Latest news with #IndyPride
Axios
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Axios
Indy Pride plans two-day event, despite tough climate
Indy Pride is adding an extra day to the annual celebration of the LGBTQ+ community despite a tough political climate. Why it matters: It's the 30th anniversary for Indy Pride and organizers say folks wanted Pride weekend to truly feel like a whole weekend-long celebration — a needed balm for the anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric that's gotten louder over the last year. What they're saying:"You can feel it in the energy," said Tina Robb, Pride's marketing director. "You can feel that people aren't wanting to celebrate as much this year. They're a little scared." "It's hard, but we're going to do it. We're going to celebrate. This is our month to be loud and proud." The big picture: Once-proud corporate America is pivoting. Companies big and small across the U.S. have pulled their support for some Pride events amid a larger rollback of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. Mastercard, Citi, Pepsi, Nissan and PwC pulled sponsorship of NYC Pride and Minneapolis' Twin Cities Pride rejected Target's sponsorship dollars, citing the company's DEI rollbacks. State of play: "Once the DEI announcement came out, we started to see community sponsors and major sponsors that could no longer participate with Indy Pride," Robb said. "It wasn't angry. It wasn't anything hostile. It was … it is what it is. "It's disappointing and upsetting, but there's always support out there." Robb would not list which sponsors backed out but said they've been able to fill in gaps and the show will go on. Zoom in: Pride weekend starts Saturday, June 14, with the annual parade along Mass Ave. Robb said that event is largely unchanged, but will be smaller this year than last. They're expecting about 200 participating groups, rather than the 250 they had last year. The traditional festival and concert that follows the parade is back, but in a new spot and will last for two days. What's new: The location. Construction near Military Park where festival vendors usually set up forced Indy Pride to look for a new home. "Since it's our 30th anniversary, we said, 'Why don't we connect things back to the history?'" Robb said. The earliest Pride celebrations were on Monument Circle, so that's where the free two-day festival will be this year. The ticketed concert, called Word of Mouth, is moving to the American Legion Mall on Saturday and Sunday. It'll be headlined by Natasha Bedingfield Saturday and Tinashe Sunday. If you go: The festivities start at 10am June 14 for the free parade on Mass Ave. The free Celebration on the Circle runs noon to 5pm June 14 and 15. Word of Mouth is 2-10pm both days. Tickets are $42 for one day or $62 for both. Pro tip: Robb said volunteers get a free ticket to Word of Mouth and attendees at one of the earlier Pride month events can get a discount of 20% off tickets by asking at the Indy Pride Inc. tent.
Axios
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Axios
Indianapolis weekend events: SPARK on the Circle, Pride Month events, Indiana Fever and more
SPARK on the Circle returns to Monument Circle this weekend for another season. Why it matters: Now in its third year, the free pedestrian-friendly pop-up park that represents an effort to bolster downtown's appeal has blossomed into a beloved way to spend some fun in the sun. The latest: SPARK starts at 11am Saturday in the northwest quadrant of Monument Circle. It'll be open daily from 11am until dusk through Sept. 28. Zoom in: The launch celebration is headlined by a Pride Month kickoff with the Big Gay Pride Market, open 11am-3pm Saturday and Sunday. Swing by to experience a lineup of more than 60 queer artists, creators, DJs and a special performance at 1pm from the Geeks & Grooves saxophone collective. Here are the rest of our weekend picks: 🩰 Experience Dance Kaleidoscope's season finale when they present Under the Covers at Newfield's Tobias Theater, 7pm Friday and Saturday, 2pm Sunday. Tickets start at $37. ⚾ Snag a foul ball while the Indianapolis Indians host the Nashville Sounds in a weekend series at Victory Field. Games begin at 7:05pm Friday, 6:35pm Saturday and 1:35pm Sunday. Tickets start at $15. 🏀 See if the Fever can score another win when they take on the Connecticut Sun, 7:30pm Friday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Tickets start at $7. 🐕 Take in one of the most adorable Indy Pride events for free when Pet Pride hits Riverside Park, 10am Saturday. 🍺 Enjoy good beer and good times at the 4th Annual JoCo Pours in the Park at Johnson County Park, noon Saturday. 🍻 Keep the suds flowing in Westfield during the 9th Annual Rock the Junction Craft Beer & Music Festival, 1pm Saturday at Grand Junction Brewing Co. 🙌 Worship with your neighbors at the Indy Pride Interfaith Celebration, 10am Sunday in Riverside Park. 🧢 Watch softball for a good cause during the free Indy Pride Community Picnic & Bat 'n' Rouge event, 1pm Sunday at Riverside Park.
Indianapolis Star
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Indianapolis Star
June is Pride Month. Here's how Indy's LGBTQ+ community is celebrating 🌈
Parades awash in colorful rainbows, concerts and friendly meetups will mark Pride Month, an annual celebration of identity for the LGBTQ+ community every June. In Central Indiana, the Indy Pride festival kicks off soon with more events planned throughout the month. Both Carmel and Irvington will hold similar celebrations near the end of June. The festivities are happening during a time of increased public hostility toward the Trans community, which includes continuing political backlash from state and federal officials in the Trump Administration. Data from the ACLU shows more than 500 anti-LGBTQ+ bills were filed this year alone — nine of which in Indiana. Despite the stormy rhetoric, here's how Indianapolis is showing its Pride. Story continues after photo gallery. June 14, 2025, is the date of this year's Indy Pride parade. The parade starts at 10 a.m. and lasts until noon, beginning at 748 Massachusetts Avenue. The route travels southwest along Mass Ave then turns north on Delaware Avenue, finishing at Michigan Street. Map courtesy of Indy Pride. Indy Pride is partnering with iPark, according to officials, to offer parking for parade attendees. Additional parking locations can be viewed online at Indy Pride is hosting a Celebration on the Circle Pride Festival from noon to 5 p.m. at Monument Circle. The event will include local art and food vendors, a community zone with local organizations and drag performances. The Word of Mouth music concert takes place at the American Legion Mall, 700 N. Pennsylvania St, from 2-10 p.m. on Saturday, June 14, and Sunday, June 15. Tickets to the Indy Pride Word of Mouth concert series range from $35 to more than $800, depending on what package you select. They include the following: You can purchase tickets to the Indy Pride Word of Mouth concert at More about Pride Month: Consider these novels for an LGBTQ+ Pride Month reading list. Officials with Indy Pride announced dozens of musical artists would perform at this year's Indy Pride concert series. Saturday's headliners include British singer-songwriter Natasha Bedingfield ("Unwritten"), Coco & Breezy and Aluna. Sunday features Tinashe, Big Wild and Snow Wife. Here's the full schedule: Pride Month is celebrated in June to commemorate the 1969 Stonewall Riots, a days-long series of protests against police raids at a New York City gay bar that led to shift in LGBTQ+ activism across the country. More about Indy Pride: 'The laws are the laws:' Indy Pride organizers balance event safety, community concerns. IndyStar public safety reporter Ryan Murphy contributed to this article.
Indianapolis Star
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Indianapolis Star
'The laws are the laws:' Indy Pride organizers balance event safety, community concerns
Show Caption Five years after Indy Pride stopped hiring police for event security, organizers say they're still keeping law enforcement at arm's length while staying compliant with city code. The plans to retain status quo were announced during a public discussion between the Party for Socialism and Liberation and Indy Pride on April 23. A chair reserved for the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department sat empty. Indy Pride, the organization that hosts events, including the annual June parade, announced a plan to replace police with private security firms in June 2020. Leadership cited solidarity with protests against police brutality. Per city code, only law enforcement can manage road closures and direct traffic away from outdoor festivities. Uniformed officers remain just outside the celebrations, causing some attendees to wonder whether Indy Pride's stance on police at Pride has changed. 'We will continue to stand with Black Lives Matter,' Jose Castillo Jimenez, Indy Pride board president, said April 23. The security personnel that now monitor events are not police officers, according to Castillo Jimenez. Representatives for Indy Pride explained that they'd be unable to get permits for their largest events, which can attract as many as 60,000 visitors, without some degree of cooperation with police. The discussion in Indianapolis came amid an ongoing national conversation about the role of law enforcement at LGBTQ+ celebrations. Pride month is celebrated in June to commemorate the 1969 Stonewall Riots, a days-long series of protests against police raids at a New York City gay bar. Nearly all of the attendees who spoke at the April 23 meeting said that the presence of law enforcement turns what should feel like a safe space into a hostile environment. 'Whenever I see police officers, I get nervous,' said Riley Seungyoon Park, an Indianapolis writer. 'I get extremely nervous, because I know what they do to our community members.' A feeling of distrust has only increased amid a recent swath of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in Indiana and throughout the country. 'We don't have to imagine a reality in which trans people develop a profound anxiety simply existing in public life out of fear for their safety, because we're already there,' said Elliot Froese, a graduate student. While it's possible that volunteers could one day replace some police who surround the event's perimeters, Indy Pride currently lacks the necessary manpower and insurance to make that possible, board members said. Police would still be needed for road closures under city rules. "The laws are the laws, and we have to follow them at the end of the day, so we can give you what you want — so you can have joy," said Aundrea Lacy, an Indy Pride board member. Derek Ford, one of the town hall's organizers, said IMPD earlier said they'd send a representative but then reversed course shortly before the event. "The absence is very present," Ford said. An IMPD spokesperson said Indy Pride had contacted one of the department's LGBTQ+ liaisons to see if anyone was available, but all were busy. IMPD and Indy Pride In 2021, Indy Pride landed at the center of a social media controversy after posting a photo of friends posing in an Indy 500 car, holding pride flags. The post was swiftly deleted after commenters decried the IMPD logo on one person's t-shirt. "This photo hurt members of our community that are actively fighting against police brutality," Indy Pride said in a statement after the deletion. IMPD faced online backlash of its own after wrapping a patrol car with a rainbow flag decal in June 2023. In response, a department spokesperson told IndyStar that IMPD "celebrates Pride Month and the contributions of our LGBTQ+ colleagues within our department, community and our city." 2025 Indy Pride events May 3: Drippin' in Pearls Pageant, Mr & Mx categories, 5 - 11 p.m., Krannert Room in Butler University's Clowes Memorial Hall, 4602 Sunset Ave. May 4: Drippin' in Pearls Pageant, Ms. Category, 5 - 11 p.m., Krannert Room in Butler University's Clowes Memorial Hall, 4602 Sunset Ave. May 10: Rainbow 5k run/walk, 7 a.m., Fowling Warehouse, 1125 E. Brookside Ave., Ste. D9 May 11: 250 Tricycle race, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m., Sun King Brewery, 135 N. College Ave. May 16: Asian and Pacific Islander Pride dance party, 7 – 10 p.m., 10 East Arts Hub, 3137 E. 10th St. May 31: Pride Pet Parade, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m., Riverside Park, 2420 E. Riverside Drive. June 1: Interfaith celebration, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m., Riverside Park, 2420 E. Riverside Drive June 1: Cookout and Bat N Rouge, 1 – 5 p.m., Riverside Park, 2420 E. Riverside Drive June 6: Queeraoke Night, 6 – 10 p.m., 10 East Arts Hub, 3137 E. 10th St. June 9: Deaf Pride, 7 – 10 p.m., Greg's Our Place, 231 E. 16th St. June 12: Girl Pride, 7 – 11 p.m., The Vogue Theatre, 6259 N. College Ave. June 14: Pride Parade, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m., begins at 748 Massachusetts Ave. June 14 - 15: Celebration on the Circle Pride Festival, 12 p.m. – 5 p.m., Monument Circle June 14 - 15: Word of Mouth music series, 2 – 10 p.m., American Legion Mall, 700 N. Pennsylvania St. June 21: Betty Who Out of the Darkness Tour, 6 p.m., Hi-Fi Annex, 1065 St. Patrick St. June 26: Bi and Beyond: A Pride Celebration, 7 – 10 p.m., 10 East Arts Hub, 3137 E. 10th St.
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
After AG Todd Rokita's pride flag post on April Fools' Day, LGBTQ+ groups want an apology
An April Fools' Day social media post on the Indiana Republican attorney general's accounts raised eyebrows and drew condemnation from some of his constituents. The message attributed to Todd Rokita on Tuesday said he was brainwashed and showed him standing next to the pride flag, a universal symbol of hope and visibility for LGBTQ+ people worldwide. Pride groups across Indiana have since called for Rokita to apologize. Outraged social media users have sharply criticized the attorney general, calling his professional ethics into question. A request by IndyStar with questions posed to Rokita's office went unanswered before the publication of this article. Here's what we know. On Tuesday, Rokita posted the following message both on Facebook and X, which read: "The Left wins... They have finally brainwashed me," wrote someone on Rokita's official account, coupled with images of the Attorney General standing beside a pride flag. "I am taking down our 'Come And Take It' flag and replacing it with this one. April Fools!" Rokita's words have rankled some Hoosiers across the state. On Wednesday, Pride Lafayette demanded Rokita issue an apology. "It is disrespectful, unbecoming, and beneath the office of Attorney General," wrote Derrick Jones, executive director of Pride Lafayette Inc. in a fiery letter. Jones added the pride flag "is not a punchline or a joke" to LGBTQ+ Hoosiers, but a symbol of equality, hope and a remembrance for those who died from the AIDS epidemic. Story continues after photo gallery. "For the state's chief law enforcement officer to use an official communications channel to mock the pride flag and the LGBTQ+ community is as disgraceful as it is insulting," Jones wrote. "Whether he likes it or not, LGBTQ+ Hoosiers live here, pay taxes here, raise families here, and are entitled to the same rights and representation as other Hoosiers.' Indy Pride, a nonprofit organization for the Indianapolis LGBTQ+ community, joined others Thursday in denouncing Rokita. "We believe that public officials should uphold the dignity of all communities they serve," a spokesperson for Indy Pride said in a message to IndyStar. "Words and actions that mock or demean the LGBTQ+ community contribute to division rather than unity. We encourage the attorney general to acknowledge the harm caused and to affirm the value and respect of LGBTQ+ Hoosiers." Indy Pride encourages all public officials, a spokesperson said, to recognize the impact their words have on the diverse communities they serve. Story continues after photo gallery. Rokita appears to have joined a list of public figures and companies whose April Fools' Day antics may have tarnished their own image. By Thursday on Facebook, Rokita's post had 2.3K "angry" reactions compared to 484 "laughing," 204 "like" and 23 "heart" reactions. While some social media users on X left smiling emoji faces in response to Rokita, most had pointed words for Indiana's attorney general. Social media users who responded to Rokita's posts pointed out the attorney general represents all Hoosiers and called the message "distasteful," among other comments. More about Todd Rokita: Indiana Attorney General faces another Supreme Court Disciplinary Commission charge. Here's what it says. John Tufts covers trending news for IndyStar and Midwest Connect. Send him a news tip at JTufts@ Find him on BlueSky at JohnWritesStuff. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana AG makes April Fools joke about LGBTQ+ Pride. Not everyone's laughing
