While the majority of individuals at the Burton Village Council meeting June 21 concerned about an upcoming Pride event were not residents of the village, the few who did address council had diverse opinions regarding the day-long LGBTQ+ event.
While the majority of individuals at the Burton Village Council meeting June 21 concerned about an upcoming Pride event were not residents of the village, the few who did address council had diverse opinions regarding the day-long LGBTQ+ event.
Chris Steigerwald, president of the Geauga SOGI (Sexual Identity and Gender Identity) Support Network, stood first to explain the group’s purpose in having the family event June 26 at Century Village Museum just south of Burton Square.
Concerns about indecent exposure are baseless, she said.
“Having our event on private property allows us to ensure everyone is appropriate,” Steigerwald said to the crowd of over two dozen in attendance. “We are not trying to force anything on anyone in this community. It is a very complex topic. We would like to provide more community training.”
The Geauga SOGI Support Network formed in 2020 as a collaborative effort by individuals, parents and professional counselors who saw a need for support of the LGBTQ+ population, she said.
“Our board responds to that need. Families who want our help reach out to us and that’s what we try to provide,” Steigerwald said.
Her statement was followed by that of Ethan Maynard, a Middlefield resident, who shared a biblical point of view “in the spirit of love,” noting marriage is defined as the union of a man and a woman.
“There is a huge difference between caring about individuals and glorifying their sin,” he said.
Because the event is advertised as family-friendly, Maynard said children may be affected by exposure to a non-traditional exhibit.
“This is far from family-friendly. We don’t know who will be there,” he said, quoting statistics from a secular study linking LGBTQ+ practices among teens and young adults to anxiety, substance abuse and suicide.
“Why encourage preteen kids to join a path detrimental to their lives and health? Going against God’s desire is very dangerous,” Maynard said.
Minna Zelch, Geauga SOGI vice president, said the study called The Trevor Project provides professional support for youth in the LGBTQ+ community. The statistics show why it is important for local groups to help youth having sexual identity crises.
“Why do they have a higher suicide rate? Because they are told they are horrible people and they are evil and going to hell,” Zelch said, adding no one is being forced to visit the event on June 26.
“If you don’t like apple butter, don’t go to the apple butter festival. But for (LGBTQ) people who want and need it, it is important to have a place to go,” she said.
Several local churches are helping to sponsor the event where folks can enjoy bubbles, kites, music and meet with mental health care professionals, Zelch said.
“We welcome anyone who would like to come and wants to know more,” she said.
Halcyon Demanski, of Burton, said she has served as a children’s minister in her church and knows LGBTQ+ parents and children need somewhere they can go and feel safe, welcomed and like they belong.
“We don’t stand here in hatred of anyone,” said Mike Southern, who said he was not a resident of the village. “My concern is real identity. (The event) brings up a lot of questions for kids to start to ponder at an early age that don’t have an understanding of that yet. It starts to burrow in.
“I encourage you to consider events you allow to occur in the village,” he continued. “This does affect those around here more than you would like to believe.”
Josh Littler, of Parkman Township, said as an ordained minister, he feels the cultural changes occurring in the past several years have opened a “huge chasm” among the clergy.
“We are talking about two different churches, two different Jesuses,” he said. “What we have here is a totally opposite way of understanding who we are. Everyone needs to trust in Jesus for salvation by God’s standard. Sexual morality is explained in very clear terms.”
Mayor Ruth Spanos allowed anyone who wanted to comment five minutes to do so and noted Century Village is a private property, so it is not up to the village to allow or disallow legal events there.
Burton’s Pride event follows a similar event held in Chardon June 20, which drew a crowd of over 600 throughout the day.
