(Photo via Flickr)

Cleveland’s 28th annual Pride celebration has been cancelled due to the “changing social climate,” according to Cleveland Pride organizers.

In a statement released on Cleveland Pride’s official website, President and CEO of Cleveland Pride Todd Saporito detailed the reasons behind the decision.

“We have been entrusted by our community to create a secure parade and festival environment for our LGBTQ brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, aunts, uncles, friends and allies. Because of the changing social climate, Cleveland Pride did not have enough time to engage in the development of awareness programs and training that we believe is critical in today’s environment. Therefore, we regretfully cancelled our 28th annual parade, rally and festival this year,” Saporito said in a statement.

The statement continued that “Pride is not a one-day celebration, but a daily act of visibility throughout our community.”

Cleveland Pride has promised to refund vendors and retailers.

Ken Schneck, host of nationally syndicated radio show “This Show is So Gay” and a Cleveland local, spoke with Cleveland.com about his disappointment and frustration over the celebration’s cancellation.

“I was floored. I got choked up, and I was pretty angry and sad with everything that we’ve dealt with lately,” Schneck told Cleveland.com. “It was not great to be gay in Cleveland last week.”

Schneck also noted that Cleveland Pride had already been rescheduled to accommodate for the Republican National Convention.

“There is much to celebrate here and much community time needed. For so many individuals in our Cleveland LGBTQ community, Cleveland Pride is either their first opportunity or only day the whole year to be both out and their fully realized selves. For all of us, it is an opportunity to be visible and to be together. Of course we can experience pride every day of the year, but the cancellation of this one day of pure and utter community is a deep, deep loss,” Schneck continued.

Other outraged members of the community have started a petition to have Saporito removed as CEO of Cleveland Pride.

Cleveland has celebrated Pride every year since 1989.