MANSFIELD – Love was in the air at Mansfield’s second annual Gay Pride Festival on Saturday.
Surrounded by a sea of rainbow apparel, the Mansfield Gay Pride Association made a choice to spread positivity and acceptance amidst current events that seem to only promote hate. President Kevin Kincaid-Shoaf explained the theme of the festival this year is “Let’s Not Debate, Stop The Hate.”
“In my opinion no one should be discriminated against, there’s no reason for that,” he said. “We’re all people, it’s just senseless to hate each other.”
Saturday’s festivities kicked off with the second Mansfield Gay Pride Parade, marching down Maple Street and ending at the festival’s location in South Park. Kincaid-Shoaf said the festival doubled in size from last year’s inaugural event, adding an extra day of entertainment and twice as many vendors.
Fresh off the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision legalizing marriage equality, Kincaid-Shoaf said last year’s festival was all about spreading education and awareness. This year, the festival takes a different tone as new laws attack LGBTQ rights and the somberness of the shootings in Orlando hang in the air.
“A lot of people seem to think that we’re the devil, and that’s something we’re trying to de-stigmatize,” Kincaid-Shoaf said.
On June 12, 49 people were killed and 53 wounded in a massacre at Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida. Later that day, according to the Los Angeles Times, a man with ammunition and explosive-making materials and firearms said he was heading to the Los Angeles Pride Festival before authorities thwarted his alleged intentions.
Veronica Rohm, of Fremont, and Cassandra Harbison, of Columbus, memorialized the Pulse victims in Mansfield on Saturday, wearing Pulse shirts and hats that Rohm made herself.
“I made them in honor of those that died; I knew a friend of a friend who was killed,” Rohm said. “It’s getting a little scary out there.”
According to Rohm, if Republican nominee Donald Trump is elected as president in November, she has a friend in Canada willing to marry her so she can leave the country. Mansfield native Rick Shepherd also expressed his disapproval of Trump with a t-shirt reading “Dump Trump” in bold white letters.
“Trump is the most pro-gay Republican candidate in modern times, and I’m sure there are people around here who think it’s not so bad to vote for him,” Shepherd said. “But his party is the most extreme anti-LGBTQ party, and that’s what people need to know.”
On Thursday, Trump vowed to protect the LGBTQ community from violence and oppression during his acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention. The crowd cheered.
“As a Republican it is so nice to hear you cheering for what I just said,” Trump added, almost surprised.
Organizers at Mansfield’s Pride event Saturday called Trump’s speech “pandering.” Kincaid-Shoaf noted when Trump made a statement claiming he was a friend to the LGBTQ community, social media responses indicated the gay community did not accept the Republican nominee as a friend.
“Trump has made a lot of statements that I don’t agree with,” Kincaid-Shoaf said. “In the next five years with the potential of a President Trump and a Vice President (Mike) Pence, we’re going to see a massive culture change.”
In light of the current political climate nationally, the Mansfield Gay Pride Association is making strides to combat discrimination on a local level. Kincaid-Shoaf said the organization will be going to Mansfield City Council in the near future to ask for anti-discrimination laws. The non-profit also makes a point to raise funds for local organizations.
“It’s good to show yourself as a charitable and loving person, because that comes back to the community,” Kincaid-Shoaf said.
