INDIANAPOLIS — Just days into Pride Month, on Tuesday the Human Rights Campaign declared a national state of emergency for LGBTQ Americans.
The move comes after a wave of anti-LGBTQ bills proposed this year around the country, including in Indiana.
Advocates in Indianapolis say that's why it's more important than ever to stand up and stay strong.
"Anytime we have to explain to people steps they have to take to keep themselves safe, it's jarring. But it's necessary, it's the call that had to be made," said Zoe O'Haillin-Berne, director of engagement at Indiana Youth Group.
O'Haillin-Berne said she was concerned but not surprised to see the Human Rights Campaign declaring a national state of emergency Tuesday for LGBTQ people.
This shines a light on LGBTQ people being targeted, O'Haillin-Berne said, and it's an increase she's seen firsthand in her work at Indiana Youth Group.
"In recent weeks, we've been getting a lot of hate mail, phone calls, emails, people threatening to come out to our youth carnival to try and intimidate the kids so they'll leave," O'Haillin-Berne said. "They're trying to scare the kids off from coming to our center and that's terrifying. So we're doing everything we can to try and mitigate that and stop that in its tracks because kids need safe spaces."
Indiana lawmakers passed a number of anti-LGBTQ bills this session, including a ban on gender-affirming care. Nationally, more than 400 anti-LGBTQ bills were introduced in the first few months of the year, according to ACLU data.
O'Haillin-Berne said she believes it's emboldening people.
"It's bred an environment, a culture where people feel like they can lash out at the community because these laws have told them it's OK," O'Haillin-Berne said.
Along with the declaration, the group released a guidebook for LGBTQ travelers and residents as well as a summary of laws state-by-state. That information can be critical for LGBTQ people.
"Anytime I travel anywhere, I look and see what the policies are. It used to be this is just something we had to do when we were going internationally. But now, the fact that I have to worry if I drive to see my in-laws in Ohio, I need to know, am I allowed to use the bathroom at a gas station on the interstate? It's really wild that it's come to this," O'Haillin-Berne said.
Just days away from the Pride parade and festival in downtown Indianapolis, O'Haillin-Berne said standing up and taking the time to celebrate is one way they can push back.
“The best form of protest is joy. We have to stand up, we have to remind people that we’re here, we’re human beings, we deserve rights, we deserve dignity. People often ask why do we need pride, why does this month have to happen? And people are proving the point," O'Haillin-Berne said. "When people are threatening your life, your livelihood, your safety, you have to do something to say I'm not going to back down, I'm not going to be scared back into a closet."
13News reached out to Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb and House Speaker Todd Huston about the emergency declaration and Indiana's recent legislative moves. So far, neither has responded.