What is the city of Sandusky, exactly?
It’s not quite urban, not fully suburban, and definitely not rural, yet it carries hints of all three. Perched along the shores of Lake Erie, Sandusky has the breezy charm of a resort town and is best known as the home of the “Roller Coaster Capital of the World,” Cedar Point. It resists easy categorization, and maybe that’s part of its appeal for the tourists who pass through and for LGBTQ+ Ohioans who feel a kinship to this lack of definition. And, as tricky as it is to define, for longtime resident and civil rights activist Jim Obergefell, the answer is simple: It’s home.
“I was born and raised here. It’s where my family is. So for me, Sandusky is about the family and friends I’ve had since the age of 3,” said Obergefell. “People ask me again and again, ‘Jim, why are you still in Ohio?’ And one of the reasons I’m still in Ohio is I feel a responsibility to be visible and to let people in our community know that I care, that I’m part of the fight, and that I’m trying to make Ohio better.”
One way Obergefell is doing that is through the creation of Equality Sandusky, a newly formed nonprofit dedicated to uplifting and celebrating the LGBTQ+ community in the Sandusky Bay region. The organization emerged from Mindy Billingham, founder and president of the board, who had a personal longing for queer connection and saw a practical need for sustainability in local LGBTQ+ advocacy. Backed by five board members including Jim Obergefell and Vice President Patrick Shepherd, it now serves as the fiscal and organizing backbone for Shoreline Pride, Sandusky’s growing pride event, and a host of new community programs.
Billingham, who moved to Sandusky four years ago with her wife, remembers expecting the worst. “I moved here perceiving that I would find it unwelcoming and that I would endure harassment,” she says. “And I have lived here for four years, and there has literally not been one bad word.”
But even in a supportive environment, something was missing. “I felt a loneliness,” Billingham says. “I missed my people.I think what’s really important as a nonprofit, and what’s important for me as a leader, is that we ask and don’t make assumptions. That’s what Equality Sandusky is here to do: listen to the community and respond to what’s actually needed.”
That work began in 2024, when the group stepped in to organize Shoreline Pride after learning the previous hosts were stepping back. “It happened in 10 or 11 weeks,” Billingham recalls. “Before the event was even over, I was talking about forming a nonprofit.”
Since then, Equality Sandusky has been laying down roots—applying for 501(c)(3) status, creating bylaws, and expanding its programming. The organization now hosts events that range from drag shows at a converted church venue called Halo Live to “Cheers, Queers” happy hours and wellness panels on mental and physical health.
As part of this year’s Pride programming, Equality Sandusky will distribute a community survey to gather input on the needs, priorities and hopes of local LGBTQ+ residents. The results will help guide the organization’s year-round efforts, ensuring future programming reflects the voices of those it serves.
For Shepherd, the emergence of a thriving LGBTQ+ community in Sandusky is part of a larger story across Ohio. “I remember coming out in the ’90s, and there were three Prides in Ohio—it was basically the three Cs: Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati,” he says. “Now you’ve got places like Toledo, Fremont and Tiffin hosting pride events. It’s extraordinary.”
While Shoreline Pride remains the nonprofit’s flagship event, the team is focused on year-round visibility and support. “Our big-picture goal is that people think of us first,” Obergefell says. “If someone’s looking for support or just to feel that sense of kinship, we want them to come to us and find a way to connect.”
That goal will take center stage this summer at Equality Sandusky’s biggest event yet: “A Celebration of Marriage Equality,” held Thursday, June 26, at 126 Columbus Avenue. The event commemorates the 10th anniversary of Obergefell v. Hodges, the landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide. Obergefell, lead plaintiff in this landmark lawsuit, will speak alongside a panel of local LGBTQ+ voices, including comedian Tim Murray, writer Grace Ellis and activist Mickey Andrew, in a discussion titled “Growing Up LGBTQ+ in Sandusky.”
“I’m thrilled to be doing this here,” Obergefell says. “Sandusky is important to me. It’s why I moved back. And John [Obergefell’s husband] loved Sandusky. We had looked at buying a place here a couple times in our 21 years together. That makes it even more special to me.”
As Equality Sandusky builds toward a future beyond Pride month, its founders are clear-eyed about the work ahead. “The obvious challenge we face that every queer organization is facing these days is the political climate,” Obergefell says. “These terrible attacks on our community, especially the trans community, it’s hard to survive mentally through all of it.”
Still, the team remains hopeful.“There is adversity everywhere—even in big cities,” Billingham says. “But Sandusky can be a place where LGBTQ+ people thrive. That’s what we’re working for.”
And they aren’t doing it alone. “Come to our Pride. Come to the marriage equality event. Join us for the cruise,” Obergefell says. “We don’t want Equality Sandusky to be just for people living in Sandusky. We want partnerships and community with others from across the state. The more people who show up, the more joyful it is, and the more powerful our message becomes.” 🔥
IGNITE ACTION
- Tickets for A Celebration of Marriage Equality are available here.
Know an LGBTQ+ Ohio story we should cover? TELL US!
Submit a story!
