George Crawford knows and understands gay Cincinnati. And if he gets his wish, after next weekend, so will many more Cincinnatians following Equinox, a three-day festival created with the intent to help heal and improve Cincinnati's National LGBT image.
The affable owner of
Metronation located in the Gateway District, Crawford also serves as the Vice-President of the
Greater Cincinnati Gay Chamber of Commerce, the organization responsible for taking the lead on re-imaging Cincinnati’s collective gay identity.
Crawford explains that Equinox Cincinnati is the "first public festival designed to bring attention to Cincinnati’s diverse and growing gay population as well as the city’s changing attitudes towards gays and lesbians." Interestingly, this attention isn’t geared only to other cities around the country, but will serve as a clear and targeted message to Cincinnati's own gay population that their city is changing for the better.
With a less than stellar reputation of inclusiveness, Cincinnati is showing positive signs of growth and progress with regard to its gay identity. Momentum has led to community building which has replaced the dark days of Article XXII when Cincinnati achieved national notoriety as the only city in the country that had on its books what many considered a law protecting discrimination based on sexual identity.
With the repeal came an invitation to begin rebuilding bridges. Revitalization projects throughout downtown and Over-the-Rhine saw an increase in gay-owned businesses.
The Listings, the popular Greater Cincinnati Gay Resource guide produced annually by the Gay Chamber of Commerce, demonstrates an impressive array of some of the city’s most popular and successful professional services and entertainment options.
After fifteen years of living as well as building a business and community in the city, Crawford wants more people to see his adopted home the way he does.
"I’m very proud to be in Cincinnati. It’s not the city it used to be. We’ve finally gotten on track."
Out of that civic pride, Crawford and the Greater Cincinnati Gay Chamber of Commerce began planning and organizing an event that celebrates that growth. Equinox Cincinnati, is the result. The festival kicks off this Friday with a series of parties taking place around the city’s multiple alternative bars including Over-the-Rhine’s popular
Below Zero owned by Chamer board member, Nigel Cotterill.
On Saturday, the festival takes over Fountain Square for an outdoor party featuring a music series. That night, an extravagant ball will be held at the Millennium Hotel. Other sponsors include: STOP AIDS, the Cincinnati Human Rights Campaign, MUSE and the Cincinnati Men’s Chorus.
Equinox is a strictly Cincinnati affair. No other city is actively creating an event designed to show off its progress to the rest of the country. Organizers targeted more than sixteen cities within a 5 ½ hour radius in promoting the event. Outreach is spanning farther than organizers had hoped, with reservations confirmed from Iowa, Rhode Island, Missouri, Tennessee and North Carolina.
Cincinnati corporations and institutions are also lending their support. Duke Energy, Belvedere Vodka, JeanRo Bistro and the Millennium Hotel are serving as co-sponsors seeing an opportunity to get in front of the anticipated crowds.
Community Shares, a partnership of 27 local nonprofit organizations building social and economic equity and a healthy environment in Greater Cincinnati, is also a sponsor of Equinox Cincinnati.
Jeniece Jones, the executive director of Community Shares, says supporting events like Equinox is an excellent way to stay true to their mandate of fair business while also highlighting the value of the LGBT community in Cincinnati and what it could mean for business.
"Since it’s sponsored by the Greater Cincinnati Gay Chamber of Commerce, we also want to connect with LGBT-friendly businesses," Jones said. "Of course we want to encourage inclusively and promote Cincinnati’s strive to make inclusivity a priority."
Michael Chanak, board member and volunteer at the LGBT Center located in Northside often hears members of gay Cincinnati complaining about the city being not gay-friendly compared to other larger cities with more established communities.
"People say it but I don’t know if they really believe it," says Chanak.
Events like the popular Pride Festival put on each year in part by the LGBT Center, help to provide internal visibility as well as a chance to connect. Events such as Equinox help to draw external attention to the city’s progress while generating a significant chunk of outside revenue for the city.
Crawford admits that all Cincinnatians may not agree with gay lifestyles, but they certainly benefit from the gay businesses and gay philanthropy that proliferates around the city.
"You have to look at the civil side of it," Crawford said. "Look at what it does for your city and trust me, you want [gay people] here."
Photography by Scott Beseler and Claire Brose
Equinox merchandise at MetroNation
George Crawford
Equinox poster
The Dock, Pride parade 2009