On July 20, the city of Lebanon, Ohio held their inaugural Pride festival which took place from 11 a.m. until 10 p.m. at Bicentennial Park. The event featured food and drink vendors, community mural painting and activities for children, as well as dance and drag performances. Despite anticipated resistance, event organizers and participants alike were pleasantly surprised by the overwhelming turnout and support the festival received, with fewer than 10 religious protestors at the event and thousands of attendees in total.
Brooke Handley, the co-founder and treasurer of Lebanon Pride and current Lebanon resident, told CityBeat: “Originally, we anticipated about — on a high end — 5,000 [people]. I think after 5 p.m., when the party really starts, we’ll probably be close to, if not surpass, 10,000.” In addition, Handley said they surpassed their $50,000 donation goal, with $64,686 raised as of the morning of the event.
Handley told CityBeat that the idea for Lebanon Pride began last February after reconnecting with her former high school acquaintance, James Reynolds, after 20 years. Reynolds left Lebanon in 2000 after coming out as a gay man, while Handley said she has stayed in Lebanon, a primarily conservative area, to “fight the good fight.” After months of planning, Lebanon Pride finally became a reality on July 20.
“I think this is amazing being the first event [of its kind] in a small town,” said attendee Jenna Greely. “For an inaugural Pride event, this is beyond explanation. You would expect disorganization, confusion or a low turnout — but you would think this is their 12th year doing this …The unity, the people, everything is just so amazing. Lebanon Pride, their staff, has gone above and beyond, has done research — apparently they have not slept for a long time to make this happen. I can’t give enough credit to them.”
Some Lebanon Pride attendees even traveled from miles away to be part of the inaugural event.
“I’m actually from Toledo, so I traveled for this festival,” said Morgan K., another attendee. “I thought it would be really cool to come to the first one. I am queer, and my sister invited me here, and it’s a great space. All the vendors have been really awesome, and it’s really awesome to see a small town supporting this kind of community.”
Tyler, a newer resident of Lebanon, ventured to Lebanon Pride to get a feel for how accepting his new hometown truly is.
“I live nearby and moved here a couple of years ago,” Tyler said. “This is a good way for me to know where the city lies in terms of acceptance and things like that. It’s very heartwarming to see the great turnout … I’d definitely like to see this again; there’s a lot of summer festivals in Mulberry Plaza, so it’s nice for this to be part of the rotation.”
Handley noted that much of the resistance to Lebanon Pride was from “keyboard warriors,” and that the vast majority of attendees were there to spread positivity. Handley explained that they’ve not only gotten support from Lebanon’s community, but also from communities in Warren County, Greater Southwest Ohio and the Tri-State area as a whole. “We have felt the love from everybody,” she added, and said they have plans to make this an annual event in the future if they are able to get continued approval from the city’s council. Lebanon Pride must receive council approval for two more years before it can officially become an annual tradition within the city.
“Don’t think rural areas and small towns are against you,” said Handley. “You have a lot more support than you know and you realize — so come to Lebanon. Lebanon is love, and we are here for you. We’ll see you next year — Lebanon Pride 2025!”
Keep scrolling to see everything CityBeat saw at the inaugural Lebanon Pride event.
Photos by Aidan Mahoney
