City of Columbus honors two LGBTQ+ residents with Shellabarger Illuminator Award

Pride Month is kicking off in Columbus with the city recognizing two LGBTQ+ residents with the Shellabarger Illuminator Award.

Former Columbus City Councilperson Mary Jo Hudson and LGBTQ+ advocate Tom Grote have been named the 2025 recipients of the annual honor, which will be bestowed during the City Hall Pride Illumination ceremony on Monday, June 2.

“Lighting up City Hall in Pride colors is more than a symbol — it’s a commitment,” said Columbus City Council President Shannon Hardin. “It shows that here in Columbus, LGBTQ+ residents are seen, valued and celebrated. This year, we are especially proud to honor two trailblazers — Mary Jo Hudson and Tom Grote — with the Illuminator Award.”

2025 LGBTQ+ Ohio Pride Guide

The Shellabarger Illuminator Award recognizes individuals within the Columbus community who has demonstrated outstanding initiative to promote LGBTQ+ rights and, in doing so, have created a more inclusive Columbus. The award is named for Steve Shellabarger, a Columbus resident who was integral to starting the local chapter of the Human Rights Campaign and who “has shared his unending energy, strong passion for justice and gracious leadership with the Columbus AIDS Task Force (now Equitas Health), and Stonewall Columbus.”

The official citations from the City of Columbus:

Mary Jo Hudson was appointed to serve on Columbus City Council in 2004, making her the first openly gay elected official in Columbus. She held the seat until 2007, when she was appointed by former Ohio Governor Ted Strickland to serve as the Director of the Ohio Department of Insurance. Hudson made history again as the first openly gay member of the Columbus City Schools Board of Education, where she served from 2014-2018. She has also served as member several other boards, including the Columbus Arts Council’s Board of Directors and the national Board of Directors and Board of Governors for the Human Rights Campaign (HRC). Hudson is also a 2008 recipient of the YWCA Columbus’ Women of Achievement Award.

Tom Grote, who grew up on the South Side of Columbus, got his start working for his family’s business: Donatos Pizza. After working for Donatos for 20 years, he continued to work with the Grote family to expand the business and invest in and lead several tech startups in Central Ohio. As part of his advocacy for same-sex marriage, Grote helped found Equality Ohio in 2005 and served as the organization’s first board chairman. He has also served on numerous other boards of directors, including the Legacy Fund of the Columbus Foundation, the Short North Business Association and the Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA). He was also the first openly LGBTQ+ member of the Miami University’s board of trustees from 2010-2015, by appointment from Gov. Strickland.

Hudson and Grote worked alongside each other to launch the Stonewall Builds Capital Campaign in 2013, which led to the renovation and expansion of Stonewall Columbus’ current North High Street building.

“Both Mary Jo and Tom embody what it means to lead with courage, compassion, and vision,” said Hardin. “They’ve helped light the path for so many of us — and now, we get to celebrate them as the beacons they are.” 🔥

IGNITE ACTION

• The City Hall Pride Illumination & Shellabarger Illuminator Award Ceremony will be held from 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. on Monday, June 2 at Columbus City Hall (90 W Broad St.). More info here.
• To view The Buckeye Flame’s full 2025 LGBTQ+ Ohio Pride Guide, click here.