TOLEDO, Ohio —
Ahead of the 15th annual Toledo Pride, organizers are reminding northwest Ohio why the yearly festivities are so important.
"We need to unite to have a voice," said Steve Reamey, who sits on the Board of Directors for Equality Toledo.
Reamey added that there is a lot on the line ahead of the November election.
Last summer, a bill was introduced to the statehouse to ban drag shows in certain spaces.
"It's been part of our community for generations and it's an art form," Reamey said of drag shows. "It's what the community does. It's a fun way of creativity."
Reamey says another concern is banning literature geared toward the LGBTQ+ community.
"Some literature that's being taken off shelves as far as knowing our community and being able to out that through text. To have those things taken away is taking away our voice," he said.
Next to that, the restraining order on House Bill 68 was lifted earlier this summer, denying gender-affirming care for minors.
Lexi Hayman-Staples, the founder of Toledo Pride, says all of these acts work against the LGBTQ+ community.
"I think that gives us further reason to be strong and deliberate and just stand together," she said.
Reamey believes the bills and bans stem from a lack of education and says events like Toledo Pride can create a space to inform people and bridge a divide.
"We just want to be part of the community just like everybody else," Reamey said. "We're in places of business. We own business. We are in Fortune 500 companies. We are making a difference in the community. We just want to get that word out."