer, Kingston has not responded to the group’s invitation to speak at Pride Fest 2024, but said the group’s meeting with lawmakers resulted in “forward momentum and long-term relationship building.”

“We stand ready to listen and understand the City’s concerns, answer questions and offer possible solutions whenever possible,” Speer said in a Feb. 9 email to Kingston. “If there is any way we can move forward with a Brecksville location for BBH Pride (in 2024 or otherwise) that aligns with your needs and ours, we would love to come to an understanding.” 🔥

---

ignite action

• To register to vote or to check your voter eligibility status in the state of Ohio, click here.
• To find contact information for your Ohio state representative, click here.
• To find contact information for your Ohio senator, click here.
• To access the full Trans Legislation Tracker, click here.
• For more information on active designated hate groups across Ohio, click here.
• If you are a young person struggling, contact the Trevor Project: 866-4-U-Trevor.
• If you are an adult in need of immediate help, contact the National Trans Lifeline: 877-565-8860