CINCINNATI (WKRC) - With the Orlando tragedy fresh in everyone's minds a small group plans to openly carry guns among thousands of people at the Cincinnati Gay Pride Parade.
Pride week starts Monday, June 20, in Cincinnati and wraps up that Saturday with a parade through downtown and a festival at Sawyer Point. Big crowds always call for security planning by the police but 2016 was different because of the Orlando massacre at a gay night club. Also because of a group which plans to bring guns to the Cincinnati Pride parade.
Organizers of the Pride Parade, which is about to become the city's second largest parade second only to Opening Day, hope the thousands of people attending the parade will ignore the dozens at best with guns.
Gay pride banners with corporate sponsorship logos line downtown. Dramatic proof of how the city has changed over the years. Organizers of the 2016 Pride Parade and festival expect to top 2015's crowd of 90,000 because of solidarity with Orlando.
Also because of Orlando, there's stepped up security in Cincinnati, "We live in a new world and it's not as safe as it once was for a variety of reasons. It's a reminder of the fact that we must be vigilant, alert, and as prepared as possible to engage the known as well as the unknown," said City Manager Harry Black.
Plans to open carry weapons through the pride celebration crowd Saturday is legal. The organizer, who has done it before at Miami University and at Riverfest, said on a Facebook post the intent was to encourage dialog about self-defense in light of the Orlando shooting. There were reactions to the Facebook post. Some have been positive in supporting the open carry people. Others have been critical.
Local 12 News spoke with the open carry organizer, Jeff Smith, by phone. Smith said he has no intent to terrorize or to scare people. Smith said he hoped spectators at the Pride Parade will be willing to talk. He said he understood some may shout or want to argue, but he said his point was what was stated on his Facebook page, that the idea of self-defense with a gun was legitimate to consider after Orlando.
So far, about 15 people have indicated on Facebook that they plan to attend with the open carry group. Organizers of the Pride Parade and festival said they expected 100,000 participants and spectators.
