Cleveland LGBT Community Center Plans New Celebration to Replace Canceled Pride

Cleveland's Pride celebration is back on the calendar after city LGBT leaders stepped in to save the event after its cancellation last month.

The LGBT Cleveland Community Center announced Sunday that several organizations had volunteered to revive the event on its originally planned date, Aug. 13.

"We will have a safe and secure environment in which to celebrate and we will show the world that Cleveland's LGBTQ Community Rocks," the center said in a statement.

Cleveland Pride President Todd Saporito canceled Pride over vague security concerns, and he believed his organization "did not have enough time to engage in the development of awareness programs and training that we believe is critical in today's environment."

The annual celebration, which the city has held uninterrupted since 1989, had already been pushed back because of the Republican National Convention.

In an interview following his announcement, Saporito said that he felt that the city was not prepared to meet higher security demands for the celebration following the Pulse nightclub mass shooting in Orlando.

"We didn't want to make a statement that pointed fingers," Saporito told Out. "I either have a signature to go forward or I don't. People have to be available or they're not. Our decision to cancel didn't happen overnight, nor was it done in a vacuum."

He said that, now with the right time, his organization is prepared to move forward with the celebration, and he is eager to connect with the center regarding their event.