CLEVELAND, OHIO – Organizers of the 24th annual Cleveland Pride parade were surprised and saddened last month to discover homophobia from within the ranks of event participants. A local company had offered the use of a truck and trailer to the AIDS Taskforce of Greater Cleveland for the June 23 event. But as Judith Pindell, the Director of Public Policy for the AIDS Taskforce explained, “When the driver realized that he was going to be driving for the gay pride parade, he stormed off and drove away, leaving us without a float.”

Witnesses say the driver shouted obscenities as he left. “It was really hard for us because today is so much about equal rights for all, and the celebration of difference and the important of acknowledging who you are, and for him to drive away and kind of leave us high and dry was disappointing,” said Tracey Jones, CEO of the AIDS Taskforce. Despite this, members of the organization located a replacement truck, and won first-place for “best float.”