Indy Pride stronger than ever, organizers say
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A "slate of hate" that came out of the Indiana Statehouse earlier this year makes this weekend's Pride parade and festival more important than ever, executive director Shelly Snider told Axios.
Driving the news: Indy Pride returns Saturday stronger than ever — it surpassed its $600,000+ fundraising goal and has a record number of parade participants registered.
Yes, but: Snider said two sponsors asked to remove their names from the public list of sponsors due to pushback but still gave financial support.
The big picture: Dozens of anti-LGBTQ+ bills were introduced at the Indiana Statehouse during the legislative session that ended in April — including one that bans gender-affirming care for transgender youth, which became law.
- The effort to restrict the rights of the LGBTQ+ community and, in particular, transgender individuals was part of a larger nationwide wave that saw many states file similar legislation.
The intrigue: Several of the families of transgender children who publicly opposed the ban on gender-affirming health care for Hoosier kids are this year's parade grand marshals.
What they're saying: "We haven't had any direct threats," Snider said. "We have had a couple of emails … that say things like, 'you don't belong … just shut up.'"
- "And in response to that, we're gonna throw a party and we're gonna be happy and be our authentic selves."
If you go: The parade begins at 10am on Mass Ave, followed by the festival at Military Park from 11am to 11pm.
- The parade route, which is longer this year to better accommodate the tens of thousands of spectators, runs along Mass Ave from College Avenue to Delaware Street.
- The festival has three stages, with Saucy Santana and DJ Big Baby headlining the main stage.
- Organizers encourage festivalgoers to buy tickets, which start at $10, in advance.
Of note: The festival is instituting a clear bag policy this year as part of increased security measures.