Contents:
- FROM “GAY KNIGHTS” TO CELEBRATN ON THE CIRCLE: A HISTORY OF PRI INDIANAPOLIS
- INDIANAPOLIS GAY BARS: 7 SPAC MA FOR THE LGBTQ+ MUNY
FROM “GAY KNIGHTS” TO CELEBRATN ON THE CIRCLE: A HISTORY OF PRI INDIANAPOLIS
In 1976, the first “Gay Pri Week” was held Indianapolis, hosted by the Metropolan Communy Church (MCC) and the Gay Peopl Unn. Rather than celebrate publicly, atten were ved to attend a piic at Sugar Creek Park, donate blood at MCC, participate a “Youth Kamp Dis, ” and attend workshops entled “Do I Tell My Parents?, ” “Christian and Gay, ” “Liftyl the ‘70s, ” and “Gays and Government.
Jam Hill said the purpose of the week was “to make society aware of our prence and as a self-affirmg thg for gay people as well—affirmg they have the right to be. Program, 4th Annual Gay Pri Week Bnch, June 24, 1984, Jefey L. Mayor Bill Hudnut reluctantly issued a letter that was read at one of the gathergs, clarg a mment to “an absence of anti-gay bias all police matters.
” Acrdg to a June 1985 The Works article, this marked “the first time any Mayor of Indianapolis has ma any posive public pronouncement on gays Indianapolis.
INDIANAPOLIS GAY BARS: 7 SPAC MA FOR THE LGBTQ+ MUNY
will go down the gay history of Indiana as the first time gays this state have exercised their Constutnal right to eedom of public assembly.
Gays and lbians exercised this Constutnal right no ls a place than the Monument Circle area of Indianapolis full view of many Indianapolis cizens who me to see what gays had to say. After the 1984 gathergs, which some dubbed “Gay Knights on the Circle, ” Pri Week celebratns remaed relatively private until 1990.
’s Ruth Peters, the New Works News noted that the June event would “provi an opportuny for gays and lbians to crease their polil and muny awarens and visibily. If we make exc for not gog, we manift the ternalized homophobia that will ntue to keep on the ge, where society need not even regnize that we exist. Your stereotyp about gays and lbians are right.