Gay pride celebrated with music in downtown Columbus

The grassy Broadway median between 10th and 11th streets featured music, educational displays and information on Saturday during the third Annual LGBT Pride Festival in Columbus.

The event needed to be held on Broadway after it was formerly staged in woods and kept from the public, said Jeremy Scott Hobbs, director of ColGay Pride Columbus.

“The goal is to bring the city together under one front in equality for all,” he said. “We want to make sure that every person from every walk of life sees us.”

The 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. event was part of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month to celebrate the legacy of LGBT individuals. Hobbs said about 500 people visited the festival throughout the day.

In a community with possibly 20 percent of the population described as LGBT, Hobbs said, it’s important to get people to the event.

“We did a prom this year and 30 people showed up,” he said. “It cost $1,200. People have got to show up. Today they showed up. “

Holding a proclamation from Mayor Teresa Tomlinson proclaiming the month of June as Columbus, Ga., Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month, Hobbs said it’s important for people to be proud.

“Be who God made you,” he said. “God does not make mistakes. ”

Kia Comedy, a former educator from Atlanta, found a light way to talk about issues within the LGBT community. Comedy, who was at the event with her wife, talked about her tough times while growing up and how she was bullied out of the classroom after more than five years as a language arts teacher.

“I’m sharing my experiences hopefully to touch the heart and soul of somebody else that they are not alone,” she said. “It does get better.”

She said there was a time when she wasn’t even welcome in her parents’ house in Mobile, Ala.

“It’s been a growth,” she said. “Now we can go into my parents’ house.”

Rob Woods, a senior field organizer for Atlanta-based Georgia Equality, criticized state Sen. Josh McKoon, R- Columbus, for supporting a religious liberties bill that was vetoed by Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal.

“He is trying to solve a problem that does not exist,” Woods said of McKoon. “It has served more to divide people along race, along gender, along sex and orientation. It is designed to keep people apart. It’s a wedge issue from the far right conservative organization.”

Woods said Georgia Equality has been around for 20 years promoting safety, opportunities and fairness for the LGBT community. It also is an advocacy organization that endorses candidates.

Cecelia Rood was handing out flyers for an LGBT Diversity and Support Group, which meets at 7 p.m. June 16 at 4411 Rosemont Drive. She also had free condoms and other information.

“Basically, we have a group for all types of sexuality and have a person in there to help navigate sexuality and talk to them about things they will go through,” she said. “We give them tools and skills to get through life.”

Children have questions about communicating with others, using the Internet and talking about their own sexuality, she said.

“We tell them when it’s appropriate to talk about sexuality without getting beaten up,” Rood said.

Information is available at 706-580-6239.

This story was originally published June 4, 2016 at 4:20 PM with the headline "Gay pride celebrated with music in downtown Columbus."