Stonewall Columbus Leader Steps Down

Densil Porteous is stepping down as executive director of Stonewall Columbus after six transformative years, moving to a national leadership role with the Human Rights Campaign. Under his leadership, Stonewall expanded its impact with groundbreaking programs like “Out to Work,” established an endowment for its community center, and grew the Columbus Pride Festival into a Midwest powerhouse. Celebrations marked its 40th anniversary with “Pride Circles” and a historical marker, signaling deepened community engagement. Meanwhile, LGBTQ+ advocates across Ohio push back against anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, with Ohio Equal Rights targeting a marriage ban repeal by 2027 and Equality Ohio releasing a damning candidate scorecard. Yet challenges persist: the Kaleidoscope Youth Center halts expansion due to funding cuts, underscoring the fragile support for queer youth services. Support the show:Get a discount at https://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/b35ca620b0ce2c65