What steps are being taken to ensure safety at Stonewall Columbus Pride weekend

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- 2023 Pride Month festivities come amid increases in anti-LGBTQ hate crimes and legislation targeting drag performances and the transgender community.

Hate crimes toward LGBTQ people rose 70% between 2020 and 2021, according to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting program’s most recent data. Reports like that, and state laws impacting LGBTQ rights, are influencing pride plans across the country.

An Orlando-area pride event was canceled because of what organizers called “a climate of fear." Pride organizations in cities like Sacramento, Salt Lake City, Pittsburgh and Lincoln, Nebraska are making sure extra security is in place at their events.

In Columbus, police and event organizers alike say people can expect to celebrate safely this weekend.

“I think there is an increased conversation around safety, which is fully appropriate," said Densil Porteous, the executive director of Stonewall Columbus, who expects roughly 750,000 people to attend this weekend's festivities. “We are bringing so many people to the community. That is generating revenue for the city . . . we want to make sure that if we are bringing people to the city to be safe, that the city is aware of that.”

The Columbus Division Police will have officers patrolling on foot, on bicycles and in cruisers at this weekend's events, according to Andres Antequera, a department spokesman. CPD's Dialogue Team will also be there to ensure any protests do not become violent or otherwise disruptive.

Antequera said the agency has not identified any threats related to pride events.

“We are no strangers to being faced with adversity and rising up to confront it,” said Marsha Levine, co-president of the United States Association of Prides.

Levine said she has answered a lot of questions recently about whether to host pride events this year.

"I would encourage people to still go and support the community, support their local businesses, a lot of whom participate in events like this," Levine said. "What [opponents] are trying to do is they're trying to amp up fear and if we don't allow them to make us afraid, then that diminishes what their what their goal is. We can send a very different message to people and say, 'You can be as loud as you want, but we're going to be loud and joyous and supportive.'"