TOLEDO, Ohio — A celebration of love, now in its sixth year, took place Saturday on Adams Street.
The 6th annual Toledo Love Fest served as a fundraiser for Equality Toledo, an LGBTQIA+ advocacy group that works to eliminate discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression.
"Lots of states are passing more stuff that gives us more equality than we have," Brent Rabie, head of Equality Toledo, said. "But then on the flip side, states like Florida are banning drag shows in public, so this (drag show at Love Fest) wouldn't be allowed there. That's why being visible at events like this is really important so that we can let you know that we are still here, whether you want us to be or not."
At Love Fest there was live music, aerial performers, food trucks, free HIV testing and lots of drag shows.
"When you come here, the kids are having a good time with their parents, who brought them," Deja Dellataro, Love Fest co-host and popular Toledo drag queen, said. "People seem to forget people can't go anywhere without their parents. So like, the kids are having fun. The parents are having fun. The stranger walking off the street that didn't know the Love Fest was happening was having fun. It's honestly a community event. This is family. This is home to a lot of people."
All of the money raised from the Love Fest will go to Equality Toledo to finance the different programs it offers.