An Ohio park that often hosts gay pride events is deviating from that vein with a festival set for September that celebrates heterosexuality — from the viewpoint of white males.
The “Straight White Guy Festival” is scheduled for Goodale Park in Clintonville, a local CBS affiliate reported. Flyers for the event say beer will be sold, but illegal drugs aren’t welcome.
Critics have already begun railing against the event.
“This kind of think implies there’s some kind of struggle going on for being a straight white person in Ohio,” gay marriage activist Michael Premo told the news station. “Straight white people are doing just fine. I think it detracts from the real problems of Ohio that need to be solved, that are being denied their constitutional rights because of who they are, or who they love.”
Others see humor in the event, which some say isn’t even a genuine affair, but rather a joke.
“I think it’s funny,” local resident Cheralyn Elkins told the affiliate. “If they want to do this, great — freedom of expression.”
The city doesn’t have any record of permit requests for the event.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.