#toledopride

[heydontworrybehappy]

419 pride wasn’t as lit as I was,

But it was pretty high up there 🔥👅🙌🏼🌈

[ivmandco]

Making it happen at the #ToledoPride Festival! 🏳️‍🌈

[spookys-geek-boutique]

We're out at @toledopride tonight and two of our lovely social media followers said hello! Don't be afraid to say hello! I'm an anxious mess but I absolutely love meeting all of you!! Here's tonight's outfit! We will be back out at Toledo Pride for fun tomorrow as well! ❤️🏳️‍🌈 posted on Instagram - https://ift.tt/33EflfA

[spookys-geek-boutique]

Hitting you with an early morning update to let you know, we added almost 60 new jewelry items to our website! And we started a 10% off sale from now until 8/25! Here's a Flashback Friday from Pride Month ❤️🏳️‍🌈 posted on Instagram - https://ift.tt/2YUrIEP

[living-life-for-you]

June 17(totally missed it) Equality Toledo Equality Toledo started as a reaction to the passage of Ohio's Issue One amendment in November 2004, made it unconstitutional for the state to recognize or perform civil-unions or same-sex marriages. The founding members of ET were actively involved opposing Issue 1 and worked hard to educate the community about the harmful consequences of Issue 1 passing; unfortunately the amendment became Article 15, Section 11. Since 2004, there have been great strides in the greater Toledo area for the LGBTQ communities, especially the Supreme Court ruling in favor of marriage equality in 2015. Since then ET has worked on moving forward and working toward their 2020 vision: building, growing, expanding. ET has a Community Pantry that is available at Collingwood Presbyterian on Tuesday Evenings and Saturday Afternoons. The Community Pantry, started in 2018 with collaboration with ET and Toledo Pride, to ensure that young people and families who have limited availability to food have a barrier-free option. The next upcoming event for ET is Equality Toledo Loves Love Fest 2019 Saturday is July 13 and July 14. For more information: http://www.equalitytoledo.org http://www.equalitytoledo.org/pantry https://toledocitytix.com/events/equality-toledo-loves-love-fest-2019?fbclid=IwAR0B1YJgo7TdEy8iz4HdEXXfEV_x_N9b9WXcOJnqSoXxeMTeW3Asxig5k3I #pride🌈 #lgbtq🌈 #toledopride #EqualityToledo #toledoloveslove #toledo419 #pridemonth #june https://www.instagram.com/p/By4Dv6hF8ai0_ninjtNCQ5hsEiEQsETLv4IhGE0/?igshid=1xceptkfqigy0

[myoldbeatheart]

On Toledo: Christina

How I know her: I met Christina on 8/23/10-our very first day of graduate school. We truly hit it off immediately and became almost inseparable within just a couple weeks. It didn’t take long for us to realize we had feelings for each other and, well, you guys know the rest. Christina is hilarious, bright, and great with words. More than materials, she loves experiences and time with her people. As someone who grew up in a different state, she’s very aware of exactly what makes Toledo worthwhile.

Q: Where is your favorite place to eat in Toledo?

A: My favorite place to eat in Toledo is The Café at the Oliver House, on the patio, in the summertime. That little area feels so magical to me. In the colder months, they have a modern looking fireplace inside that feels cozy and warm. I love that their menu always changes, like there’s a real chef in the kitchen that comes up with new ideas and recipes. I love that place, and I feel like it’s what a restaurant is meant to be.

Q: What is your favorite thing to do in Toledo?

A: My favorite thing to do in Toledo is find new places to bike ride with my wife. Toledo has a lot of nice bike paths and Metro parks, there is a path right by our favorite coffee spot, Plate 21. I can’t think of a better time, than starting your day with a coffee and pistachio muffin, then riding for miles in the warm air. My wife and I rode over 200 miles this past summer, and I’m proud of that.

Q: If someone was visiting Toledo for the first time, what is one thing they absolutely have to experience?

A: People new to Toledo must experience the lights at Hensville at Christmas time. It’s not super fancy or expensive looking, but it’s perfect to me. I’m not wild about cold weather, so I’m okay with looking at the lights, even for just a few moments, and then stopping at Fleetwood’s for some Blitzen to warm us up. On our way home, my wife and I drive through Ottawa Hills and also look at the lights there. There is something about that experience that makes me feel young and happy. I really enjoyed sharing that experience with my mom last year.

Q: What does Toledo mean to you?

A: I’m always taken aback when people downplay Toledo. I didn’t come to Toledo till I was 25, and that’s when my life truly started. I met the most amazing people here. It’s where I realized that material things and money don’t matter, it’s your community that matters most. I met my wife at the University of Toledo, I married her here in The Old West End, and I want to be here with her forever. Toledo is my home, and I’m really happy about that.

Q: Anything else you wanna share?

A: I’d like to add that I think Toledo is the perfect place to live because there’s almost always something to do. There’s yoga places, coffee places, unique restaurants, bars, a Farmer’s Market, an especially welcoming and loving LGBTQ family, a (new) community bike share, gyms, a store that sells handmade items from local artists, beautiful waters, dog parks, metroparks, theaters, malls, and best of all, the best people in the world. I think if you can find a place in the world where you feel like you belong, with people that value you, you truly have everything you’ll ever need. And you know what? I’m so comfortable with Toledo, I know all the places to park for free. So, hah!

[myoldbeatheart]

On Toledo: Nicole

How I know her: Nicole is my only sibling so, ya know, we go way back to my birth. I spent most of my childhood hating her (and she spent it doing the same) but, turns out, she’s actually really nice to know. Her best friend once described her as, “...the woman I love more than anyone else in the world…” If my sister is not working, she’s thriving somewhere outside--maybe she’s hiking, napping in a hammock, or floating along the river in her kayak. She loves the outdoors and always makes use of what Toledo and the surrounding areas have to offer when it comes to nature. 

This is what she has to say:

Q: Where is your favorite place to eat in Toledo? A: Glass City Cafe- specifically for their Bluegrass Breakfast on Saturday mornings.           Q: What is your favorite thing to do in Toledo? A: Visit the Metroparks or check out some live music. Q: If someone was visiting Toledo for the first time, what is one thing they absolutely have to experience? A: The music scene. So many talented musicians in the area, you can just pick a spot and not be disappointed. Q: What does Toledo mean to you? A: Toledo is such a hopeful city. We've been down on our luck for a while but things are picking up and improving and the residents are working so hard to make it a place that we all want to stay and enjoy. Q: Anything else you wanna share? A: There's so much to do- downtown nightlife, family centered activities like sporting events and Imagination Station, checking out the museum and shops, and we have an amazing river and park system to enjoy. We're in a very special place with the Maumee River and Lake Erie keeping so much wildlife in our area and the waterways are just teeming with life. Get out and enjoy it!

[myoldbeatheart]

On Toledo: Kayleene

How I know her: Kayleene is a co-worker of mine. We worked together for 3 years before actually having a conversation and becoming friends. Unlike me, Kayleene loves spontaneity...her best laid plans actually involve having no plans at all. She’s adventurous and truly up for whatever anyone wants to do (unless she’s in a bad mood, then she’ll trash talk all your ideas) which makes her an especially fun friend to have. She was born in Toledo, raised in Toledo, is currently raising her son in Toledo, and has no interest in living anywhere else.

This is what she has to say:

Q: Where is your favorite place to eat in Toledo? A: Durty Bird. Not so much for the food because I don’t really love food in general but for the strawberry daiquiris and their French Onion Soup. Mmm.        Q: What is your favorite thing to do in Toledo? A: My favorite things to do in Toledo are visit the many Metroparks and walk around or sit on the swings/chairs/benches and just take in everything going on around me and attend all the events occurring downtown-especially Toledo Pride and the Zombie Crawl. Q: If someone was visiting Toledo for the first time, what is one thing they absolutely have to experience? A: They would absolutely have to experience the downtown nightlife. I always enjoy myself, especially when downtown is holding some sort of cool event. Q: What does Toledo mean to you? A: Toledo is where I was born and raised. I love this city and there isn’t anywhere else I would want to be. I’m literally in a short driving distance from downtown, shopping, and all the metroparks we have. I love the bike trails and Promenade Park. There are so so so many places I would take people to visit if it was their first time here. I don’t ever want to leave this city because it is my home and I feel proud to live here and work with the youth that live here.