As an admirer of The Dispatch Printing Company and its leadership and generosity in our community, I was disappointed that the Columbus Pride Parade did not receive front-page coverage, and was instead relegated to the Metro section.

As an admirer of The Dispatch Printing Company and its leadership and generosity in our community, I was disappointed that the Columbus Pride Parade did not receive front-page coverage, and was instead relegated to the Metro section.

By The Dispatch�s own reporting, 400,000 people were expected to descend on our Downtown for the events around the annual parade. I cannot think of another gathering of such magnitude that would receive such short shrift. Just two pictures accompanied the story, and one focused on the meaninglessly small protest.

A better, more accurate focus would have been on the tremendous corporate involvement in the parade. Throngs of people wearing their employers� logos marched with the backing of great Ohio companies, big and small, supportive of equal rights for all Ohioans. A picture of a plethora of local businesses would have more accurately portrayed the newsworthiness of the Pride Parade.

Because it is an annual affair, and because the march has a mainstream acceptance that the original marchers in 1970 could have only dreamed of when they took to the streets in New York, Chicago and L.A. on the first anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, it is easy to relegate the importance of the march today.

But when 400,000 people show up Downtown to express their views on the singular civil-rights issue of our day, it is incumbent on Ohio's Greatest Home Newspaper to convey the magnitude our city�s support for the rights of GLBT Ohioans.

JOHN LOWE

Chief executive officer

Jeni�s Splendid Ice Creams

Columbus