Southwest of Toledo, in rural Van Wert County, Ohio, a group of young adults came together last June to form an LGBTQ+ group centered around just hanging out with fellow gay people. By August, the group had evolved into a burgeoning organization that’s gearing up to host the county’s first ever Pride celebration.
In the past, Van Wert Pride goers attended celebrations in the Indiana cities of Decatur or Fort Wayne, co-founder LaLeasha Frank said.
But Frank doesn’t want to just focus on hosting Pride; they want to create a safe space for other rural queer people in the ruby-red county.
“ Our goal is to be able to have a space in which the community can feel safe and come to grow and to learn about themselves,” Frank said.
By connecting the community, Frank said their organization could help change the minds of residents who might express anti-LGBTQ+ sentiments.
“We want them to understand that we are just like them,” they said. “We just love differently. That’s it.”
As the group shifted towards hosting Pride in July and other events, Frank said challenges arose, such as many of the group’s original members dropping out because they couldn’t volunteer their time.
The culture in Van Wert County can also be hostile towards queer residents, they said.
“Van Wert is very much an ‘everybody knows everybody’ kind of town,” Frank said.
Van Wert does not have a queer history that Frank could recall. They remember growing up and being told their identity is a “phase.”
“I think a lot of people in town still feel that’s the case, when obviously that isn’t the case,” Frank said.
The organization has talked with businesses for sponsorships and providing space, but, right now, Frank said Van Wert Pride is focused on trying to find more volunteers. After their Pride celebration in July, they intend to apply to become a nonprofit organization.
“We’re trying to not move too fast,” Frank said.
Van Wert Pride has hosted social gatherings, Q&As to learn more about the LGBTQ+ community and a “Friendsmas” in December. At every event, Frank said new faces have shown up.
“We’ve had a lot of support online, a lot of people willing to share [and] talk about us,” Frank said. “Now, we just need more bodies to show up to the events themselves.” 🔥
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- To learn more about Van Wert Pride, visit their Facebook page here.
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