Indy Pride Festival

Last updated
Indy Pride Festival
Cherpride.jpg
Main Stage, 2007
Genre LGBTQ, pride parade
Location(s) Indianapolis, Indiana
Attendance95,000
Organised by Indy Pride, Inc.

Indy Pride Festival (formerly Circle City IN Pride) is the annual week of LGBT pride events in Indianapolis. The week is organized by LGBTQ organization Indy Pride, Inc., and has been held under this name and organization for over a decade. In recent years, more than 95,000 gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and heterosexual people have attended the festival. [1] Indy Pride's Parade and Festival is held the 2nd Saturday in June, with a week of events leading up to it, in honor of the Stonewall Riots and in accordance with other United States pride festivals. Indy Pride Festival is the largest LGBT pride event in Indiana. [2]

Contents

According to former Indy Pride President, Gary Brackett, "The festival and events are to celebrate gay pride and bring the community together. We're trying to bring visibility to the greater Indianapolis community of how many gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people there are here." [3]

Background

The first known Pride week in Indianapolis was celebrated in 1976 with the support of Metropolitan Community Church and Gay Peoples Union. [4] However, the first Indy Pride, Inc., sponsored event began in 1996 as a week-long celebration of events. Jeffrey Cleary and Bill McKinley served as Co-Chairs for the city's first ever pride week. [5] The celebration held 10 events in seven days, culminating with a pride fair on the downtown Indy Canal. [6] In 2011, the festival broke records by attracting a record estimate 70,000 attendees. [1] In 2012, the week of events opened with the new "Rainbow 5k Run/Walk". [7] The festival saw the addition of a 2nd stage, as well as an expansion in family-friendly entertainment. [8] Attendance grew every year in the following decade until 2020 and 2021 when the event was not held in person due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [9]

Anti-Pride protests and opposition

In a 2016 interview, Gary Brackett acknowledged that a few protestors oppose the event every year. According to Brackett, both the crowd and the anti-Pride protestors have received police protection. [10]

Festival

Live entertainment during the 2009 festival Indy Pride, Indianapolis, Indiana.jpg
Live entertainment during the 2009 festival

The festival includes several attractions for the LGBT community and allies, to browse and watch. Local LGBTQ groups and supportive businesses sponsor booths catering to the community as a whole, as well as special interest groups. Surrounding the park, food vendors and other businesses also set up displays to show support and to market to the community. The main stage overlooks the event and serves as a centerpiece for the festival. National and local talents provide performances from the stage. Performances have included the Pride of Indy Band, singers, national recording artists, drag performances, DJs, and speeches.

Performances have ranged from pure entertainment, such as RuPaul who performed at the close of the festival in 2006 and Kat DeLuna who performed in 2009, to informational speeches, such as from Candace Gingrich, who in 2007, gave a speech for the Human Rights Campaign on same-sex marriage issues. [3] [11] [12] In 2012, the festival added a 2nd stage dedicated to DJs and dance music, as well as an area designated for family friendly entertainment. [8]

Parade

The inaugural Indy Pride Parade (formerly known as the Cadillac Barbie Pride Parade) occurred on Saturday, June 14, 2003, in the Mass Ave Cultural Arts District. The parade route extended southwest on Massachusetts Avenue from its intersection with St. Clair Street and College Avenue to Vermont Street, terminating at University Park in downtown Indianapolis. [13] The first parade was small with only eight participants and lasted 15 minutes. It has since grown into a 2-hour-plus-long event. [3] By 2009, the parade had grown to include more than 100 floats and participants. [14]

The parade was suspended in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Indiana. [15]

Grand marshals

Attendance

Total estimated annual attendance of the parade and festival.

YearLocation(s)Attendance
20022,000 [11]
2003
2004
200525,000 [11]
2006 University Park; Garfield Park [11] 25,000 [3]
2007University Park30,000 [26]
2008University Park35,000 [26]
2009University Park [27] [12] 45,000 [28]
2010 American Legion Mall 55,000 [14]
2011American Legion Mall; Veterans Memorial Plaza 70,000 [1]
2012American Legion Mall; Veterans Memorial Plaza80,000 [29]
2013American Legion Mall; Veterans Memorial Plaza85,000 [30]
2014American Legion Mall; Veterans Memorial Plaza95,000 [31]
2015American Legion Mall; Veterans Memorial Plaza106,000 [32]
2016American Legion Mall; Veterans Memorial Plaza110,000 [33]
2017 Military Park [33]
2018Military Park [34]
2019Military Park [35]
2020held virtually due to COVID-19 pandemic 40,000 [9]
2021held virtually due to COVID-19 pandemic [9]
2022Military Park [15] 100,000 [36]
2023Military Park [36] 32,000—35,000 [37] [38]
2024Military Park [39]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Capital Pride (Washington, D.C.)</span> Annual LGBT event in Washington, D.C.

Capital Pride is an annual LGBT pride festival held in early June each year in Washington, D.C. It was founded as Gay Pride Day, a one-day block party and street festival, in 1975. In 1980 the P Street Festival Committee formed to take over planning. It changed its name to Gay and Lesbian Pride Day in 1981. In 1991, the event moved to the week prior to Father's Day. Financial difficulties led a new organization, One In Ten, to take over planning of the festival. Whitman-Walker Clinic (WWC) joined One In Ten as co-sponsor of the event in 1997, at which time the event's name was changed to Capital Pride. Whitman-Walker became the sole sponsor in 2000. But the healthcare organization came under significant financial pressures, and in 2008 turned over producing duties to a new organization, Capital Pride Alliance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Los Angeles Pride</span> One of the worlds largest LGBTQ events

The LA Pride Festival & Parade, commonly known as LA Pride, is an annual LGBTQ Pride celebration in Los Angeles, California. It is one of the largest LGBTQ Pride events in the world, traditionally held on the second weekend of June, and produced by the Christopher Street West Association.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NYC Pride March</span> Event celebrating the LGBTQ community

The NYC Pride March is an annual event celebrating the LGBTQ community in New York City. The largest pride parade and the largest pride event in the world, the NYC Pride March attracts tens of thousands of participants and millions of sidewalk spectators each June, and carries spiritual and historical significance for the worldwide LGBTQIA+ community and its advocates. Entertainer Madonna stated in 2024, "Aside from my birthday, New York Pride is the most important day of the year." The route through Lower Manhattan traverses south on Fifth Avenue, through Greenwich Village, passing the Stonewall National Monument, site of the June 1969 riots that launched the modern movement for LGBTQ+ rights.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pride of Indy Band and Color Guard</span>

The Pride of Indy Bands is a performing musical ensemble in Indianapolis of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and other LGBT-friendly musicians. Founded in March 2005, The Pride of Indy Band and Color Guard is currently the only LGBT instrumental and pageantry ensemble in Indiana, and is a member of the Lesbian and Gay Band Association. The organization conducts its activities in a supportive, accepting and affirming atmosphere, and includes experienced and amateur musicians. The band also assists adult members who do not have access to instruments by helping them rent or borrow instruments through local organizations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Houston Gay Pride Parade</span> Annual LGBT event in Houston, Texas, US

The Houston Gay Pride Parade is the major feature of a gay pride festival held annually since 1979. The festival takes place in June to celebrate the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people and their allies. This event commemorates the 1969 police raid of the Stonewall Inn on Christopher Street in New York City's Greenwich Village neighborhood, which is generally considered to be the beginning of the modern gay rights movement. Protests against police harassment in Houston also helped bring about the parade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WorldPride</span> International LGBTQ Pride celebration and parade

WorldPride is a series of international LGBT pride events coordinated by InterPride; they are hosted in conjunction with local LGBT pride festivals, with host cities selected via bids voted on during InterPride's annual general meetings. Its core events include opening and closing ceremonies, a pride parade, and an LGBT human rights conference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indy Pride</span> LGBTQ organization in Indianapolis, Indiana

Indy Pride is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization based in Indianapolis, Indiana. It is a community-based, non-profit organization that seeks "to unite and serve its members and the LGBTQ community of Central Indiana through leadership development, educational and support programs, and community events that achieve inclusivity, equality, strong community connections, and awareness of LGBTQ issues." The organization started in 1995 as the coordinator of the city's annual gay pride parade and event—Indy Pride Festival—but later grew into an umbrella for multiple LGBT community entities, including the Chris Gonzalez Library and Archives, Indy Bag Ladies, and Indianapolis LGBT Film Festival.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atlanta Pride</span> Annual LGBT event in Atlanta

Atlanta Pride, also colloquially called the Atlanta Gay Pride Festival, is a week-long annual lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBTQ) pride festival held in Atlanta, Georgia. Established in 1971, it is one of the oldest and largest pride festivals in the United States. According to the Atlanta Pride Committee, as of 2017, attendance had continually grown to around 300,000. Originally held in June, Atlanta Pride has been held in October every year since 2008, typically on a weekend closest to National Coming Out Day.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dublin Pride</span> Annual LGBTQ+ event in Dublin, Ireland

The Dublin LGBTQ+ Pride Festival is an annual series of events which celebrates lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ+) life in Dublin, Ireland. It is the largest LGBTQ+ pride festival on the island of Ireland. The festival culminates in a pride parade which is held annually on the last Saturday in June. The event has grown from a one-day event in 1974 to a ten-day festival celebrating LGBT culture in Ireland with an expanded arts, social and cultural content.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Gonzalez Collection</span> Special collection in Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.

The Chris Gonzalez Collection, formerly the Chris Gonzalez Library and Archives, is a special collection housed at the Central Library of the Indianapolis Public Library in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. The collection contains more than 7,000 materials focused on local and national LGBTQ+ issues and history. Its namesake, Christopher T. Gonzalez, was a local LGBTQ+ activist and founder of Indiana Youth Group. In 2019, Indy Pride partnered with the Indianapolis Public Library to open the collection to the public.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Louis PrideFest</span> Annual event in Missouri

PrideFest St. Louis is an annual LGBT pride event in St. Louis, Missouri. The event is organized by Pride St. Louis, an LGBT non-profit organization in the Greater St. Louis area. Between 350,000-500,000 people attend the two day festival and grand parade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seattle Pride</span> Annual LGBT event in Seattle, Washington

Seattle Pride refers to a series of events which are held annually throughout the month of June to celebrate LGBT Pride in Seattle, Washington. Seattle Pride also refers to the nonprofit organization Seattle Out and Proud which coordinates and promotes LGBTQIA+ events and programs in Seattle year-round including the Seattle Pride Parade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Calgary Pride</span> Annual LGBT event in Calgary, Alberta

Calgary Pride is an LGBT pride festival, held annually in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The event is organized by Pride Calgary, a non-profit organization, and is currently held in the final week of August, with the closing parade falling on the first weekend of September when necessary, each year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edmonton Pride</span> Annual LGBT event in Edmonton, Alberta

The Edmonton Pride Festival is a 2SLGBTQ+ pride festival, held annually in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pride Winnipeg</span> Annual LGBT event in Winnipeg, Manitoba

Pride Winnipeg Festival is a 10-day LGBT pride festival, held annually in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It is one of the largest organized pride festivals in central Canada, featuring 10-days of community-organized events, a Dyke March, a rally, Pride Parade, outdoor festival and closing party.

Throughout Dallas–Fort Worth, there is a large lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community. Since 2005, DFW has constituted one of the largest LGBT communities in Texas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Twin Cities Pride</span>

Twin Cities Pride, sometimes Twin Cities LGBT Pride, is an American nonprofit organization in Minnesota that hosts an annual celebration each June that focuses on the LGBT community. The celebration features a pride parade which draws crowds of nearly 600,000 people. The parade was designated the Ashley Rukes GLBT Pride Parade in honor of the late former parade organizer and transgender LGBT rights activist. Other Twin Cities Pride events include a festival in Loring Park and a block party spanning multiple days.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Washington Street–Monument Circle Historic District</span> Historic district in Indiana, United States

Washington Street–Monument Circle Historic District is a national historic district located at Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, covering the first two blocks of East and West Washington and Market streets, the south side of the 100 block of East Ohio Street, Monument Circle, the first block of North and South Meridian Street, the first two blocks of North Pennsylvania Street, the west side of the first two blocks of North Delaware Street, the east side of the first block of North Capitol Avenue, and the first block of North Illinois Street. In total, the district encompasses 40 contributing buildings and 2 contributing structures in the central business district of Indianapolis centered on Monument Circle. It developed between about 1852 and 1946, and includes representative examples of Italianate, Greek Revival, and Art Deco style architecture.

Stan Berg was a gay rights activist, business owner, and publisher of Indianapolis-based gay press magazine, The Works.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Smith, Erika D. (2011-06-12). "Gay pride festival goes mainstream this year". Indianapolis Star. Archived from the original on June 15, 2011. Retrieved 2013-12-04.
  2. ↑ "Indy Pride: Don't Miss Indiana's Largest Celebration of Acceptance & Equality". www.visitindiana.com. 2018-05-15. Retrieved 2022-06-21.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Jarosz, Francesca (June 9, 2007). "Gay pride events are growing: Organizers expect more than 25,000 people to participate in festivities Downtown today". The Indianapolis Star. ProQuest   240902498 . Retrieved June 21, 2022.
  4. ↑ Poletika, Nicole (2021-10-05). "From "Gay Knights" to Celebration on the Circle: A History of Pride in Indianapolis". The Indiana History Blog. Retrieved 2022-06-22.
  5. ↑ Lee, M. A Visual Journey: From AIDS to Marriage Equality. Indiana Historical Society. https://indianahistory.org/wp-content/uploads/Proof_Edits_4-1.pdf, p. 11 archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220402003427/https://indianahistory.org/wp-content/uploads/Proof_Edits_4-1.pdf archive-date=April 2, 2022
  6. ↑ "Indy Pride". indyencyclopedia.org. 2021-07-12. Retrieved 2022-06-22.
  7. ↑ Harvey, Jay (2012-05-29). "Circle City will show its pride during festival". Indianapolis Star. indystar.com. Archived from the original on July 4, 2012. Retrieved 2013-12-04.
  8. 1 2 Taflinger, Neal (2012-05-31). "Not all flamboyant: Gay-pride festival expands kids events". Indianapolis Star. indystar.com. Archived from the original on June 2, 2012. Retrieved 2013-12-04.
  9. 1 2 3 Nelson, Sarah. "Indy Pride will be virtual for the second year in a row". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved June 21, 2022.
  10. ↑ "Q&A: Indy Pride Parade Founder Gary Brackett". Indianapolis Monthly. 2016-06-10. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  11. 1 2 3 4 Tan, Aldrich M. (June 9, 2006). "Gay pride parade and festival to be highlights of 5 pride days: Breast cancer seminar is tonight; floats will start..." Indianapolis Star. ProQuest   240830034 . Retrieved 2022-06-30.
  12. 1 2 Banes, T.J. (May 15, 2009). "Summer of festivals". The Indianapolis Star. ProQuest   241012060 . Retrieved June 30, 2022.
  13. ↑ "Gay pride parade first in more than 10 years" . The Indianapolis Star . June 14, 2003. p. 15. Retrieved May 23, 2024– via Newspapers.com. The event, sponsored by Indy Pride In, kicks off at 9 a.m. with a gay pride parade, the first in the city in more than a decade, said Ivan Howard, co-chairman of the event. The parade will start at the intersection of St. Clair Street and College and Massachusetts avenues. The parade route runs southwest on Massachusetts to Vermont Street, then turns west and heads into University Park.
  14. 1 2 "Circle City IN Pride Parade". Archived from the original on 2009-05-21. Retrieved 2013-12-19.
  15. 1 2 Dwyer, Kayla; King, Channing. "After 2-year hiatus, Indy Pride parade and festival return to Downtown Indy Saturday". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved May 23, 2024.
  16. ↑ "Circle City IN Pride - Grand Marshal".
  17. ↑ http://www.circlecityinpride.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Pride-Press-Release-IYG.pdf [ bare URL PDF ]
  18. ↑ "Indy Pride, Inc., Announces Your Grand Marshals for the 2014 Cadillac Barbie Pride Parade".
  19. ↑ "Circle City IN Pride - Grand Marshal".
  20. ↑ "2016 Grand Marshals Announced".
  21. ↑ "2017 Grand Marshals".
  22. ↑ Bartner, Amy. "4 unexpected things you'll see at 2018 Indy Pride — and one you won't". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved 2022-06-21.
  23. ↑ "Four Grand Marshalls of 2019 Indy Pride parade announced". WRTV. 2019-04-11. Retrieved 2022-06-21.
  24. ↑ "Parade". Indy Pride, Inc. Retrieved 2022-06-21.
  25. ↑ Bushman, Heather (June 10, 2023). "'The love, the laughter': Hoosiers ring in Pride with annual festival and parade". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved May 23, 2024.
  26. 1 2 Hayes, Melanie (June 15, 2008). "A day of fun, sun and . . . pride: Annual festival and parade draw tens of thousands to Downtown sites". The Indianapolis Star. ProQuest   240960660.
  27. ↑ "Pride and joy". The Indianapolis Star. June 14, 2009. ProQuest   241011144 . Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  28. ↑ Patriarche, Crystal (June 6, 2010). "Circle City IN Pride Parade & Festival". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  29. ↑ "History of Pride". Indy Pride, Inc. Retrieved June 21, 2022.
  30. ↑ "Photos: Indy Pride Festival Reaches Record Attendance—85,000". Indianapolis Monthly. June 13, 2013. Retrieved June 21, 2022.
  31. ↑ "Photos: 2014's Record-Breaking Indy Pride". Indianapolis Monthly. June 15, 2014. Retrieved June 21, 2022.
  32. ↑ Wang, Stephanie. "Amid 50,000 at Pride parade, a show of corporate support". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved June 21, 2022.
  33. 1 2 Bartner, Amy. "Circle City IN Pride festival moves to bigger location". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved June 21, 2022.
  34. ↑ Bartner, Amy (June 7, 2018). "4 unexpected things you'll see at 2018 Indy Pride — and one you won't". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved May 23, 2024.
  35. ↑ Sims, Chris (June 6, 2019). "What you need to know about Indy Pride Parade and Festival". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved May 23, 2024.
  36. 1 2 McGee, Lakyn (10 June 2023). "2023 Indy Pride Parade and festival kicks off in downtown Indianapolis". WISH-TV . Retrieved May 23, 2024.
  37. ↑ Gay, Logan (8 June 2024). "Event organizers, IMPD detail safety plan for Indy Pride Parade and Festival". WTHR . Retrieved June 17, 2024.
  38. ↑ Dauphinais, Sydney (8 June 2024). "Thousands gather for the Indy Pride festival in downtown Indianapolis". WFYI . Retrieved 17 June 2024.
  39. ↑ Tufts, John. "The Beaches, Motown icon Thelma Houston to headline 2024 Indy Pride Festival". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved May 23, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.