Have A Gay Day Is Changing Lives
Updated: Nov 5
By Danielle Hibbs
Since its founding four years ago, Have A Gay Day has emerged as a vital organization within the Dayton community. Michael Knote is the driving force behind the organization’s social media coverage and outreach as its founder and volunteer executive director. Knote’s sincere, motivated, and enthusiastic character helps raise awareness on a national scale about the needs of everyone. The organization Have A Gay Day relies on volunteers for its primary operations and only has one part-time official employee. I had the pleasure of having a quick chat with Knote via Zoom and learned more about how the nonprofit began, some things they do for the community, and where they see themselves going.
Have A Gay Day began as a social media memorial page for Jamey Rodemeyer in early 2012 by Michael Knote. Knote said, “I started a memorial page because of bullying and suicide and people trying to profit off of it.” For those who might not be familiar, Jamey Rodemeyer was a teenager living in Amherst, New York, known for his advocacy against homophobia and his strong support for the LGBTQIA+ community. Tragically, Rodemeyer’s life ended on September 28th, 2011, because of enduring persistent homophobic bullying.
In 2014, Rodemeyer’s memorial page underwent a transformation into a non-profit organization with 501c3 status by Michael Knote, the Have A Gay Day board, and Knote’s associates. Knote stated during our meeting that they all wanted a place for “people to have fun. A happy, safe space to go to.” Have A Gay Day is doing just that by fostering support, love, and unity among all community members. The non-profit is currently in a quaint shopping center on Needmore Road, but it did not always have this location. According to Knote, they started out in his house, but eventually moved to a small 150 square foot space in the Key Bank Tower in Dayton. Following setbacks, like the demolition of the organization’s garden because of asbestos contamination, they ultimately stabilized their current site with a fundraiser for legal costs. Their Needmore Road location began at 2,200 square feet, but after knocking out some walls, they are currently at 3,400 square feet. I asked Knote if they have hopes of expanding further and he stated they are “looking at one space that’s 27,000 square feet” and that they would eventually “like a full campus of resources…like 125 to 150 acres.” This is a plan they aim to achieve within a timeframe of 8 to 10 years.
There is certainly a need for non-profits like Have A Gay Day. Many in Dayton rely on organizations like these for support from their food pantry or for access to free laundry services. Just this year, Knote stated they have “given out in goods and services to the community over half a million dollars.” They serve 185 up to 200 families weekly, delivering to some. Knote let me know they are the only food pantry in the nation that delivers to people in
need. Collaborating with DoorDash has helped them achieve this. If deliveries fall outside of DoorDash’s coverage area, Have A Gay Day uses one of their two vans to deliver to community members. The non-profit organization recently published statistics on their Facebook page, demonstrating their help to over 6,000 families and 20,000 individuals since the previous year, distributing an impressive 361,466 pounds of food.
However, the aid does not cease there, as they also offer many other forms of help to individuals in need. They have assisted with hygiene products, pet food, books, fuel cards, electric heaters, electric fans, gift cards for emergency hotel stays, rides with Uber, and access to a complimentary laundry room by appointment. Their Needmore Road location displays sizable window stickers featuring QR codes for Dayton residents to scan for help when it is not open. Apart from their charitable work, they organize outreach programs and multiple events for the LGBTQIA+ community. One of these events was on October 11th, which was a celebration of Coming Out Day and featured a social gathering complete with rainbow cheesecake, books, and many other goodies. They are also hosting their annual Trunk or Treat on October 29th from 7 to 8 pm.
Another aspect of Have A Gay Day includes their national digital billboards, which aim to promote love, acceptance, and awareness, especially in marginalized areas. Knote revealed a collaboration between Have A Gay Day and Blip Digital Billboards, resulting in 1.728 million digital rotations of their billboards throughout the United States with the organization spending between $12,000 to $15,000 a year on the billboards. Previously, they have partnered with another non-profit called PFLAG (Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) on some of these billboards. According to Knote, billboards from Have A Gay Day have been in diverse places, such as Times Square and California airports. Certain billboards, such as the one in front of a Bass Pro Shop in Pearl Missouri, have attracted widespread attention and a conservative radio show discussed them. Knote stated that the radio show discussed the occurrence of demon rays emanating from the billboard. The billboards display diverse messages such as “love will always prevail”, “be careful who you hate, it could be someone you (trans flag heart) “, and “someone you know & love is LGBTQIA+”.
The importance of Have A Gay Day and the increasing influence of their message are apparent. Without their staff of mostly volunteers, partnerships with other organizations and companies, and online fundraising efforts, the community outreach programs would not be achievable. It is crucial to recognize the value of every individual and provide them with love and support. Have A Gay Day’s initiatives are bringing about positive changes for a wide range of individuals, including those beyond their immediate sphere, highlighting the importance of such organizations in community development. My hope after reading this article is that you have a clearer understanding that everyone deserves love, support, and respect.
Have A Gay Day Website: https://haveagayday.org/
Billboard Locations: https://haveagayday.org/billboard-locations
If you, or someone you know, are struggling with suicidal thoughts, please call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988
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