(614) June 2001

614NOW.COM JUNE 2021 (614) MAGAZINE

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BIG PICTURE PRIDE parade 2019: From the start of the Short North, all the way to Broad St., every square inch of High St. was packed with Ohioans jubilantly embracing pride. See our cover section on page 54 to hear from the Columbus LGBTQ+ community about their PRIDE and experience in the capital city.

PHOTO BY KATIE FORBES

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Contents

54 20 42 87 10

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C O V E R PA C K A G E WE'RE HERE

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MAKERS SPACE: QUE JONES 20 GALLERY SPACE: MICHAEL BUSH

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THE KITCHEN

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PLENTY O' COOKIES

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SPOTLIGHT: 614 DAY

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NINA WEST

ON THE COVER:

Illustration by Justin Remotap

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Opening Volley PUBLISHER Wayne T. Lewis

J U S T I N R E M O TA P Senior Creative Designer

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Lindsay Press

Why the hell are any of us holding back?

VP OF CONTENT / EDITOR IN CHIEF Stephanie West

I've never felt like I owed anyone a Hollywood "coming out" scene (which is kind of surprising, considering if you know me at all then you'll know I'm dramatic about everything for no reason–and yeah, I'm a Scorpio). That being said, I'm laughing about writing for a magazine that the entire city of Columbus can see: I'm queer.

And you know what, let's celebrate that. It's PRIDE MONTH! Being queer has somehow been simultaneously the best–yet worst–thing to happen in my life. Everything in my life has been substantially affected by my queerness.

Even though there were bad moments, every single thing I celebrate and love about myself is through my queerness: the way I express, the way I dress, my interests, everything.

And that’s powerful. Those of us with the queer experience are forced to grow up in a society that pushes such a rigorous binary on us. We're forced to face this idea that "we are different,” and in a lot of ways facing that idea isn't the easiest thing to do.

As a young person with access to the world wide web, I once saw a tweet from Alexander Leon (@alenand_erleon) that said, "Queer people don’t grow up as ourselves, we grow up playing a version of ourselves that sacrifices authenticity to minimise humiliation and prejudice. The massive task of our adult lives is to unpick which parts of ourselves are truly us and which parts we’ve created to protect us." There is truth in that. I feel like I’ve spent so much of my life trying to be invisible, to avoid having to face this idea that I'm "different" and therefore unaccepted, or unworthy. There's something so sad, but also so empowering about the idea that I will spend the rest of my lifetime "discovering" myself, making up for all those years I fought so hard to not be the truest me. I'm "able to" but also tragically forced to rediscover and recreate myself on a deeper level than those who don't have the queer experience. On one hand, I'm so deeply happy that I am queer, but on the other, it highlights how much fight our community still has to do for simple, basic human rights.

To simply feel comfortable being our truest selves.

As a kid I was always drawn to more “traditionally feminine” things. My parents were amazing in encouraging me to just be who I was. I vividly remember wearing a pink Power Ranger suit and running around the house attacking my brother. I also used to have this Batman pajama set that came with a velcro cape and I wore the cape around my head as if I had long hair, (flash forward to me right now having the long hair that I’ve always somehow known I should have). I would also tie it around my waist like a skirt; and while those things don't inherently make me queer, I

was just happy being myself and expressing myself in the way I felt cool and confident.

Unfortunately, as I grew up, this idea of the binary kept getting pushed on me, and through years of ridicule, media, and bullying I realized that I’m “different.” I was made to feel like I needed to blend in and conform to something that didn’t fully represent me in order to avoid those types of pain. To not dress, be, or act the ways that feel authentic. I don’t want to do that anymore. No one should have to feel that way.

If age-15 me saw me today, he would bow down and worship me. I am everything I have ever wished I could be. At this moment, I am so amazingly, confidently myself that I’m holding on tight to this feeling because it’s not something I had the luxury of feeling for so many years, and it’s something I might not be strong enough to hold on to forever. But for right now in this exact moment of me typing this, I am celebrating this feeling, this idea that I am here, that I’ve been here all along. With every fiber of my being I hope that you can do the same. A lifetime lasts so long, so why the hell are any of us holding back?

If you take anything from what I’m saying in this emotionally chaotic, pro-Oxford-comma letter, I hope it’s that you recognize that you are here. I hope it’s that you feel empowered to be your truest self, even when times are hard, or situations are terrifying; even if it’s just simply saying to yourself in your head “I know who I am and I believe in that person.” That person has been here this whole time even through moments when you’ve needed to repress, hide, or ignore parts of who you are in order to “adapt.” Even through times of confusion and uncertainty, you are here.

You have been here. You always will be.

You are valid, you are worthy, and you deserve to celebrate yourself loudly every single day for your entire lifetime. Every one of us deserves to feel empowered and to be strong; to feel like we are enough; to celebrate the fact that we are here.

The June issue is about celebrating the LGBTQ+ community that is here in Columbus; from fashion designer Que Jones, to Plenty O’ Cookies owner and drag queen “Plenty O’ Smiles,” who is also known as Alex, by day.

The cover section highlights those of you in the Columbus LGBTQ+ community who want to share your own personal experience. Listen, Columbus, this issue is about being who you are and celebrating that.

So what are you waiting for? Be loud.

ASSISTANT / DIGITAL EDITOR Sarah Sole 614 CAMPUS EDITOR Caroline Cunningham CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Jen Brown, James D. DeCamp, Ally Schnaidt

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Sarah Sole Jack Mclaughlin Melinda Green

Melissa Braithwaite DESIGN TEAM MANAGER Paul Barton SENIOR CREATIVE DESIGNER Justin Remotap CREATIVE DESIGNERS Jaime North, Emma Quinn VIDEO PRODUCER / EDITOR Maddy Van Buren Austin Black DIRECTOR OF MARKETING Jayci Haase ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Meggin Weimerskirch SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Nikki Harris ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Mindy Wilhite Travis Burson

Created by

(614) Magazine 458 E Main St., Columbus, OH 43215 Office: (614) 488-4400 | Fax: (614) 488-4402 Email submissions to: editor@614now.com www.614now.com

ON the WEB

� S TA F F P I C K S

Our staff picks The (614) June issue is all about PRIDE and celebrating LGBTQ+ love. So we asked our staffers, what is your favorite PRIDE month memory of all time?

Leading a company march from my little car in the Columbus PRIDE parade back in 2010. I was dressed as the Statue of Liberty and holding the black heel of a drag queen riding on top of my car. AMAZING. — Stephanie West, Editor-In-Chief

I drove in the 2019 Pride Parade and it was absolutely electric.

Do you check your news and entertainment updates on 614now.com? You should.

Every day we’re posting Columbus’s top news, entertainment, and sports stories from throughout Central Ohio. Check out all the Columbus news online, including the new ones below at 614now.com and suscribe to our daily email!

→ Bone-In No More at HTC The pandemic has been tough on food chain supplies and Hot Chicken Takeover is one of Columbus’ bigger chains to be hit by the shortage. Read more about it by scanning the QR code.

— Travis Burson, Account Executive

I marched once for a nonprofit I had been active with at the time, PetPromise. It felt magical to be a participant, and I just loved the energy.

— Sarah Sole, Asst./Digital Editor

2017—the year we mourned the loss of one of my childhood best friends, Dom Munafo, but honored his memory and celebrated his life by creating a float to raise awareness around HIV testing and the #knowyourstatus campaign.

→ Craft Popsicles for Summer It’s not craft beer but these carefully crafted popsicles are sure to beat the heat this summer. Read more by scanning the QR code.

— Nikki Harris, Senior Account Executive

For me, my first Pride was the most magical experience. (2019 Pride Parade). It was quite possibly the most validating, happiest moment of my life.

— Austin Black, Video Field Producer/Editor

(See the photo on pg. 63)

→ Nina West in the (play)house It’s official—Nina West will have her own kid’s show! See what this delightfully colorful and fun show will be like by scanning the QR code.

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#AsSeenInColumbus

@cbusrenee

@clarascakes18

@columbusnavigator

@theboardlocal

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61 4 V I D E O Did you know that (614) launched a new YouTube channel with some very shareable video content? It’s true. We’re expanding our ever-growing content to include video across our web and magazine stories. Keep an eye out for more on our (614) Columbus account and on social media. In the meantime, check out the newest videos on our channel:

Columbus, you are a social-ing bunch, and we couldn’t love it anymore than we already do—unless YOU had a giveaway for US! Still, your quirky, witty, commentary, sometimes full of love... sometimes not so much, gives us much to talk about during the day.

So, have @ it Central Ohio—we’re listening!

now playing...

fa ceb oo k In response to Hot Coffee—Columbus local creates a hot sauce for your morning cup o’ joe VINNIE R: It’d be like me putting sautéed mushrooms in your

morning tea

In response to Take a safari with this dino drive-thru adventure CBUSBOYMOMMA: Wow!! This looks so cool! My three dino loving boys would enjoy this!

In response to Dueling piano bar to open in Arena District this fall

• Tasting Columbus—NEW episode!

Have you checked out our TV show “Tasting Columbus?” Join food scientist Matt Teegarden as he eats his way through Columbus’ food scene. A NEW episode drops the first Monday of the month on June 7. Make sure to tune in at tastingcolumbus.com or scan the QR code here.

EMILY ABENDSCHEIN MCCANN: Omg Michelle! This was our

1st date!

t wit t er In response to Popular fast-casual fried chicken chain Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen is coming to Dublin

now playing...

@D_TOWNBLUE: Rally the troops, Colonel. *Colonel Sanders

gif*

inst a g r am In response to Friday Food News Roundup @CUBANDCREW: Omgggg

🤤 I want it all!

In response to Photos from May Maker's Space: Cody Heichel

• The Drag Experience View this experimental documentary from 614 Media Group that sees how three members of the drag community (re)define what it means to perform in drag.

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@ JANET.B.MONTGOMERY.3: I love this artist’s work!! Have

4 right now!! @CULLEN_SISTAH: I came up from Cincinnati to see his exhibi-

tion. I couldn't pick a favorite. If I wasn't off to live in a camper shortly I would add @codyheichel to my collection.

MAKER'S SPACE

DRESSING DRAG 20

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Que Jones designs gowns fit for Queens right here in Columbus →

By Melinda Green / Photos by Jen Brown

↑ Gretta Goodbottom performing cabaret at District West

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↑ The makeup that makes the magic happen

If

you've seen a drag queen on stage in Columbus, chances are you've seen fashion designer Que Jones's work. His gowns, outfits, and costumes are all over town. “I’ve made pieces for everyone,” he noted, laughing.

Designers are among the unsung heroes of drag.

“With this last season of RuPaul’s Drag Race, people were like ‘These are the most incredible gowns we’ve ever seen. Why are they not tagging the designers, featuring the designers?’” he continued. “The queens didn’t do that work themselves.”

Indeed, the work that goes into drag fashion reflects a serious level of artistry and craftsmanship, which Jones has honed on and off throughout his life, adding he never was a “typical boy.”

On family vacations, he chose basket making with the women instead of airshows with the men.

His grandmother nurtured his crafting spirit, even teaching him to sew on her machine. Then, in college, he fell in love with drag.

“I was a poor college student, living off of a TA stipend. I had enough money to almost pay my rent and eat,” he said.

Then, queen Virginia West asked Jones to do a show. But, at 6’2”, Jones realized that finding the right outfit was going to be a challenge. And even when you’re a new drag queen, there are exacting

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standards you have to meet.

"I am not a small person. I was going to all of the stores in town, trying to find anything that would fit me. But I’m a size 20/22, so everything was either super-ugly maternity wear, or it was three feet too short."

Jones finally hired a designer to make his vision come true, then spent all of the money he made from the show to pay for it.

Eventually, he returned to the skills his grandmother taught him and, like many queens, began building his own outfits in a home studio.

At first, he took clothing that fit him and ripped it apart, figuring out how to construct patterns and piece them together. For the first four years, he only sewed garments in his own size, selling pieces to queens who were similarly built. Slowly, he learned to make garments in custom sizes, growing his craft into a full-fledged business.

Now, he balances fashion design with work as a professional musician, teaching at Capital University, and directing a church choir. He combines those passions at his own live piano cabaret, “Don’t Tell Gretta” starring Gretta Goodbottom, on Sundays at District West.

Because Jones insists on taking measurements in person to ensure a perfect fit and look, most of →

↑ Que Jones preparing for a cabaret performance as Gretta Goodbottom

The work that goes into drag fashion reflects a serious level of artistry and craftsmanship.

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↑ Gretta Goodbottom preforming at Distrcit West

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" The one thing I want to hammer home, and this is for everyone, is that designers and tailors are very skilled labor."

his clientele is in the central Ohio area. There's no shortage of queens looking for custom pieces, though. Jones estimates he produces 6 to 12 gowns per month, plus 60 to 70 bar costumes and other pieces.

"The one thing I want to hammer home, and this is for everyone, is that designers and tailors are very skilled labor,” he continued. “So when you take your wedding dress in and someone quotes you a price to hem it, don’t be a jerk.”

Unsurprisingly, drag queens’ gowns are pricey.

"Stoning" a gown, blinging it up with rhinestones, can take hundreds of hours and cost thousands of dollars, and that’s on top of a piece that can take dozens of hours to build. For that reason, there’s a tradition in drag of reselling and handing down costumes.

“I’ll go to an open stage night, and I’ll see this person that I’ve never seen before, and it’s a costume I made for someone else 7 years ago,” Jones said.

“I love to trace that lineage, seeing where my work ends up and how it got there.” ♦

See more of Que Jones at @grettagoodbottom on Instagram

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Jennings Java

Artisan Eats

www.jenningsjava.com (614) 935-8348 1193 S. Front Street, Columbus, OH 43206

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On the hilly campus of Muskingum University, Jennings Java was born from a college dorm room in the Spring of 2016. Jennings Java highlights coffee’s unique flavors by sourcing quality beans from various regions around the world. Wholesale or home brew, Jennings Java roasts to order, promising the freshest flavor and an authentic experience with each sip. This is how we remain “True to the Origin” in every cup that you enjoy. Jennings Java provides amazing coffee and a smile to everyone that comes through our doors.

We specialize in creating captivating grazing tables and indulgent Charcuterie platters for a variety of events. Whether it be a bridal shower, a small gathering of friends or a night in, we will provide a spread that is sure to have your guests in awe of its beauty and abundance. Sourcing a variety of fresh foods, we use vibrant colors and textures to piece together a lavish feast for you to enjoy. Local delivery available.

Follow us on Instagram: @aeplatters

Parsons North

Family Practice

www.parsonsnorth.com (614) 824-4208 685 Parsons Ave, Columbus, OH 43206

www.familypracticewestcarellc.com (614) 878-7285 3421 Farm Bank Way, Grove City, OH 43123

Patio season is upon us and we’ve got a big one. Enjoy this Spring in a spaced-out, safe environment here at Parsons North. With a wide selection of styles to choose from and a rotating schedule of Food Trucks, there’s plenty of opportunities to find your perfect combination.

Pride Month is celebrated every June in tribute to those involved in the Stonewall Riots, and 2021 gives us all more reason to celebrate. The emphasis may be on fun, but it’s also the perfect time to think about and discuss issues related to the gay rights movement, especially in regards to health disparities. From gay marriage and adoption to transgender rights, strides have been made for equality over recent years, but we still have a long way to go. Despite this progress, members of the LGBT population continue to experience worse health outcomes than their heterosexual counterparts. Factors like low rates of health insurance coverage, high rates of stress due to systematic harassment and discrimination, and a lack of cultural competency in the health care system, LGBT people are at a higher risk for cancer, mental illnesses, and other diseases. Give us a call if you need a primary care provider that works with you in true partnership to get you feeling healthy as we celebrate Pride month together.

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↓ Michael Bush smiles in front of his paintings

How one man’s quest to de-stress led him to a paintbrush →

By Melinda Green / Photos by Jen Brown

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IT

was an art therapy course that, quite literally,changed the course of Michael Bush’s life. While working to combat emotional stress, he discovered a passion for painting that would turn him into a true artist.

Growing up in Gary, Indiana, Bush would travel to Chicago with his grandmother and mother to the Art Institute of Chicago and art galleries as well as to Cubs games.

“We always made sure to get some culture in,” he recalled.

In school, though, he focused on sports and ROTC. He spent six years in the Army reserves, played basketball at Columbus State, and then settled into a full-time job in the retirement industry.

But he soon found he needed professional help to handle the stress he was experiencing.

“The therapist, at the time, said ‘Let’s try art.’ I had a lot of friends who were artists, and I asked them, ‘What should I do? Where should I go to get supplies?’ I got some watercolors, and it kind of snowballed from there.”

Three years later, while chatting at German Village Coffee Shop, painter and designer Brian Reaume asked Bush if he would like to get a studio at Junctionview Studios.

“I was like ‘I don’t know, should I?’” Bush recalled.

He eventually embraced the opportunity.

“Now, I joke that German Village Coffee Shop brought me to my path,” he said.

That conversation also opened up connections to many eventual mentors like Laura Alexander, Jay Moffett, and Stephanie Rond. “I like to say that I’m self taught, but I’ve had mentors in probably some of the best artists you can find in Columbus,” Bush said.

“Having a bunch of people around you, pushing themselves, makes you want to push yourself,” he continued. “I was working around people who were in a league well ahead of me when I started out. I learned discipline.”

He discovered his current painting technique through experimentation. Originally, he learned an overspray technique, using spray paint. Then →

↑ tell me your desires

"THE THERAPIST AT THE TIME, SAID 'LET'S TRY ART.'"

↑ 71.7069° N, 42.6043° W

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↑ Breathless

↑ Harvest Moon

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↑ Michael Bush with his paintings hanging at Strongwater Food & Spirits

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he added water to the canvases. Then he began diluting paints, then adding enamels to break the paint up even more.

“I always look for that magic intersection between color, texture, and fluidity,” he said. His choices of color often reflect an inner attempt to balance his mood.

Outside of painting, Bush has spent over 20 years working in the retirement field.

“My brain gets stuck in the finance side, but I also have this creative side that’s always been there, that was kind of dormant. It’s good to shut down that right brain and do something where there’s no ramifications if something goes wrong.”

Looking forward, Bush will have an October show with textile artist Garrison Latimer at Sarah Gormley Gallery. "Two gay boys doing a show called 'Tight & Loose,'” Bush said, laughing heartily.

In the meantime, he continues to paint nearly every day at his 400 West Rich studio and at home.

While he works to control the medium in new ways, he knows that results never will be exactly what he intended. And that’s okay.

“I have to think on my feet and adapt to what happens,” he said. And that gives me a good feeling, in my heart, to say ‘Maybe I didn’t go to art school, but I know that I am an artist.’” ♦

To learn more about Bush’s art, visit emptybush.com

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ADVERTISEMENT

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GUESS WHO'S COMING TO

Make your own dinner—and new friends—in German Village

By Jack McLaughlin / Photos by Ally Schnaidt

The Kitchen

↑ Anne Boninsegna and Jen Lindsey, Co-owners of The Kitchen

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↑

The Kitchen's unique space

" That’s where the collaboration is so beautiful. And then one group might finish the salad they’ve been working on, and everyone cheers together. "

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↑

The Kitchen's sign

↑

Meal prepped apple havles

↑

ou won’t see servers when you dine at The Kitchen, or any chef’s special pasted on the marquee sign. That’s because you, alongside a group of strangers and the friends you come in with, will be the ones doing the cooking.

The Kitchen works by offering what’s referred to by owner Anne Boninsegna as experiential dining, in which patrons prepare their own meal, eat it, and interact freely with each other. This makes the German Village spot one part eatery, one part communal experience, and an entirely unique way to spend an evening.

For Boninsegna and fellow co-owner Jen Lindsey, the concept’s inspiration came from a “cooking camp” the pair attended while they were coworkers in 2009. The camp served as a corporate team-building activity, and paired groups of people together to learn to cook their own meals on the fly.

Afterward, they both realized the event had imparted far more than just cooking skills: It facilitated powerful peer-to-peer interaction and bonding that couldn’t really be replicated another way.

“People from all over the country came to this event, and they were leaving two days later hugging, after not knowing each other when it started,” Boninsegna said. “I remember seeing one person wish someone else good luck at their wedding, with a knife in one hand and onion in the other.”

So after seeing firsthand the power food holds to bring people together, the pair decided to bring something similar to Columbus.

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↑ The Kitchen's dining room

" You hear people start sharing these parts of their lives they never would have otherwise, with people who they didn’t know a few hours " ago.

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Today, The Kitchen offers events of all sorts, from private ones for rehearsal dinners, celebrations, and more; to themed, one-off nights that are usually comprised of patrons who are complete strangers beforehand.

They regularly feature a wide variety of themed evenings, from The Smiths, to Bob Marley, to “Eat, Pray, Love,” and even an Oregon-centric wine dinner; but one of the cornerstones is their everpopular Italian night.

Plus, guests of any cooking skill are welcome.

“Even the people who burn water,” Boninsegna said.

And the way things work is pretty simple.

“People come in, they get some basic instruction, and they get to work on what they want to do. It can be hand-rolling fresh pasta, making salad, preparing cocktails. But whatever they end up doing, most people tend to run with it,” Boninsegna said.

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And that’s one of the best parts about a night out at The Kitchen: The timing and infrastructure of events are deliberately relaxed. This lets different groups mingle and allows individuals to find the roles that they enjoy most.

And for the most part, Boninsegna said, the guests have an innate ability to self-regulate and lend assistance when it's needed.

“There will be a team of people working on different courses, and they always help each other out when it’s needed,” she said. “That’s where the collaboration is so beautiful. And then one group might finish the salad they’ve been working on, and everyone cheers together.”

At the end of each evening, Boninsegna and Lindsey witness the same connection they saw at that corporate retreat over a decade ago, and they still can’t get enough of it.

“You hear people start sharing these parts of

↑ The cooks demonstrate how to wrap the skewers

their lives they never would have otherwise, with people who they didn’t know a few hours ago.

They’ll exchange phone numbers, and they’ll talk about the kind of cheese their grandma loved to eat when they were little,” Boninsegna said.

In fact, she believes that events like the ones The Kitchen provides—deceptively simple in how they work—are strangely very difficult to find anywhere else, and as important as they’ve ever been.

“You know, kids can go up to one another on the playground and ask to be friends. As an adult, you can’t walk up to people at dinner and say, ‘That salmon looks great; let’s be friends,’” Boninsegna said. “But we’ve had groups come back and tell us they’ve been best friends since they met here five years ago. And that’s what we set out to do.” ♦

For more information, visit thekitchencolumbus.com

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↓ Plenty ‘O Smiles presenting her cookies

How one man fused his drag queen persona with a sweet business venture →

By Sarah Sole / Photos by Ally Schnaidt

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n embalming machine and a box of rat poison might not be the first things that come to mind when you think about cookie decorating, but they’re two examples of treats Alex Copeland has made for happy clients.

“I’m really fortunate that I’m really busy with what I do,” Copeland said, adding that the embalming machine cookie was part of a cookie package for someone who worked at a morgue, while the box of rat poison was part of a cookie collection celebrating a dog’s life by illustrating items said dog had eaten over its lifespan.

Copeland has been creating custom cookies for clients since launching home bakery Plenty ‘O Cookies in April 2015 as a way to have more freedom to schedule drag shows when he wanted (under the moniker Plenty ‘O Smiles).

But the 30-year-old Columbus resident’s drag queen cooking baking gambit has blossomed to include cookie decorating workshops featuring Copeland dressed in drag. During his workshops, Copeland serves as a facilitator. Some guests will follow everything he does, while others will do their own thing. But regardless of what their cookies end up looking like, Copeland said he just wants his cookie decorating novices to have fun. →

↓ Alex Copeland Founder of Plenty 'O Cookies

Photo courtesy of Alex Copeland

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↑ Plenty 'O Smiles uses her Kitchen Aid mixer to bake the cookies

“I want them to leave feeling encouraged and good about what they did,” he said.

During the pandemic, Copeland has been booking a lot of decorating workshops with colleges and universities, shipping the products to students and decorating together virtually. But now, Copeland is in the process of renovating his basement to serve as a full bakery kitchen, and he hopes to finish the job in August and begin hosting some workshops inhouse as well.

Copeland said he initially debated whether to include his drag persona in his baking business, for fear of appearing to make the business more about himself than his baking.

Many people he talked to said they thought the 44

idea of a drag queen baker was a cute one, though a couple of people were against it, Copeland said.

But he felt anxious about making such a big decision that would ultimately affect all his future business plans.

“One day I just decided to do it, and no matter what, stick by it,” he said.

The decision ended up being a boon for business. Copeland had already established a fan base for Plenty ‘O Smiles prior to starting up Plenty ‘O Cookies, and people were really supportive. And once a friend who knew him from his drag persona began ordering two dozen cookies to sell at a weekly farmers market, Copeland was able to get his name out in a bigger way. →

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↑ Decorated Cookies

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↓ Decorated cookies

While the farmers market offered Copeland an opportunity to practice a variety of designs, perhaps the biggest help to his fledgling business at that time was the online cookie community.

Just like he turned to a community when he began performing in drag shows, Copeland consulted the community of cookie decorators via YouTube and Instagram, and met fellow decorators at the cookie art convention and show CookieCon. “I’ve learned so much from my cookie decorator friends over the years,” he said, adding he hopes to eventually diversify his selection by baking more cakes, macarons, and cookie varieties.

For now, he said he enjoys his connection with clients, and the stories behind the cookies they ask him to make. “Each time it’s a little bit different,” he said. ♦

↑ Plenty 'O Smiles at her home bakery

For more information about Alex’s cookies, visit plentyocookies.com

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Tremont Lounge, the bar where everybody knows your name since 1987 →

By Jack McLaughlin / Photos by Ally Schnaidt

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← Aaron Crater, Bartender at Tremont Lounge since 2012

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↑ Exterior of Tremont Lounge

↑ Exterior of Tremont Lounge

↑ Interior of Tremont Lounge

B

illy Halford, owner of Tremont Lounge in German Village, says his bar has the cheapest drinks in Columbus.

While we’ve heard that line many times, we might actually have to side with him on this one.

“I’ll put it this way: when I moved here in ‘04, we sold beer and domestic drinks for $2 apiece,” Halford said. “Today, in 2021, we sell beer and domestic drinks for $2.50 apiece.”

And sure, drink prices like that will probably be enough to make people stick around, but Tremont had its own staying power long before its drinks hit even $2 each.

Founded in 1987, Tremont Lounge quickly established itself as one of the city’s cornerstone gay bars, becoming a spot for friends to mingle and a haven for the LGBTQ community.

One of the reasons for this, according to Halford, is the atmosphere he and his small group of loyal staff work hard to cultivate.

“It’s their home away from home. We have so many regulars that come here that know each other. They also know everybody’s business too, but that’s part of it as well,” he said with a laugh

“It’s their home away from home. We have so many regulars that come here that know each other.”

“We call it a home bar,” said Aaron Crater, who has tended bar at Tremont since 2012. “It’s like Cheers in here.”

And while a lot has remained the same since Halford took over a decade ago—particularly in terms of the bar’s sense of community and warm atmosphere—if you were a patron back in the early days (or even before that), you’d likely notice that the bar has actually undergone quite the physical transformation from its previous (in Halford’s words) “dive” status.

And that work is especially apparent in its facade.

“Again in ‘04, when I first got here there were no windows in the front of the building. It was all brick, so people sat around in the dark.

The biggest project I did was put in a set of nice accordion windows along that wall. It did take a while for some people to get used to it, though.

We actually had a few complaints at first,” Halford said with a laugh. →

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↓ Aaron Crater & Billy Halford Bartender and Owner at Tremont Lounge

↓ Interior of Tremont Lounge

“ Tremont Lounge is everything that small business should be.

We’re a family here, and we don’t have a lot of turnover because we take care of each other.”

But Halford did make sure to keep around some of the bar’s old interior decor to retain its abundant historical charm. While Tremont has received new hardwood floors and even sleek wood countertops, the original vintage bar’s black and white ceramic tiles have remained the same.

“It became a gay bar first in 1987, but we have [a] record that has the building going all the back to the year 1900,” Crater said. “We wanted to keep the feel of the place the same, that way it’s still the same Tremont to so many of our customers.”

Other than Crater and Halford (plus his husband Matt Goldner), the Tremont Lounge

only keeps a small staff—three in total not counting ownership. But when employees come to Tremont, they tend to stay. Crater has been with the business for nine years. Another bartender, Jeff Grimm, is going on nine years with the bar as well.

“Tremont Lounge is everything that small business should be. We’re a family here, and we don’t have a lot of turnover because we take care of each other,” Crater said. “I get a handwritten paycheck still; I’m not a corporate number, I’m a real person to them.”

And maybe it’s the staff’s infectious positivity and community aromoshere, maybe it’s the prices, or maybe it’s something else entirely. But

Halford and company have noticed—a trend that’s picked up even more since they closed for COVID-19 and reopened last July—that more and more younger people are starting to populate the bar, and they couldn’t be happier about it.

“It’s a new experience for us, but we’re embracing it with open arms,” Halford said.

Because this is likely the new generation of patrons that will populate the bar and become its regulars. And who knows, one of them might even complain about the windows, too. ♦

Learn more at facebook.com/TremontColumbus

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The LGBTQ+ community is strong, powerful, seen and heard here in Columbus. And 614 wanted to take the month of PRIDE and give the cover section over to our loud and proud LGBTQ+ Columbus crowd with their unedited copy, poems, art, photos, stories, and more about their experience here in the capital city. From love to heartbreak and everything in between, you get to hear directly from the people who make up this vibrant group about how they view the world and their place in it. Start flipping the pages to check out what the folks living happily and PRIDE-fully here in Central Ohio have to say. Happy PRIDE month, Columbus!

by Stephanie West

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"Holding Hands" by Alaina Cherup

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Alaina Cherup, "Self Portrait"

YOUR STORY

by L.W.

I looked at love, I didn’t see me.

I looked at friends, they seem at ease.

Nothing aligned.

I hated out of spite, I hated out of fear.

A forced smile, only broken cheer.

My truth buried so deep, I soon forgot how to breathe.

A face I did not recognize, a story that was not mine, a fictional tale full of pain and lies.

Losing sight of the dream, a vast grayness of nothing my world would seem.

One question interrupts all of the noise. Words I’d been waiting for. Unaware of their weight. I could brush it off. Yet, she already knew. I was done lying. And so I chose truth.

I chose me.

I chose everything that I ever wanted to be.

I wrote a story with the right title, I picked the genre, characters and I did not lie.

A precious tale, where family and friends walked by my side.

I would struggle, yes, but for the right reasons.

I fell in love with the world again. I saw a rainbow of bright colors in every season.

I look back not to remember, but to not forget.

Each day we will pick up the pen and start again.

Your story is a beautiful one. Keep true.

There is no place for hate when you loves you. ♦

Lauryn Winters

"I wrote a story with the right title, I picked the genre, characters and I did not lie."

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↓ Jake Hanley & Jaron Warmack

Photo courtesy of Jake Hanley

W

e are no doubt in a time of technology, and dating technology is everywhere! For so long, there has been a stigma attached to online dating, but the times are changing and it’s becoming less stigmatized. During the Covid pandemic, tons of people turned to dating apps in search of any sort of connection with someone.

Pre-COVID, in 2016, my boyfriend and I met on Tinder and had zero expectations that a spark or even a relationship would come of it. We were both exhausted from the dating apps we had tried and the failed attempts at something meaningful. Everyone said that nothing will ever come out of those dating apps but there was something different this time, something just worked for us. 4 and a half years later we are happily together and excited for our future.

There will always be human connection, but how we get that human connection is constantly changing. As long as we are open, and embrace the change, we will find our way. Cheers, and happy Pride month to an ever-changing path to finding love and happiness! ♦

– Jake Hanley

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↑ Matt Homier & RayMcKenzie (L to R) in 1994 & 2021

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years ago I first came to Columbus to attend Otterbein.

Little did I know that I would find a school, a city, and a community that would change my life for the good. A closeted gay boy from Michigan would find his voice in the heart of Ohio.

It was through the support of my community that I found the courage to come out. It was in Columbus that I learned to have pride in myself as a gay man. It is also the city that taught me to be brave walking into my first gay bar, The Garage. Who doesn’t miss dancing to the sounds of Aqua and C+C Music Factory? I learned to speak out against the injustices of the AIDS crisis and advocate for equal rights for the LGBTQIA+ community. It is where I learned how to be a better ally to communities that I hadn’t grown up in. It is where I marched in my first Pride Parade. Columbus very much shaped who I am in these early years.

Columbus is where I began a 30-year career in retail starting at Jacobson's in City Center. City Center was such an exciting place to work and you met the most interesting people there. It all felt so glamorous. I fell in love with my job and many years later it would allow me to travel the world, but I still can walk that store in my mind.

Columbus is also where I fell in love 27 years ago. My husband and I met at an OSU LGBTQIA+ student group. Little did I know that I had met someone who would change my life. Our dates included walks at the Park of Roses, pizzas from Rotolo’s, Rocky Horror at the Graceland Theatre, and more dancing at The Garage. After graduation, we moved to Nashville for work. Several years later, we returned to get married (not legally) at the Unitarian Church in Clintonville. We couldn’t imagine getting married anywhere other than our Columbus.

Our journey took us to San Francisco and now after 20 years there, we have returned to Columbus with our son. It has very much been a homecoming for us. It is as if we had never left. While the city has grown a lot, it still has the same welcoming heart. ♦

– Raymond McKenzie 614NOW.COM JUNE 2021 (614) MAGAZINE

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"The Lovers" by Spooky Martinez

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THE LOVERS QUEER TAROT EDITION

by Spooky Martinez

I’ve always been inspired by the mysticism of tarot, but never saw much queer representation within the deck until recent years. For this piece I depicted my partner and I nestled in the comfort of a barbed wire heart, protecting us from the dangerous tropes in media and beyond. We find support, affection, and love within each other, things we don’t usually find in society. We are Lovers, and we are strong individually but stronger together. ♦

Spooky Martinez (they/them) ig: @sapphosynposium

POEM FOR A PHARMACY

by Misha Grifka Wander

I changed pharmacies. I thought going to a clinic was silly, because the CVS is close to my apartment and the clinic is not, but the vnurse tells me how to use my prescription for the first time in the four years I have had it.

On my prescription it tells me not to use it.

“USE ONLY BY MEN” it says, warning women of the powerful hormones within. the prescription does not know about people who are not women and men. when I go to pick it up there is another person with the same prescription, picking theirs up.

I can’t say “hey same drug!” but I feel it. I see them doing their errand and I feel us in the same space. do you feel safe here too? I hope so.

They have cool boots, tall and black and strong. I hope the boots keep them safe in other spaces. they did not look at me. they were busy. I hope they are safe always.

I hope that the prescription that does not know them still gives them what they need. ♦

Misha Grifka Wander

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"Not ever knowing the feeling of acceptance from your community and then moving to a place like Columbus, is a reality shock. I never knew that I had it in me to be PROUD. I’ve never seen so many rainbow flags, gay bars, and free souls. I’ve never seen so many people be so accepting to the point where you can feel it in the air."

– Bailey Hurst

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I

wasn’t even a great pretender, but everyone else was. I never made it obvious that I was a die hard lesbian but I did try to date boys. I grew up in Kentucky where homophobia is almost religious. As I grew up, I knew I never had a connection with the guys that I tried to date. I had one “long lasting” relationship with a guy in high school and it lasted about a month or two.

My mom would post a picture of me on Facebook and her friends would say things like, “you’re going to be in trouble with these boys.” And once she replied, “She’s too independent, she doesn’t want any boys around.” Funny thing is, my mom was a lesbian too. Or maybe even transitioning? She passed away in 2017 and one of the biggest regrets in my life is not coming out to her.

Not too long ago I asked her girlfriend, wife, fiancé, (nobody really knows, she passed before she felt comfortable coming out as well)- I asked her if my mom knew that I was lgbtq, if she ever talked about it. I still well up in tears thinking about it. She said that my mom had an idea that I was. That she wished that I would come to her and tell her so that she could tell me it’s okay. Being in the lgbtq+ community is dangerous at times.

Sad thing is, I never understood that in its depth until I fell absolutely, head over heels in love. With a girl named Court, from Columbus who just so happened to be moving back to Columbus in a few weeks after three years in Kentucky. We spent nights upon nights, running from the town and hiding away, sheltering our love in my car. We would drive until we were all alone with no one to look at us sideways with cruel, angry, judgment.

I hid the love of my life from my family until Valentine’s Day of last year.

Only a month of us dating, celebrating Valentine’s Day where no one could find us, my cousin calls me screaming at me, and telling me he outed me to my grandparents, (who I lived with). The next few weeks were awkward, anxiety filling, and just toxic. But low and behold in true lesbian fashion, here I come with a U-haul to Columbus, a night before the big COVID shut down, to chase the love of my life.

Not ever knowing the feeling of acceptance from your community and then moving to a place like Columbus, is a reality shock. I never knew that I had it in me to be PROUD. I’ve never seen so many rainbow flags, gay bars, and free souls. I’ve never seen so many people be so accepting to the point where you can feel it in the air. Columbus has proudly made a home in my heart and I will never have enough thank yous. ♦

Photo by Madeline Anson

For me, My first Pride was the most magical experience. (2019 Pride Parade) It was quite possibly the most validating, happiest moment of my life. I obtained my first pride flag and (Sorry its gonna be a little deep) finally forgot what it felt like to hate myself all the time. ♦ – Austin Black

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" Quarantine Day Dream (of Escaping to a Farm)"

by Sky Dai

QUARANTINE DAY DREAM (OF ESCAPING TO A FARM) 2020 Oil on Panel / 4 x 4 ft During the initial lockdown, My (now-ex) partner and I escaped our apartment to walk around, picking dandelion greens to eat, lying in an abandoned lot to daydream about escaping the city to intern at an organic farm.

We hoped to be able to live in an intentional community and learn about herbalism, spend our days in nature, gardening and caring of sheep, and “be lesbian farmers.” The “ace of cups” was a tarot card we pulled over and over again. The energetic cord connecting the two of us at our hearts is threatened by the knife in my partner’s belt loop. This was the first serious gay relationship for both of us and it was dreamlike and beautiful but, like the farm, things weren’t as they seemed. ♦

by Sky Dai they/them/we/us/ours ig: @skydai_and_monet 614NOW.COM JUNE 2021 (614) MAGAZINE

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"Life can be fickle, mean, and catty. Life can be charming, dazzling, and fun.

Life is fragile. Life is hard. Life is allencompassing. But for me, what stands out most is how non-surprising the surprises can be."

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1

-70 East to 315 North to the Neil Avenue exit. I turned left. As I rounded the corner, the squealing tires on my Mini Cooper must have been as excited as me to be leaving my hometown.

The first building on my right; that giant, dilapidated half church/half castle-like building on the corner (you know the one) sharing my small-town sentiments; gorgeous, but forgotten.

A warm greeting from an up-and-coming Short North (when it was fun and exciting but you could still get shot) made a bright-eyed 23-yearold me giddy with hope and anticipation.

Goodbye, Small-Town, Ohio. Hello, Columbus.

C-Bus had my heart from the start. What’s not to love? Small-town vibes in a big city. Back then Havana, Union and Wall Street were home to a kid who could go to a bar thinking only of the good time to be had. Thirteen years later, as a small-business owner in the Short North, I can’t walk into any thriving business without focusing on all of the hard work and sacrifice it takes to run that business. And the Short North is teeming with

them. Columbus pride.

As long as I’ve lived here, living anywhere but downtown has never been an option. It never will be. It’s been a love-hate relationship; me and the city. One moment a big hug from the gay community (a night out meeting new friends and finding my way), the next, a gay bashing at Ladies 80’s. Still can’t wrap my brain around what exactly it was about me that made those four men bash my head into the ground and kick me while I was down. Too happy? Too me? Something triggered. But it hasn’t been just me. And it hasn’t been just one instance. That happened to a lot of us back then. That still happens now.

The fastest way back into Victorian Village from the highway is the Neil Avenue exit. “The prettiest street in the world,” you’ve heard me repeat if you’ve been with me on a walk or ride down the Sycamore-lined street. The more I travel, the more comparisons.

I grew up in Columbus, and that time has taught me a lot. Life can be fickle, mean, and catty.

Life can be charming, dazzling, and fun. Life is

I always feared using the word lesbian or gay to express myself because it isn't truly what makes me who I am.

Growing into a comfort of knowing that I was different than what my family expected, was always difficult, but living in Columbus changed my entire outlook on life. I felt welcome.

I met my best friend in Columbus, working at Dicks(yes, lesbians met at Dicks). She and I were friends for 8 years of a roller coaster, never quite as close as we'd like to be until one day the stars aligned. We are now married, with a house that we remodel, and two awesome dogs.

Attached is our wedding photo by an amazing photographer that made us feel like we weren't different. ♦ – Kayla Stowers

← Kayla & Brittany (L to R) Photo by Erica Kay Photography

fragile. Life is hard. Life is all-encompassing.

But for me, what stands out most is how non-surprising the surprises can be.

Who could have known I’d open a ballroom dance studio in the Short North?

And who could have expected that a global pandemic forcing me to adapt or die would lead me to buying that gorgeous old building that greeted me upon arrival so many years ago?

How could I have known from the first to each passing-by it would one day be a part of the project of my life? I couldn’t have. Now that you know this little story, each time you pass it by, if it could be a reminder for you to expect the unexpected in your life, well, I’d just love that. ♦

– Keith Michael, Owner of Danceville, U.S.A. & co-owner of The Sanctuary On Neil 614NOW.COM JUNE 2021 (614) MAGAZINE

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VOLUME: UP Columbus-based podcasts sound off

Jim the Unicorn, Bobby Griffith, and “The Miz” Anthony Villiotti (L to R)

Justin Haase, and Mason Sturm (L to R)

When we launched the comedy-oriented "She's Not Doing So Well" podcast in summer of 2019, we wanted to bring to light unpopular opinions and obscure takes on what it means to be queer. We initially began as a Columbus-based duo (Bobby Griffith and Jim the Unicorn), but became a trio after meeting NYC's "The Miz" (Anthony Villiotti) through his personal podcast, "Miz the Podcast.” We knew there was something special between all three of us, and The Miz became the third member of "She's Not Doing So Well.”

While we use the program to discuss plenty of topics in LGTBQ+ culture, that's hardly our show's central premise. Each of us comes to the table with weekly segments that are as varied as our personalities.

"Bear with Bobby" opens the show with a host of bizarre theories and hypotheses (which almost always get shot down by the other hosts).

Then there's "Miserable with Miz," which serves as an open forum for the collective miseries of the human experience (often sourced from audience write-ins, or simply Miz's disapproving flavor of the week).

Closing out our program is "The More You Know with Jim," in which The Unicorn shares factoids and random trivia guaranteed to leave you asking ...why?

These three segments, along with a sprinkling of impromptu bursts of unconventional discourse, make for the perfectly imperfect "She's Not Doing So Well.” Channeling our unique experiences navigating queer culture, past and present, we discuss topics ranging from sexual adventures to mental health, and everything in between.

But what if you're not viewing life through an LGBTQ+ lens? Not a problem. We incorporate interesting facts, current events, rants, complaints, and some good old-fashioned nonsense suitable for queer and non-queer audiences alike. Join us for our weekly journeys into absurdity. We have only one rule: Nothing is off limits.

"She's Not Doing So Well" is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and most other podcast streaming platforms. ♦

Hey! This is Justin Haase and Mason Sturm and we are the hosts of the podcast, Gay Propaganda! Since our first episode in January, we have been uploading weekly episodes that discuss a variety of topics, ranging from exploring sexuality to getting over an ex. As our friendship quickly grew last year, we found ourselves talking and laughing for hours about anything that crossed our minds. Realizing how enjoyable this was, we thought why not sit down in front of two mics and record ourselves having a kiki?

When you are first tuning in, you will hear the two of us sharing our unfiltered stories about life, love, sex and anything inbetween. But one of our favorite parts of the show is when we invite our listeners at the end of every episode to ask for advice, questions, and share their own personal stories. While the variety and number of podcasts continue to expand, we still felt as if we could bring something new and fresh to the table.

Anyone who has grown up in the LGBTQ community knows that it is difficult finding answers to a lot of questions that go undiscussed.

When it comes to sexuality and dating advice, we saw an opportunity to make casual and risque LGBTQ conversations more accessible and less stigmatized.

Being two gay twenty-somethings, we definitely don’t have it all figured out. But being open about our experiences has allowed us to vocalize the lessons we’ve learned and connect to listeners who may be going through similar situations. The overall purpose of Gay Propaganda is to share stories and advice from members and allies of the LGBTQ community. Together, we hope to highlight the voices of our community and create a safe space for these conversations to be had.

Our community of listeners has quickly grown over the last 5 months; And interacting with them is one of our favorite things about the show. This helps us feel more connected to our community and makes our little world seem so much bigger. So grab your iced latte, turn the volume up, and tune in every Thursday (on Apple, Spotify, or Google) for a new episode! ♦

For more information, visit shesnotdoingsowell.com.

To learn more follow Gay Propaganda on ig at @gaypropagandahq

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EMPOWERING QUEER YOUTH A photography journey into self love and acceptance In today's world, labels seem to define us. From our race to our sexuality; they fit us into a box for others to "understand" us. Rather than living by our labels, this project illustrates that these queer youth are empowered to live as their queer selves, and as the kids that they are. Being queer means being unique and proud, and these kids truly embody that! They strive to better the world, through their own self-acceptance and love for who they are. At such a young age, this generation is expanding the narrative to accept and love everyone for what makes them unique. ♦

by Mx. Vincent-Natasha Gay (they/they) ig: @mx.gay_photography

↑ Amira Tadlock - Queer Nonbinary (they/them)

↑ Logan Johnson - Gay (he/him/they)

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↑ Luna Johnson - Nonbinary pansexual (they/them)

↑ Sophia Reynolds - Bisexual (she/her)

↑ Melanie Torres - Lesbian (she/they)

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Spotlight on:

Summer Entertainment

Alright, Columbus, if you’re anything like us, you’re longing for those hot summer days and nights in the city mingling at festivals and listening to live concerts. This summer, unlike last, we'll have some of our favorite live festivals and offer up some new, creative ways to enjoy other beloved summer events safely.

So what are you waiting for?

Get out there and get your summer on!

By Melissa Braithwaite

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The Memorial Tournament May 31 - June 6 Muirfield Village Golf Course 5770 Memorial Dr. Dublin, OH 43017

The annual PGA tournament founded by Golden Bear Jack Nicklaus is back this year welcoming spectators. thememorialtournament.com

What?

Music and Arts Festival

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Dublin Irish Days August 5 - 8 Locations TBA Although the traditional festival looks different this year, the Dublin Irish Festival presents Dublin Irish Days, which offers an innovative format that celebrates the traditions of the Festival and smaller, city-wide celebrations. This year boasts a hybrid event that offers both in-person and virtual experiences. dublinirishfestival.org

August 6 - 7 Locations TBA The third annual music and arts festival will take place in Franklinton and is organized by a blend of Columbus natives with a variety of backgrounds and disciplines. Its aim is to give emerging artists a direct platform to engage with the community. whatmusicandartsfestival.com 614NOW.COM JUNE 2021 (614) MAGAZINE

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Festival Latino August 14 - 15

Columbus Food Truck Festival August 20 - 21

Genoa Park

Scioto Mile

303 E Broad St., Columbus

223 S. Civic Center Dr., Columbus

This annual family-focused festival offers live opportunities to celebrate this year. Enjoy the flavors, sounds and art of Latin culture.

Coined the “nation’s largest food truck festival” by organizers, the Columbus Food Truck Festival is sure to have something delicious for everyone. Although food is the main draw, the festival also features craft and retail vendors as well as live music.

festivallatino.net

columbusfoodtruckfest.com

Columbus Symphony:

Picnic with the Pops

Creekside Blues & Jazz Festival

Starts June 2

September 17 - 19

Columbus Bicentennial Pavilion

Creekside Park & Plaza

160 S. High St.

Gates open at 6pm and Concerts start at 8pm. Park info is at www.columbuscommons.org. General admission lawn tickets are $36.75 for adults, $10.50 for children ages 3-14. Children 2 and under are free. picnicwiththepops.com 76

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117 Mill Street, Gahanna

This annual Gahanna celebration brings together blues and jazz artists from across the country for a weekend of music and community. creeksidebluesandjazz.com

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Columbus Crew

Columbus Clippers

Crew Stadium

Huntington Park

1 Black and Gold Blvd., Columbus

330 Huntington Park Ln., Columbus

The MLS regular-season opener was held April 18, and the Crew’s brand new stadium opens in the Arena District at Astor Park July 3.

The Clippers season is a go, albeit with some additional safety protocols for spectators.

Matches scheduled through September

columbuscrew.com

Games scheduled throughout summer

milb.com/columbus

Nationwide Arena Concerts Concerts are back beginning Sept. 18 Nationwide Arena 200 West Nationwide Blvd., Columbus

The third annual music and arts festival will take place in Franklinton and is organized by a blend of Columbus natives with a variety of backgrounds and disciplines. Its aim is to give emerging artists a direct platform to engage with the community. whatmusicandartsfestival.com 78

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Promowest / Newport Concerts to start again Aug.6 Promowest 405 Neil Avenue, Columbus

Newport Music Hall 1722 N High St, Columbus

promowest.com/columbus

Virtual Events 1

Asian Festival

2

Stonewall Columbus PRIDE Celebration

3

Comfest

May 29 - 30

June 19

June 25 - 27

Cancelled Events 1

Jazz & Rib Fest

2

Columbus Arts Festival

3

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6

↓ Malcom White, event organizer

How the capital city’s celebration looks to reignite your passion for Columbus

By Jack McLaughlin / Photos courtesy of 614 Day 614NOW.COM JUNE 2021 (614) MAGAZINE

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↓ The sales of 614 Day 2020 apparel, such as the shirts worn below, benefited the United Way of Central Ohio

M

alcolm White is proud of Columbus, the city he’s from; the city he calls home to this day. And he wants to show it.

So proud, in fact, that nothing, not even a pandemic, is going to stand in his way.

“I felt like my whole life we’ve always had a stigma about the city not being good enough, people always wanted to go to the bigger cities for events, things like that,” he said. “It was a J. Cole song I was listening to, Love Yours, and I just thought, from now on, I’m going to choose to love Columbus as much as I can.”

Luckily for us, White is one of the organizers behind the now-annual 614 Day (which is held every year on June 14). It’s been taking place since the inaugural celebration of Ohio’s capital city was held outside of Seventh Son Brewing in 2016.

Since that first initial festival, though, White says, the celebration has evolved quite a bit, and not just in terms of growth and popularity.

“It was a great time, but in some ways it was kind of just a ‘Sunday Funday,’ with great bands and music,” he said, “The next year we really did everything we could to 82

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grow it, to spread the word. We put money into marketing and advertising and got some strong local partners, but more importantly we made the celebration more intentional, more about helping Columbus businesses and showing people things to love in this great city.”

But intentionality doesn’t equate to any less fun. Since that time, the celebration has incorporated all sorts of engaging activities, such as the creation of a 614 mixtape for the event, featuring the best local hip hop in the city, and even the event’s very own 614 Day beer, an IPA from Seventh Son called Cheers to Columbus.

While last year’s event was largely virtual (although it did manage to incorporate Columbus business leaders and influencers in a fun promotional video), the outlook for 2021 is much brighter.

“All of us believe it’s happening this year, we’re going ahead and planning like it is too, that should show how confident we are.”

Currently, the event (which will take place on a Monday this year) is slated to take place at the newlyopened Budd Dairy Food Hall in Italian VIllage, where festival-goers can enjoy their pick of Columbus-based

" ...I just thought, from now on, I'm going to choose to love Columbus as much as I can."

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↓ Columbus themed merchandise was available for attendees to purchase

restaurants to indulge in. And, of course, harkening back to the event’s very first iteration, Seventh Son Brewing is located just across 4th St., which, White says, is also part of the plan.

“Not only did people have a blast at the first 614 Day [at Seventh Son], but part of the event, you know, is that we want people to buy local, to drink local if you’re celebrating. So it just makes sense.”

Due the precarious nature of event planning in the pandemic era, not many other details of this year’s event were available at time of print, but that doesn't mean there aren’t a host of great things in the works.

“We have some awesome stuff coming, but for now it’s a surprise,” White said.

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What he can say for sure about this year’s 614 Day, though, is that it’s going to pick up the mantle where other years have left off, helping not only to celebrate our great city, but to showcase what’s all around us, and maybe help a few more of us realize what we’ve had all along.

“Really, it’s turned into a reminder of what the city has to offer. And that’s the best part of it for me, when people come up to me to tell me about the food, the vendors, the music they discovered that they never knew about before.

It’s humbling every year,” he said. “We’re excited to be one of the events that really opens the city back up and ushers in a new era for Columbus.”

Keep an eye on 614day.com for more details

" REALLY, IT’S TURNED INTO A REMINDER OF WHAT THE CITY HAS TO OFFER... "

↓ A rollerblader shows their skill down the streets of Columbus

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Columbus’ celebrated drag queen Nina West is tapped for several adventures this year

By Jack McLaughlin Photos provided by Lane Bryant and The Columbus Zoo

↑ Nina West, modeling the new PRIDE line from Lane Bryant

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M

anatees; a TV pilot backed by an A-list actor; and a new Pride-inspired clothing line: What do all these things have in common?

Each is currently being taken on by the inimitable Nina West, hometown LGBTQ+ hero of Ohio’s capital city.

(614) magazine caught up with West ahead of Pride 2021 to get an inside look at the non-stop dealings of your favorite C-bus drag queen, marine mammals and all.

To start with, Columbus-based fashion retailer Lane Bryant has tapped West for a new partnership that coincides with the release of their “Pride-perfect” clothing line, featuring a variety of rainbow-clad offerings aimed at uplifting and empowering the LGBTQ+ community.

West—whose name when not in drag is Andrew Levitt—is the subject of a six-part video series Lane Bryant will release throughout the month, discussing a variety of Pride-related topics, like promoting kindness, allyship, and more. She also held a live Q&A via Lane Bryant’s

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Instagram account on National Say Something Nice Day, June 1.

“Nina is the perfect partner to lead with love while celebrating our Lane Bryant community throughout the Pride season,” said Lexy Onofrio, Senior Vice President of Marketing for Lane Bryant.

This isn’t West’s own clothing line; instead, she’s become closely associated with it and the positive things it’s bringing to Columbus and the LGBTQ+ world as a whole.

“It’s a really powerful partnership because I get to amplify positivity and confidence with the help of a really well-established brand. Lane Bryant helps me reach so many people,” West said. “It’s amazing that I can represent the brand and align my story of transforming, of becoming myself and gaining confidence. That’s my message and that’s the Lane Bryant message as well: finding your size and your look to become comfortable and confident and sexy.” →

↓ Nina West, will be part of a new show at the Columbus Zoo & Aquarium

" NINA IS THE PERFECT PARTNER TO LEAD WITH ... "

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↓ Nina West, calling the shots at her Lane Bryant shoot

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" IT'S AMAZING THAT I CAN REPRESENT THE BRAND AND ALIGN MY STORY OF TRANSFORMING, OF BECOMING MYSELF AND GAINING CONFIDENCE "

And these days when Nina isn’t representing Lane Bryant, there’s a good chance you’ll find her at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, where she has a full slate of wildly-popular after hours events to attend to. Named Nina’s Voyage Under the Sea, these 21-plus events have multiple dates this summer and feature up-close animal encounters for guests, in addition to the kind of whacky, wonderful performance that only West can provide, when Nina and the Pumps take the stage.

“The zoo shows really help me pull together a few threads that matter to me,” she said. “I love performing, I love live shows, but I also care a lot about animal conservation, and this is a great entry point for that.”

And in case you were wondering, Nina’s favorite marine animal is the manatee. And it’s not even close.

“They’re just these great big, gentle sea cows. How could you not love them?” West said.

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↓ Nina West, going through the racks of Lane Bryant's new PRIDE line

As much as we’d like to keep her in Columbus all the time, Nina has headed west to L.A. a good number of times this year. While she can’t reveal everything she’s been up to in Los Angeles, what we do know is pretty exciting.

One of her current projects is a children’s television show entitled “Nina’s Treehouse” that she will co-lead and serve as one of several executive producers for. West is teaming up with well-known actor and producer Seth Green for the show, and they plan to take the pilot to market soon.

While she is spending a good amount of time in southern California when she’s not on the road

for other engagements—and you might be able to catch her or her projects in all sorts of nationallybroadcasted media—we thankfully don’t have to worry about Nina leaving the Buckeye State anytime soon.

“Columbus, for so many years has been amazing, it really is a queer-inclsuive city, and I think that’s part of what’s kept me here all these years and has allowed me to flourish,” she said. “I live here. I call Columbus home.” ♦ To keep an eye on West’s newest adventures, head to ninawest.com

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How the late Bob Hurry helped shape the German Village we know and love today

By Jack McLaughlin / Photos by Ally Schnaidt Black and white photos provided by John Clark & German Village Society

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↑ A current German Village home

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↑ Hurry's vision alive in today's German Village

↑ Bob Hurry, circa 1981

I

t was 1961 when Bob Hurry, a bright, ambitious geophysicist from Texas, purchased a rundown home in German Village at the corner of E. Beck and S. Grant.

At the time, Hurry paid $3,000—a sum that even back then wasn’t much for a house. In 2007, according to real estate records, it sold for $560,000, and is valued today at over $800,000.

While not all of this can be credited to Hurry (Bill Lenke, Steven Shellabarger, Bob Eckel, and more, were part of its storied development as well) it is fair to say that exactly none of it—and none of the updates to the numerous other homes in the area he took on—would have happened without him, according to historians.

Sarah Marsom, creator of the Gay Pioneers of German Village Tour, said the neighborhood was actually one of the city’s more undeveloped neighborhoods when Hurry first moved there in the 1960s.

Hurry himself commented on the state of the neighborhood in a December 1981 article in The German Village News about his work saying, “When I first moved here, the area was so bad that friends who were transferred here with me refused to visit me after dark.”

Marsom noted that Frank Fetch went by a different name at the time: dogshit park. “It was essentially just a vacant lot then,” she said.

But none of this could stop Bob Hurry.

In fact, according to John Clark, local historian and author of German Village Stories Behind the Bricks, many have postulated that it was because of Hurry’s sexual orientation that he—alongside several other trailblazing individuals—chose German Village to begin with.

“The way I understand it, buying cheaper houses in rundown neighborhoods to fix them wasn’t something that many people did back then,” Clark said. “But a lot of the gay men who helped develop the area did so to avoid being harassed, since German Village at the time was an accepting neighborhood. It became known as the first real gay neighborhood in Columbus.”

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↑ Hurry's first purchase in German Village, pre-rennovations

" IT WAS ESSENTIALLY JUST A VACANT LOT BACK THEN."

" But a lot of the gay men who helped develop the area did so to avoid being harassed, since German Village at the time was an accepting neighborhood. It became known as the first real gay neighborhood in Columbus."

And once Hurry did establish himself restoring homes in German Village, he didn’t stop. He ended up making a full-fledged career of it, working well into the 1980s. He was prolific, and nothing short of an expert, eventually refurbishing so many homes in the vicinity of Grant and Beck that this area became known as Hurryville, or Hurry’s Corner, according to historians.

One of the many abodes he updated—located on S. Grant Ave. between Jackson St. and Berger Alley—saw him convert a building that was originally built as a livery stable into a home that still catches eyes in the neighborhood today, through the addition of beautiful street-facing gothic windows and an entirely new wing.

And even though Hurry passed in 1987 due to AIDS, his impact on German Village can’t be underestimated, both as a champion for the Columbus gay community in the area, and tireless home developer.

According to Clark, Hurry helped author large portions of the German Village Guidelines—strictlyenforced building codes that determine what renovations can and cannot occur to help maintain the area’s unique historic appeal.

“They’re sort of the Bible for restorations in German Village,” he said. “If someone wants to change anything to their home, they’re going to be looking at the German Village Guidelines.”

And as much as we count his documented, brickand-mortar contributions to one of the city’s most iconic neighborhoods, it also feels as if something about his pioneering spirit lives on in the German Village we know and love.

So next time you’re walking through its weathered brick streets, or past a row of its historic homes, if one happens to catch your eye just a little more than the others, stop. Take it in for just a minute.

That might be Bob you see.

Learn more about the history of German Village at germanvillage.com

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↑ Traditional home in the heart of the town

↓ The corner where it all started

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