Anti-LGBTQ+ backlash reaches fever pitch ahead of Broadview Heights’ Pride Fest

Following weeks of targeted anti-LGBTQ+ backlash around the mayor’s decision to co-sponsor an LGBTQ+ Pride event on city property without approval from city council, some Broadview Heights residents now fear for their safety.

Anti-LGBTQ+ and Christian nationalist rhetoric cropped up around the second annual Pride Fest in February, when Brecksville-Broadview Heights (BBH) Pridepresident Jennifer Spear began seeking public venues for the June 8 event.

For months, members of the group said they have faced verbal and online anti-LGBTQ+ harassment.

During a May 13 work session, the backlash culminated when former mayor and current Broadview Heights at-large city councilmember Glenn Goodwin told residents:

“I would fear for the safety of the Pride people if the Proud Boys were to come, and the Proud Boys should be entitled to that same venue [the Broadview Heights Amphitheater] also.”

According to Broadview Heights City Council’s official record of the meeting, Goodwin called the situation a “nightmare” for the city: “I don’t want to see conflict in here, so somehow this has to be addressed so that we don’t turn this into our nightmare.”

“Every Council meeting that’s all we discuss and splinter the people further each and every time. We need to come up with something that’s going to work for this community,” Goodwin said. “Because right now it’s starting to not work.”

“And what a wonderful facility we have, but it’s actually turned into poison for us at this point,” he added – referencing Broadview Heights Amphitheater, where the event is set to take place June 8.

Goodwin did not respond to requests for further comment or clarification regarding the quote.

Hate groups are growing threat

A designated white nationalist and anti-LGBTQ+ white nationalist hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), members of the Proud Boys have already appeared alongside neo-Nazi and Christian nationalist groups in protest of LGBTQ+-related events across the state.

According to the SPLC’s online hate group tracker, the group is among the fastest growing in the state, posing a direct threat to LGBTQ+ Ohioans as Pride season approaches.

On May 10, the FBI and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) made an official announcement warning Americans of the high risk of targeted anti-LGBTQ+ violence and terrorism at Pride events this summer.

Speer and other BBH Pride members said the councilmember’s comments could escalate growing anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment in the Northeast Ohio suburb just weeks before the event – urging members of the designated anti-LGBTQ+ hate group to appear in-person.

Goodwin has previously expressed staunch opposition to the city-sponsored Pride Fest.

Planning Pride Fest 2024

In an official statement released Wednesday, BBH Pride addressed Goodwin’s comment directly, calling the rhetoric dangerous and requesting a public apology.

“BBH Pride is deeply troubled and outraged by the reprehensible remark made by Glenn Goodwin,” the statement read. “[It] contains threatening language against the LGBTQ+ community, allies and all event attendees.”

Despite a “highly successful and peaceful” inaugural 2023 Pride Fest, BBH Pride struggled to find a venue after officials in Brecksville – a neighboring Northeast Ohio suburb and Broadview Heights’ sister city – declined to host the event.

Brecksville Mayor Daryl Kingston redirected Speer back to Broadview Heights, where mayor Sam Alai agreed to co-sponsor the event without city council’s approval.

Since then, Speer and other BBH members have appeared at city council meetings and work sessions, hoping to mitigate anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment around the event.

“The city could have used its leadership to reduce panic and fear,” read BBH’s official statement. “But instead, Mr. Goodwin, Mr. Dunlap, and Mr. Price have stoked it to a level that is beyond the pale.”

In previous public comments expressing opposition to the Pride event, Goodwin highlighted his identity as a Christian, along with fellow city councilmembers Brian Dunlap (Ward 3) and at-large councilmember Joe Price – who is currently suspended from his position as Grafton Village city administrator pending an investigation into his behavior by the Ohio Civil Rights Commission and the Ohio Ethics Commission.

Still, Speer said she and BBH Pride members are confident in the security they have contracted for the event, and are hopeful Pride Fest 2024 will remain undisturbed by anti-LGBTQ+ protests – in-person or otherwise.

“Our organization stands firm in its commitment to supporting and protecting all members of the LGBTQ+ community,” BBH Pride said in an official statement. “We are actively working with local authorities, other advocacy groups, and allies to ensure that any threats or acts of violence are addressed swiftly and effectively.”