Columbus Pride Submissions: Kayla Stowers

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!

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By Kayla Stowers

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.

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