Stonewall Columbus executive director Densil Porteous performs an odd balancing act these days for the organization that produces the city’s biggest Pride celebration. At the first Columbus Pride in 1982, legend goes, some people marched with their faces covered. In 2026, it’s more likely nervous corporate donors trying to stay anonymous.
Porteous sat down with Columbus Monthly Editor Katy Smith to talk about Pride in a fraught time for LGBTQ+ Americans and how he works with sponsors who are seeking less presence at an event that’s always been about visibility. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
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How have politics in Washington and at the Ohio Statehouse, online and in the real world, affected Columbus Pride? We’ve been faced with some challenges. The politics of the [moment] may be impacting how we show up, but what we see on the other side is that people are really excited about coming together in community. When we think about what we’ve seen this year, how our community has come together … it’s really been positive.
What about those challenges you alluded to, though? There are many of our large corporate partners who support us as they have in the past, but the public presence has had to shift. I understand that. I’m still thankful for their support. They’re not saying they’re not going to support us. They’re just saying they have to show up in a different way.
We’ve had some folks say they can’t march this year, but they’re still going to donate. Some folks say it’s for their team’s safety. Some folks say they’ve been instructed they can’t show up at the march or do anything on the festival grounds.
We’ve worked with a lot of our corporate partners to show their support without having to necessarily have their logo everywhere or show up with marchers or be at the festival.
Do you face backlash from your community around that? You can’t make everyone happy. Everyone is not getting exactly what they want. I use Bud Light and Anheuser Busch as an example. A couple years ago, when they had some issues, community members were like, “What are you doing still with them?” I said, “Well, let me tell you why. Because as an organization, they have given over $1.5 million. Have you?”
Does trying to strike that balance ever become too difficult, though? Last year, we decided not to work with a couple partners because of their stance politically. Target, for example. We made the decision and said, “Hey we can’t work with you now, but maybe you’ll change.” We said the same thing to Columbus Police. And we said that publicly, but we were a partner in their change.
Have you seen change happen, particularly with Columbus Police? From where we sit, that relationship has gotten better. They’re thinking about how we can create a relationship that makes everyone feel comfortable. I understand, right? I’m a Black queer man with law enforcement. When I walk out my front door every day, I think about these things. But if we don’t start to create change, then change isn’t going to happen.
This story appeared in the June 2026 issue of Columbus Monthly as part of the Pride Guide. Subscribe here.
This article originally appeared on Columbus Monthly: Stonewall’s Densil Porteous Discusses the Politics of Pride
Reporting by Bob Vitale, Columbus Monthly / Columbus Monthly
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
