ICO Newsletter - 6/04/25
Yes, there IS a “No Kings” event on June 14
We’ve been getting questions – we know it’s a bit confusing with Pride and “No Kings” falling on the same day – so here’s an explanation we hope will clear things up! PLEASE READ!!
On Saturday, 6/14, we’re marching, protesting & celebrating
at the same time!
Indivisible Central Ohio will have a FLOAT in the Pride Parade on the theme, “No Kings in the White House” plus MARCHERS in the parade, and SUPPORTERS along the parade route.
At the Pride Parade, we have the opportunity to bring our pro-diversity, anti-fascist, anti-Trump, NO KINGS message to literally hundreds of thousands of people who might not ever have considered attending a protest.
This event has been planned and is being put together by ICO members from the LGBTQ+ community BOTH as a celebration of Pride AND as a protest.
Please join us and be part of this important and impactful event!
We are recruiting MARCHERS to accompany the float. With potentially as many as a couple hundred marchers in our ICO t-shirts, with creative signs, buttons, handouts for the crowd – it’s going to be amazing! Marchers need to commit to arriving early for the float lineup (8:30am) and be registered with us in order to receive an official armband. First register at this Mobilize link and then fill out this form so we know your t-shirt size.
We are also recruiting SUPPORTERS to spread out along the parade route holding our “NO KINGS” signs! We will be doing call and response chants from the float, and having supporters seeded along the route will help get the crowd going! Supporters can arrive and leave whenever they want, but please register so we can email you instructions about picking up a sign, etc.
If you’ve already signed up, watch your in box for more information coming soon about where to pick up shirts, buttons, signs and more.
Voter Registration and Signature Collection at Pride!
Indivisible Central Ohio loves to do voter registration, and we especially love to register voters at Pride! In previous years we have registered and updated as many as 350 voters along the parade route! (Wow.)
You can be part of the ICO voter registration team this year at Pride, PLUS collect signatures for the Columbus Safety Collective ballot initiative at the same time.
Register HERE for a special voter registration and signature collection training. The training is Monday, June 9 at 6pm and is designed specifically for Pride.
If you’ve already been trained, join the training for a quick refresher. If you don’t have supplies, don’t worry, we’ll get you set up with an orange shirt, clipboards, forms, petition booklets and more!
NO KINGS is nationwide
There will be many other “No Kings” protests in Central Ohio, some of them timed so that you can attend the Pride Parade in Columbus and still protest later in the day. You can also check for additional events on this map.
Clintonville, 12 PM to 2 PM, intersection of N. Broadway and Indianola Ave. Register.
Columbus, 6/13, 4 PM to 7 PM, Ohio Statehouse, 1 Capital Square. Information.
Delaware, 12 PM to 1 PM, Delaware City Hall. Register.
Grove City, 4 PM to 5 PM, 4035 Broadway. Register.
Knox County. 1 PM to 1:30 PM, Public Square, Mount Vernon. Register.
Lancaster.. 12 PM to 2 PM, Fairfield County Courthouse, 210 E Main St. Register.
London, 12 PM to 1:30 PM, Madison County Courthouse. Register.
Marion, 12 PM to 2 PM, Marion County Courthouse. Register.
Newark 2 PM to 3 PM, Courthouse Square. Register.
Springfield, 3 PM to 5 PM. Springfield City Hall Plaza. National Day of Action. Register.
Sunbury, 12 PM to 1 PM, Sunbury Square. Register.
Washington Court House, 12 PM to 2 PM, Washington Square, Court and Main. RSVP.
Westerville, 3 PM to 4 PM, Westerville City Government. Register.
Spread the Word – Hold Signs above the Highway!
A fun and easy entry to anti-Trump activism is to join our crew as we hold signs over the highways. Upcoming dates are 6/6, 6/10, 6/11, and more – all 4:30-6pm. Details, directions and sign up are HERE. Bookmark that location as we add dates every week. We have the signs and flags. You bring the manpower!
RALLIES & PROTESTS
Every week there are rallies and protests all over central Ohio! You can follow what’s happening in the Events section of our website, indivisible central ohio.org.
Wednesday, 6/4/2025: Weekly Wednesday’s at Bernie’s, 12pm, Bricker Federal Building, 200 N. High Street. Let's hold Moreno accountable to the people and taxpayers of Ohio. We demand to be seen AND heard - just like his rich donors. More info and register HERE.
Saturday, 6/7/2025: Weekly Protest in Delaware, noon to 1 PM. Let’s protest together and let folks know that we are tired of all the shenanigans.
Saturday, 6/7/2025: Weekly Tesla Protest! 4:30-5:30 PM, Easton Tesla Dealership. Join the weekly Tesla Takedown protest! Even driving by and giving us a supportive honk is appreciated!
Tuesday, 6/3/2025: Weekly Rush Hour Rallies, 4:30-5:30pm,
Eastside, Support Veterans: Chalmers P. Wylie Ambulatory Care Center, 420 N James Rd, Columbus. Come out to support our veterans! Registration & more info HERE.
Worthington: Join us to deliver our message of resistance to commuters at the intersection of Route 161 and High St. in Worthington. Organized by the Worthington Area Democratic Club and Westerville Progressive Alliance. Signup & parking info HERE.
Thursday, 6/5/2025: Pickerington Stands Up for Democracy, 4:15 PM to 5:45 PM, Bob Evans, 1760 Hill Road N, Pickerington. There are one thousand and one things to be outraged about right now. What has motivated you to say, “Enough!”? Join us for this Pickerington protest rally. Register HERE.
Friday, 6/6/2025: D-Day Protest - Support Veterans and uphold the Constitution, 4 PM to 6 PM, Reynoldsburg City Hall, 7232 E Main St. Come join your neighbors as we peacefully protest to defend the Constitution and support our nation’s veterans.
Friday, 6/13/2025: No Kings, 4 PM to 7 PM, Ohio Statehouse, 1 Capital Square. Join 50501 and DSA as we protest those trying to take away our democracy.
Successful Carey Town Hall Event!
This past weekend, over 100 constituents of Ohio District 15 showed up for a Town Hall. Congressman Mike Carey was not there to hear the concerns of his constituents or to answer their questions despite repeated efforts to contact him. Instead, attendees heard from Mary Jo Kilroy, Former Congressional Representative; Rick Neal, former Candidate for Congressional District 15 (2018); Joel Newby, Former Candidate for Congressional District 15 (2020); State Representative Allison Russo; Former State Representative Adam Miller; and Justin Martin, Educator and constituent. Thanks to Mary Mynatt, Jim Villars, Jean Wentzel, Becky Slisher, Kelly Becker and John Indalecio for putting together this important and successful event! Mishka and John Griffin’s help with live streaming was also essential. You can watch a 20-minute highlight video HERE.
Calling Postcard Writers
Postcards to Swing States is back, with cards to rally Pennsylvania Democrats to vote in their November 4th election.
We have 5,000 cards to write, so if you love writing postcards we have plenty of them! Cards are bundled in sets of 25 with directions and addresses and will be available on the porch at 437 Piedmont Rd beginning Thursday, June 5th. We are asking that all cards be returned back to the porch to be held for the mailing date in mid-October. We especially love it when the postcards come back stamped and ready to go!
Questions? Please contact Michelle at mlerner5@gmail.com or 740-258-8343.
Billboards. Brought to you by ICO
ICO is partnering with Buckeye State Rural, and we have already raised the funds to put up two large billboards in rural parts of the district OH15 with heavy traffic. Want to see billboards like these in other flippable Ohio congressional districts? You can help us reach thousands of voters, over and over again by donating to the billboard fund! CLICK HERE to help us extend the time they're up and expand the number of billboards.
Grow our Movement with Door Hangers
In such beautiful weather, what could be better than a purposeful walk around your neighborhood? With your help, we’re expanding our reach by dropping door hangers with info about ICO at friendly houses. How do we know they are friendly? Because of their signs! Pride signs, science signs, Black Lives Matter signs…you get the idea.
Grab some door hangers today from the box on the porch at 437 Piedmont Rd. Sign out with your contact info and the area you plan to cover on the clipboard. We will follow up later to make sure you have distributed your door hangers and ask which blocks you covered. Thank you!
Local Pride Events!
Celebrations of Pride are happening across Central Ohio. Here’s a running list. These are great places to do voter registration, collect petition signatures, and hand out ICO business cards!
Delaware Pride Festival, Saturday, June 7, 2025, 10 AM to 5 PM, Boardman Arts Park, 154 W. William St.
Hilliard Pride 2025!, Saturday, June 7, 2025, 12 PM to 3 PM, Hilliard Station Park, 4021 Main St. in Old Hilliard.
Westerville Pride Festival, Saturday, June 7, 2025, 5 PM to 8 PM, Corner of East Home St and State St.
Upper Arlington, Rainbow UA Together in Pride, Sunday, June 8, 2025, 4 PM to 7 PM, Amelita Mirolo Barn, 4395 Carriage Hill Lane.
Columbus Pride 2025, Friday, June 13, 2025, 4 PM to 10 PM, and Saturday June 14 11AM to 8 PM, Festival and Resource Fair, Goodale Park; Saturday, June 14, 2025, step off 10:30 AM, March, route.
Grove City, Pride Fest 2025, Saturday, June 21, 2025, 1 PM to 5 PM, Town Center Park, 3359 Park St.
Gahanna Pride, Thursday, June 26, 2025, 5 PM to 8 PM, Headley Park, 1031 Challis Springs Drive in New Albany.
Sunbury Pride Family Fun Day, Saturday, June 28, 2025, 11 AM to 2 PM, Sunbury Square.
Granville Pride, Saturday, June 28, 2025, 4 PM to 6 PM, Front Lawn, Denison University.
Reynoldsburg 2025 Pride Celebration, Saturday, June 28, 2025, 4 PM to 8 PM, Huber Park, 1640 Davidson Drive.
TAKE ACTION THIS WEEK
OPPOSE SB 63 – Prohibit Use of Ranked Choice Voting; Withhold Funding for Use
What it does: SB 63 would generally prohibit the use of ranked choice voting and to withhold Local Government Fund distributions from a municipality or chartered county that uses ranked choice voting.
What’s new: SB 63 was voted out of the Senate General Government Committee on 4/29/25, and passed the full Senate on 5/14/25. It was introduced in the House on 5/20/25, and has been referred to the House General Government Committee, where it received a first sponsor hearing on 6/3/25.
What to do (URGENT):
Contact your state representative
Contact these members of the House General Government Committee:
Sharon Ray, chair - 614-466-8140; rep66@ohiohouse.gov
Jeff LaRe, vice chair – 614-466-8100; rep73@ohiohouse.gov
Juanita Brent, ranking member – 614-466-1408; rep18@ohiohouse.gov
Sample script:
My name is and I’m calling from [your address if leaving a message]. Banning ranked choice voting prevents localities from making elections freer and fairer. Ohioans are losing faith in democracy because it limits voter choices and does not require a majority to win. When Ranked Choice Voting is used, candidates can win with support from a majority of voters and rewards more positive, issues-focused campaigning. Local governments should be able to make decisions based on their needs, and not on a voting approach dictated by state government. I urge [elected official] to say no to SB 63. Thanks for your consideration.
Want to know more?
Check out Stop the Ban and this from the Ohio Capital Journal
June is Pride month! To celebrate and support Pride, Indivisible Central Ohio has identified two local organizations that provide support to LGBTQ+ folks across the age spectrum.
First, Stonewall Columbus with a mission to increase visibility, inclusion, and connection for the LGBTQ+ community for adults and older adults. Please support their work at this link.
Second, Kaleidoscope Youth Center, the largest and longest standing organization in Ohio solely dedicated to serving and supporting LGBTQ+ youth. Support them HERE.
Also in June: Indivisible National will double donations to Indivisible Central Ohio up to $500. Your donation this month will go twice as far! Donate HERE, and thank you!
More Time Collect CSC Signatures!
An administrative schedule change means that the Columbus Safety Collective now has a little more time to collect signatures (deadline in July instead of June)!
The Columbus Safety Collective effort is a rare opportunity for a win in Ohio! If it gets on the ballot, it is likely to pass. You can be a part of this victory! Weiland’s has given Indivisible Central Ohio special permission to collect outside their store – let’s take them up on their offer. It will be a great place to get signatures!
Get booklets and training:
ICO Office hours: Mondays, 5:30-6:30pm, Global Gallery, 3535 N High St.
CSC Office hours: Thurs, 6-7pm & Sats, 10:30am-noon), Old First Presbyterian Church, 1101 Brydon Road.
Find places to collect signatures:
More sign ups at this Mobilize link
For info or materials outside of regular office hours contact Jackie Bird (jackieoep@gmail.com) or Cheryl Grossman (cherylrsgrossman@gmail.com).
Get Connected with the Anti-SB1 Signature Campaign!
A huge grassroots effort is underway to get a referendum on the ballot in November to give voters the chance to overturn SB1, the “Ohio Education Destruction” bill. Here are some useful links so you can get connected:
Let’s show our grassroots power!
Upcoming Events (Calendar view)
Thursday, 6/5/2025: Thursday Action Group, 12-1:30pm, virtual. This week we have ICO member Adam Householder, Resource Director, Hilliard Food Pantry Plus, to speak to us about his work to address the complex, interconnected challenges that families face by coordinating a wide range of wraparound support services.
Thursday, 6/5/2025: Ohio Democratic Party Chair Candidates Forum, 6:30-8 pm, virtual. This virtual forum features candidates running for Chair of the Ohio Democratic Party including: Kathleen Clyde, Bill DeMora, Kyle Herman, Kim McCarthy, and Tamie Wilson. Register HERE.
Friday, 6/6/2025: D-Day Protest, Defend the Constitution, 4-6pm, Reynoldsburg City Hall, 7232 E Main St, Reynoldsburg. Come join your Reynoldsburg neighbors as we peacefully protest to defend the Constitution and support our nation’s veterans. What we suggest you bring: Your home-made signs, a water bottle, American flags, and a chair if you need to sit. We hope you will join us!
Saturday, 6/7/2025: Two Moms Demand Action “Wear Orange” events:
Survivors and Supporters Walk for Peace, 10am, Livingston Ave Park, 760 E. Livingston Ave, Columbus. Join survivors and supporters as we remember those taken by gun violence. Let's Wear Orange and walk for peace in our city and nation! RSVP.
B-eazy Day with Remember Us Urban Legends, 4:30 PM, Maloney Park, 1701 Joyce Ave., Columbus. Join Moms Demand Action and our friends for B-Eazy Day. A day of celebration and Family. Live Entertainment, Food, Community Resources and More. Bring a friend, bring the family. RSVP.
Sunday, 6/8/2025: OHIO: Rapid Response for Our Freedoms, 6:30-7:30pm, virtual. We will use the tools of organizing, mobilizing, and holding leaders accountable, to educate and motivate everyone to protect the rights, freedoms, and values that define America.
Monday, 6/9/2025: Voter Registration and Signature Collection Training for Pride, 7pm via Zoom. Learn the ins and outs of how to register voters in Ohio, plus, learn all about petition circulation so you can help the Columbus Safety Collective team get an important issue on the ballot in November for the City of Columbus. The training will be carried out by Zoom, then we will equip you with the materials you need in person. Zoom information will be sent to you after you register.
Thursday, 6/12/2025: Project 2025: Where We Are, Where We May Be Going, gather at 5:30, event begins at 6pm, Bob Crane Community Center, 3200 Tremont Rd, Upper Arlington. Join UAPA for a talk by Brian Rothenberg and David Pepper covering Project 2025 actions taken by our maladministration already and what further horrors we may expect and what we may want to do about it. Please register for free HERE and consider a donation to help offset the costs.
Saturday, 6/14/2025: “No Kings!” Pride Parade activities.
Indivisible will have a float at Pride! This is a hugely important day of action all across the country as we say “NO KINGS!” on the day Trump is throwing himself a military parade for his birthday. We will have three ways to participate:
March in the parade!
Register voters and collect petition signatures
Join the parade and hold a “No Kings!” sign
More info about all three options at this registration link.
Tuesday, 6/17/2025: How Things Work at the Ohio Statehouse Advocacy Training, 7pm via Zoom. Join the Zoom and learn how a bill becomes a law in Ohio and how YOU can impact state laws and policies! Register HERE.
6/25/2025: Indivisible Central Ohio In Person Member Meeting, 6:30-8pm, 1st Unitarian Universalist Church, 93 W Weisheimer Rd. Join us as we restart monthly member meetings! We will meet on the fourth Wednesday of every month. Register HERE.
6/29/2025: Postcard Party! 6-8pm, 219 W Dublin Granville Rd, Worthington, OH 43085. Join us while we stand up for democracy while building a community via a postcard writing party. We will supply cards, snacks and drinks. Register HERE.
Mia & Linda for the Indivisible Central Ohio Team
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