10 Biggest Gay Events in the United States

8. Stonewall Columbus Pride Festival and Parade 2017

Attendance: 500,000

The 2017 Stonewall Columbus Pride Festival marked the 36^th Pride celebration in the midwestern state Columbus, Ohio, on the dates Jun16-17. The event has always been traditionally held on the 3^rd Friday and Saturday of June, and that year was no different. The festival began as 3 young men organizing a small march down High Street and has grown into a three-day long celebration with over 500,000 attendees. The 2017 festival was a bit different than its predecessors, as it took place in Bicentennial and Genoa parks, rather than the Short North’s Goodale Park where it had been taking place for the past eight years. The 2017 Stonewall Columbus Pride Festival made headlines when a group of activists peacefully disrupted the event to highlight the previous day’s acquittal of a Minnesota police officer who one-year prior killed Philando Castile. The activists said they planned this demonstration to raise awareness about violence against black and brown queer and trans people but were soon arrested on various charges of misconduct with law enforcement.

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