DEFIANCE, Ohio — June is Pride Month and a time for celebration in the LGBTQ community.
But in small towns like Defiance, support can still be hard to come by, so even small events go a long way toward acceptance.
"It's real. Kids commit suicide every day, because they're simply afraid to just say I'm gay," said Jennifer Hart, owner of D-Town Food Market who helped host a small mini pridefest event on Saturday.
It's 2021, but Hart's words continue to be a chilling reality for many in the LGBT community and even more so for those in small towns. That's why events like Saturday's mean so much to their community.
"This is the time for us to stand up and say, we're here we support you," said Stacy Flanary. "You need to be you, to be happy."
Flanary runs Anchor LGBT+ and works with young people in Defiance like Gage Seegert. He says he's been bullied in school as a gay man and events like this make him feel validated.
"To just have this and it not be an issue," said Seegert, "and have a place for people who do feel different and do feel like they're outcasts in a way to come together and have a safe place to just be you."
Last month, a video went viral showing a Defiance middle schooler being assaulted by a fellow student while wearing a pride flag.
Seegert says he's faced similar attacks, which he calls hate crimes, and more needs to be done by schools.
"It was just heartbreaking because it happens around here, and teachers and administrators, they really do ignore it," he said.
Seegert stressed schools need to do more to address mental health and tolerance.
Hart says businesses can also open the door for the community to become more inclusive. Even something as simple as hanging a rainbow flag or an ally sticker in their windows can help those in the LGBT community feel safer, while inviting others to be more open.
"Hopefully these events will just let those kids and adults and people struggling know 'hey, we're here for you, we want you here and your life matters,'" said Hart.
Organizers say they are planning for a parade and an even bigger festival next year.
RELATED VIDEO: