Brutus Buckeye is no longer appearing in this weekend’s Columbus Pride Parade and Festival, due to security concerns following the mass shooting at an Orlando gay club that left 49 dead last weekend.
Brutus was scheduled to appear in the parade alongside members of the Columbus Ohio Gay Lesbian Ally Hockey Association (COGLAHA). The group made an announcement on its Facebook page Wednesday that the Ohio State University spirit coaches informed them that they were withdrawing Brutus’ participation in the event.
Despite the disappointing news, the post conveyed its gratitude towards Brutus and the university for their support of the LGBTQ community:
We in no way with to downplay or not acknowledge their concerns. We do not blame them or wish to embarrass them as we know they are just as human as we are, and for some people outside of the GLBT community this tragedy may make things even more confusing.
We want to thank all of our friends and staff at the Ohio State University that have worked hard to help set this up. We know they have no control over this, and we want to thank them for clearly expressing that they thought Brutus needed to be there more than ever.
Had Brutus attended, it would have marked the first time a Big Ten and Division I mascot appeared in a Pride parade, according to COGLAHA. Still, mascots from the Columbus Blue Jackets, Crew, and Clippers (AAA baseball club) are all expected to be in attendance.
Columbus Police Chief Kim Jacobs said Monday, in light of the Orlando shooting, there would be “significantly more” police officers at the Pride parade. Parade organizer, Karla Rothan, also indicated there would be a Homeland Security presence at the festivities, in addition to the added police support. She went on to say she does not believe the events in Orlando will negatively impact parade attendance, and thinks it will actually have the opposite effect:
“We feel this is going to be one of the safest and biggest Prides we’ve had,” Rothan said. “People who haven’t marched in years are coming out to march in solidarity.”
Despite Brutus’ withdrawing, many Ohio State officials are still expected to join the parade, including President Michael V. Drake and a group of faculty, staff, students, and senior officials.
