INDIANAPOLIS — Pride Month kicks into full gear on Wednesday, June 1, and Hoosiers looking to celebrate will have plenty of opportunities with festivities planned all throughout the month.
Pride Month is held every June in honor of the Stonewall Uprising, which began at a gay bar in the early morning hours of June 28, 1969, at a time when solicitation of homosexual relations was illegal in New York City.
Police raided the Stonewall Inn and a riot began, sparking protests that continued for six days outside the bar. The uprising was a tipping point that inspired the gay rights movement across the country and around the world.
Initially, a Sunday at the end of June was named "Gay Pride Day," but that celebration expanded to a full month of festivities, including parades, concerts, parties and other events.
Millions of people around the world participate in those events, including right here in Indianapolis.
The city has a full calendar of events this month and many businesses are taking part, too. One of those businesses is HotBox Pizza, which will be donating 20% of Pride Pizza sales in June to Indy Pride.
Here's a list of Indy Pride Month happenings you don't want to miss:
Friday, June 3:
- Love Connie in Live from Connie-Wood at 416 Wabash: Drag performer Love Connie and Indianapolis drag royalties LaNore Takie, Vicki St. James, Tia Mirage Hall and Busta Cherry. Doors open at 7 a.m., and the show starts at 8 p.m. Tickets start at $20 in advance and will be $25 at the door.
- PopCon Pride Night at Indiana Convention Center: PopCon is partnering with Indy Pride to host a series of events including a Drag Superstar competition hosted by Drag Queen Oriana Peron.
Saturday, June 4:
- Pet Parade at Riverside Park: This free event invites pet parents, local vendors and the community to come together for an afternoon of music, fun and fetch. Animal shelters, pet-centric businesses and nonprofits will be at the event.
- Greenwood Pride Festival at Woodmen Park: The free event from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. will have food trucks, vendors, a hot air balloon, Kids' Kamp, petting zoo and drag performances, including Love Connie, Ms. Philly and more.
- #TransGlam at Healer: Indy's trans community will host a free afternoon of music and dancing at Healer, a venue on the near southeast side.
Sunday, June 5:
- Interfaith Celebration at Riverside Park. This celebration acknowledges the unique ways members of the LGBTQ+ community has had to navigate religion and offers a space to share and listen to people's journeys through faith. People may opt to just observe or share their story by proxy by emailing Nick Brown at nbrown@damien.org.
- Bacon and Leggs Drag Show Brunch at Revery in Greenwood: Celebrate the end of Greenwood's Pride weekend with Love Connie and other drag personalities with a delicious brunch at Revery at 11 a.m. Tickets are $40, which includes the show and brunch.
- Community Picnic and Bat N' Rouge at Riverside Park: A picnic and softball game will be held to raise money for local HIV/AIDS organizations.
Monday, June 6:
- Deaf Pride at Greg's Our Place: Indy Pride and the Hoosier Rainbow Alliance of the Deaf are hosting Deaf Pride presented by Lilly at Greg’s from 6-10 p.m.
Tuesday, June 7:
- Bi and Pan Pride at Tinker House: This event will have a DJ, dancing and local artists and vendors. City Barbeque will offer complementary appetizers.
Wednesday, June 8:
- Youth Pride Carnival at Indiana Youth Group: This celebration for LGBTQ+ youth ages 12-20 will feature carnival food, snow cones, face painting, dunk tanks, and a variety of carnival games. There will also be a king and queen drag show.
- Music Night at Athenaeum (changed from Military Park due to weather): Grab your lawn chairs and picnic baskets for this family friendly evening of music, food, drinks and entertainment.
Thursday, June 9:
- Girl Pride at The Vogue: This event will have music, live art, burlesque, circus, arts and comedy.
Friday, June 10:
- Shabat with Pride, virtual event: The Greater Indianapolis Jewish community and Indy Pride have partnered together to host a virtual Shabbat service. The brief service will feature Indianapolis synagogue Rabbis and other guests.
Saturday, June 11:
- Indy Pride Parade on Mass Ave: After two years without an in-person festival or parade due to COVID-19, Indy Pride plans to bring back the parade from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on June 11.
- Indy Pride Festival Military Park: The festival includes a full lineup of music, entertainment and vendors. Information can be found on their website.
- Pride Poetry Slam & Open Mic at Indy Reads: The family-friendly slam and open mic began at 6:30 p.m. The Slam will have 10 slots.
Sunday, June 12:
- Olympia: An 8 Hour Drag Experience at Almost Famous: Indy Pride will close out pride weekend with an 8+ hour drag experience where you can see performers ranging in all styles of drag.
Friday, June 17:
- Drive-In Movie Night at Tibbs Drive-In: Tibbs will be showing a double feature of new releases during this family friendly evening of movies and celebration. Tickets are $11 for adults and $6 for kids.
Saturday, June 18:
- To Freedom: The Ball at 416 Wabash: People attending this celebration will get help getting quick and innovative access to services or care relative to the community (i.e. home testing kits, access to jobs, access to shelter, etc)
Sunday, June 19:
- Le Brunch En Rouge: A Juneteenth Celebration at Balmoral House: Tia Mirage Hall will host the event, which features a menu currated by Black chefs and sourced from local Black farmers. There will also be live drag performances honoring the legacy of Black drag queens of the Avenue.
Friday, June 24:
- Latinx Pride: 2022 Orgullo Latinx at The Vogue: Latinx Pride is a community-driven event hosted by Indy Pride. The event will showcase local Latinx drag artists, and DJs.
Other Pride Month mentions
The Indianapolis Public Library has a list of tips to find books by LGBTQ+ Authors. Those tips can be found by clicking here.