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Pride Month

June is Pride Month, a time to support and celebrate the voices and experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals! You can celebrate Pride by learning more about LGBTQ+ terminology, history, culture and lived experiences.

Important terminology

Terms for the LGBTQ+ community are always evolving to reflect the experiences of its members. Terms are often not universal and can have different meanings for different people based on their own lived experiences. The LGBTQIA Resource Center Glossary, Trans Student Educational Resources, and Pronouns.org are great tools to learn more about the LGBTQ+ community and terms. You can learn more about how to be an LGBTQ+ ally at work by clicking on this link.

Historical events and figures

  • The Stonewall Inn Riots, also known as the Stonewall Uprising, are considered the start of the LGBTQ+ rights movement. On June 28, 1969, the New York City police raided the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village citing liquor law violations, public displays of affection by same sex couples, and violations of the state’s “gender-appropriate” clothing statute. Patrons of the bar fought back against the raid, sparking six days of protests against police harassment of gender non-conforming and trans people—especially those of color. On the one-year anniversary the riots, thousands of people marched from the Stonewall Inn to Central Park in what is considered the first pride parade.
  • Marsha P. Johnson was an African American trans woman who rose to prominence in the 1960s during the Stonewall movement. Despite her own experiences with chronic homelessness and poverty, Marsha dedicated herself to help those in her community. She raised awareness within the LGBTQ+ community about the struggles of homeless trans adults and youth. She was known for her broad smile, colorful outfits, and dedication to creating safe spaces for others in her community.
  • Origins of Indiana Pride: Prior to the 1980s, LGBTQ+ Hoosiers would socialize in private spaces due to safety concerns. The ongoing police harassment of on gay men in Indianapolis spurred hundreds of Hoosiers to gather and protest this discrimination at Monument Circle in 1984. Six years later, Indiana held the first outdoor Pride event, “Celebration on the Circle.”

Demographics and lived experiences

Approximately 4.5% of the Hoosier adult population identifies as LGBTQ+. About 60% of the adult Hoosier LGBT Q+ population is between the ages of 18–34. A larger percentage of these adult LGBTQ+ Hoosiers experience food insecurity and lower household incomes compared to their non-LGBT peers.  
Indiana is also home to about 43,000 children (ages 13–17) who identify as LGBTQ+. About 23% of these high school students have attempted suicide, compared to 9% of their non-LGBTQ+ high school peers. LGBTQ+ students were also more likely to reported being bullied and feeling unsafe on school property.  
Nationally, LGBTQ+ youth—specifically those who are Black, multiracial, and have intersecting identities—experience disproportionate rates of homelessness compared to other populations. Studies suggest these higher rates may be due to experiencing abuse at home, aging out of the foster care system, rejection and eviction from their family, and/or financial and emotional neglect. These higher rates of homelessness place LGBTQ+ youth at risk of traumatic experiences, stigmatization, abuse, and negative social determinants of health outcomes.

Culture highlights

Ballroom culture began as a countercultural movement in New York City led by Black and Latinx queer youth. Participants perform on a stage or runway in a variety of competitions. Participants also form Houses and families providing LGBTQ+ youth with mentors and role models for those who are not able to safely stay with their biological parents. Recently, ballroom culture has entered mainstream society through television shows such as: My House docuseries, Pose scripted drama, and HBO’s Legendary competition.

Events in Indiana

Helpful links

Resources