Residents Swarm Council Meeting After Plan for LGBTQ+ Festival Draws Scowls

Angry residents swarmed a city council meeting in Broadview Heights, Ohio, as anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment ignited over plans for a Pride festival.

Around 100 people on Monday attended the council meeting in the Cleveland suburb. Most were there to protest plans for the Broadview Heights City Hall campus to host the Brecksville-Broadview Heights (BBH) Pride Fest event in June, according to Cleveland.Com.

Despite the city council playing no role—Broadview Heights Mayor Sam Alai reportedly exercised his authority to approve the festival instead—lawmakers were inundated with demands to drop the event, with some upset residents offering objections based on their religious beliefs.

Resident Robert Kilo, who serves as senior director of advancement for anti-LGBTQ+ lobbying group Center for Christian Virtue, reportedly said during the meeting that holding the Pride festival on City Hall grounds was "out of order" because Broadview Heights is "not Cleveland."

"This city (Broadview Heights) was destined to be one that has family values that represent all of God's people in truth, in righteousness and in order," Kilo said. "You try to cram this down our throats, we the people will have something to say and tonight is just the beginning."

Resident Stephanie Baka reportedly accused the city of "undermining the council at large and the residents of this community with sneaky tactics" by approving the festival, while claiming without evidence that the event would attempt to convince children to become transgender and medically transition between genders.

"This is far from a safe and welcoming festival," Baka said, according to Cleveland.Com. "At the heart of this there is an agenda that quite frankly is disturbing."

Resident Kathy Zamborsky had similar complaints, lamenting that tax money was being used to "encourage our young people to explore something that wasn't meant to be" and accusing the festival of "grooming" children.

Some of those attending the meeting, such as pastor John King of the Brecksville United Church of Christ, spoke in favor of BBH Pride Fest and countered rhetoric from the anti-LGBTQ+ residents. King argued that those operating the Pride event had "neither the ability nor the interest in making anyone gay or trans."

But most of the comments at the meeting were negative, while council members have also recently been sent an avalanche of anti-LGBTQ+ emails. Councilwoman Jennifer Mahnic reportedly said that she had "never seen such a large number of people truly filled with hate."

Newsweek reached out for comment to the city of Broadview Heights via email on Wednesday night.

Anti-LGBTQ+ arguments and sentiments have recently been at the heart of political culture war debates, with Republican lawmakers across the country attempting to pass laws that roll back transgender rights and access to health care in particular.

Jennifer Speer, president of the BBH Pride Organization, told Cleveland Fox affiliate WJW that members of her group were surprised by the onslaught despite being warned of the possibility prior to arriving at the meeting to discuss plans for staging the festival.

"We were made aware that residents would come and maybe voice their displeasure," Speer said. "We came into a room that was clearly not friendly. We were not prepared for the messaging."

"We did not feel safe, I'll be honest with you," she added. "When all of us left, we were either on the phone with spouses, family or 911."

Kilo told WJW that Speer's concerns were "ridiculous," insisting that those protesting did not have "any animosity towards people" and only wanted to express that the Pride event was not "good for Broadview Heights."