INDIANAPOLIS — Pride began as a riot. In June 1970, the first official Pride parades in New York City, San Francisco, Chicago, and Los Angeles were held to commemorate the 1969 Stonewall Riots, one year earlier.
Now, decades later, cities and towns from coast to coast, including Indianapolis, celebrate and recognize Pride Month and the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, non-binary and queer (LGBTQ) community.
June is both a time to celebrate, learn and remember where our society has been when it comes to social acceptance and legal rights for the LGBTQ community.
Here are ways for central Indiana Hoosiers to celebrate Pride Month and things to keep in mind.
Events & Things To Do:
- June 11: Shabbat with Pride
- June 11: Pride Night at the Drive-In
- June 11: Pride Block Party at Downtown Olly's
- June 12: Indy Pride 2021 Virtual Festival
- June 12: Pride Night Live at Gregs
- June 12: St. Luke’s United Methodist Church Pride Celebration
- June 13: Baby's June Pride Drag Brunch
- June 17: Dining Out for Life
- June 11 - 19: Bright Colors and Bold Patterns at IndyFringe
- June 25: DJs & Drinks: Bi & Pan Pride
- Shop the “Stay Proud. Stay Connected.” collection at the United State of Indiana.
- Watch "Ahead of The Curve" — A new movie that dropped this month about the global lesbian media outlet.
- Donate — There are many organizations, groups, and nonprofits doing the work to continue fighting for equality and who celebrate Pride. Here are a few organizations to keep in mind if you're interested in giving back in a monetary way:
- Indy Pride
- The Damien Center
- Indiana Youth Group
- Trinity Haven
- The Lesbian Bar Project
- The Trevor Project
- Trans Women of Color Collective
- GLAAD
Dates to Remember
June 12, 2016: Pulse Nightclub Shooting
June 26: Same-Sex marriage was legalized — and much more has happened on this historic day over the years for LGBTQ rights.
June 28, 1969: Stonewall Riots
Terms and things to keep in mind
Cisgender: Applies to someone whose gender matches their “assigned” sex at birth.
Transgender: Applies to a person whose gender is different from their “assigned” sex at birth. Doctors typically assign gender based on sexual organs, but sex and gender are different.
Non-binary: Non-binary, similar to genderqueer, is a spectrum of gender identities that are not exclusively masculine or exclusively feminine—identities that are outside the gender binary of male and female.
Genderqueer: Similar to “non-binary” – some people regard “queer” as offensive, others embrace it.
Genderfluid: Applies to a person whose gender identity changes over time or changes at different times.
Most readily available pronouns:
- She/Her
- He/Him
- They/Them
- Ze/Zee
- Some people don’t want to use pronouns at all and will ask you to refer to them by their name alone.
By first sharing your pronouns it invites others to feel they can share their pronouns in a welcoming space.
Coming Out:
"Coming Out" is the process a person took to acknowledge, accept and share their sexual identity with others.
Contact WRTV Real-Time Digital Editor Shakkira Harris at shakkira.harris@wrtv.com or on Twitter: @shakkirasays.
