Stonewall Columbus Executive Director Densil Porteous announced he is leaving the nonprofit to accept a national leadership position with one of the nation's largest LGBTQ+ civil rights organizations.
Porteous announced his departure Sunday at the Stonewall Columbus Pride Brunch and in a press release Monday. Porteous' new position is with the Human Rights Campaign, one of the nation's largest political lobbying groups that advocates for the LGBTQ+ community.
Porteous told WOSU he will become the HRC's Vice President of Leadership Development which he said will help develop people power to get work done with the HRC.
Porteous' tenure ends on July 1 after the conclusion of LGBTQ+ Pride Month. He's served as Stonewall Columbus' executive director since 2020 when he took over at the time as interim director.
Porteous said he's staying in Columbus, but leaving Stonewall Columbus is bittersweet. He has helped organize events during pride month and year round.
"There's a there's a joy in your heart of seeing change happen positively for the organization. But there's a sadness of not being able to be fully a part of what the future is going to bring for it. You know, Stonewall Columbus is destined to be great and wonderful and there's so many things that you know we have going for us right now," Porteous said.
Stonewall Columbus was founded in 1981 and is headquartered in the Short North Arts District at its community center on North High Street. The group organizes events during Pride Month and year round, including the annual Stonewall Columbus Pride Festival and March.
Porteous said he is proud of positive changes he's helped make to Stonewall Columbus. That includes changing from what he calls a membership organization to a community hub at the nonprofit's headquarters in the Short North.
"I'm proud of being able to sort of do exactly what the community asked us to do to really truly be a community center in the 13th largest city in the country," Porteous said.
This year, the march is scheduled for Saturday, June 20. The organization says the event is the largest single-day Pride Month celebration in the Midwest.
The press release said the nonprofit's Board of Trustees has initiated a transition process and will share additional information regarding interim leadership and a search process in the coming weeks.
Porteous said in his remaining time he's excited for the third year of the organization's Drag Race fun run through the Short North near the end of the month.
He said there's many other LGBTQ+ leaders in Columbus who will help celebrate and advocate for the community.
"Pride is more than one person, and I'm glad that I've been able to be a part of it here in Columbus, but there are so many great movement leaders and pride leaders and just leaders period here," Porteous said.
