Akron’s first LGBT pride event is planned for August in Hardesty Park.
A steering committee of about two dozen volunteers has been meeting since September to plan a festival and march called Akron Pride. The event is intended to educate the community about lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and raise awareness about issues that affect them, said Deanna Lottman, the Highland Square resident who started the effort.
The free event is scheduled for noon to 8 p.m. Aug. 26 in the West Akron park.
Lottman hatched the idea with some friends after last year’s Cleveland Pride festivities were canceled abruptly because of what its organizers said were security concerns.
“We just want the city of Akron to have its own festival. And it’s about time,” she said.
The event is still taking shape, but early plans call for entertainment on two stages, a beer garden, food trucks, vendors, informational tents and carnival and street performers, Lottman said. She said the entertainers will include a national act, but she declined to release the name yet.
“It’ll be a pretty big deal,” she said.
The event will also include a march from Highland Square to Hardesty Park.
The committee is working to raise $100,000 from fundraisers, corporations and other sponsors, Lottman said. Sponsorship levels range from $50 to $10,000 or more.
One fundraiser will be a golf outing in memory of former Summit County Executive Russ Pry, who died in July. Details about that event are still being determined.
Lottman said Akron Pride is intended to change negative stereotypes about LGBT people and raise awareness about issues affecting that community, such as the high number of homeless LGBT youth and violence against transgender people. It will also give LGBT people and their supporters an opportunity to unite amid what Lottman called an uncertain political atmosphere.
“We just want to be able to come together for one day without hate, without discrimination,” she said, “because if we don’t band together, we’ll get lost.”
Mary Beth Breckenridge can be reached at 330-996-3756 or mbrecken@thebeaconjournal.com. You can also become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MBBreckABJ, follow her on Twitter @MBBreckABJ and read her blog at www.ohio.com/blogs/mary-beth.