The first thing I noticed at check-in was the city’s tourism magazine. The cover featured a same-sex couple with their adorable little girl. And, no, this wasn’t a LGBTQ-specific guide. This was the Experience Columbus Visitor Guide for all visitors. It was a level of representation I had seldom seen in mainstream tourism promotion and one that made me feel instantly welcomed.
The city of scarlet and gray, the colors of their beloved The Ohio State University, brings a pop of rainbow to the American Midwest. As one of the largest festivals in the region, Columbus Pride attracts more than 700,000 people every June. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has postponed the festivities to a (now virtual) event in October.
Gay Travel Guide to Columbus
Columbus is a young city with an entrepreneurial spirit. According to the U.S. Census Bureau findings released in 2019, Columbus was the only Midwestern city to make the Top 15 Fastest Growing Cities list. The result has brought a revitalization of neighborhoods, a renaissance of culture and a reinhabiting of the city center…
Read my full LGBTQ Guide to Columbus below, published in the Summer 2020 print issue of Passport Magazine.
