2026 NYC Pride Guide - Magazine - Page 29
Lake County, Ohio
Rhonda Alexrod and her late partner Daphne Miller were fed up with the lack of LGBTQIA+ representation in their
home of Lake County, Ohio, a deeply red area less than 30 miles outside of Cleveland. That inspired them to get to
work, launching the LGBTQ+ Allies Lake County in 2019, a non-profit offering affirming support and events for local
LGBTQ+ residents.
Their first Pride event that year was small, with 500 attendees, 25 vendors, and a small team committed to learning
and showing up for their community. They built on that foundation, and today, the event draws 5,000 attendees and
more than 120 vendors.
“It really speaks to how much the community has grown and embraced what we’re doing.”
Still, that embrace but that did not insulate organizers from pushback. An “oversight” at the venue forced a change
to their long-standing Pride date that the local community grew to depend on, while local grant funding had all but
dried up. “We understand that we operate in a very conservative county. That reality comes with its own set of challenges when it comes to visibility, support, and consistent sponsorship. And for many Pride organizers like LGBTQ+
Allies Lake County, those sponsorship dips impact so much more than Pride events. Pride-related revenue is directly
responsible for sustaining their free year-round programming and services, including monthly support groups, community outings, and other events serving LGBTQ+ residents in Lake County.
Despite recent setbacks, they are forging ahead, starting with rebuilding their Pride event – with an eye toward a
larger Pride event in the future.
“OUR GOAL IS TO MAKE SURE EVERY LGBTQ+ PERSON IN LAKE COUNTY KNOWS THEY
HAVE A PLACE HERE.”
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