In Indiana, just like in many states across the country, LGBTQ+ people are facing new and resurfacing threats from lawmakers and political figures who seek to erase our identity and burden our ability to live freely and safely. These attempts to diminish our expression do not define us. The ACLU of Indiana, alongside countless partners, organizers, and community members, will continue fighting for the right of every Hoosier to live openly, safely, and with dignity.
In Indiana's capital, queer joy has become a powerful form of resistance to oppressive policies, with community members finding countless ways to celebrate, organize, and support one another. You can find it in bookstores, retail stores, studios, and on stage. It lives in the spaces people curate, the stories they share, and how they show up for one another.
This Pride Month, the ACLU of Indiana kicked off OUT in INDY, an interview series with LGBTQ+ advocates, professionals, and creatives across Indianapolis, hosted by our Advocacy Associate Jude Brown. Through these interviews and profiles, we wanted to highlight the incredible Hoosiers who are deeply embedded in the fabric of our queer culture and experience.
As a trans Hoosier, it was an honor to draw attention to the work and lives of my queer, trans, and allied neighbors. I wanted this to be a snapshot of Pride history, a highlight into the important work people are doing, and to show everyone what we stand to lose when LGBTQ+ rights are under attack. I love our state, and I would challenge anyone from outside of central Indiana who was moved by the interviews to undertake a similar project in their own communities.
Meet Adam Hampton
Adam Hampton, born and raised in Indiana, opened his Irvington boutique in 2018 after a disagreement with his co-owner over hosting a drag show at the store. Since its opening, Hampton & Co. has become an iconic beacon of the Indianapolis LGBTQ+ community, with an eclectic collection of queer, quirky gifts that reflect Hampton’s own personality.
June and October are two of the busiest months for Hampton, who is the Vice President of the Irvington Business Association. He leads the charge in organizing Irvington’s annual Pride celebration, which brings hundreds of visitors to the neighborhood.
Growing up in rural Indiana, Hampton says he never saw a Pride flag or a space that reflected his identity. Now, his mission with his work is creating a space for the LGBTQ+ community by the community.
Meet Leah Johnson
After her bestselling book, You Should See Me in a Crown, was banned in communities across the country, Leah Johnson founded Loudmouth Books in her hometown as an act of resistance. The Black, queer, woman-owned bookstore was built to challenge the idea that diverse stories are dangerous, and to make sure books for, by, and about marginalized people would always have a home.
Loudmouth also serves as a gathering space and community hub in the Northside neighborhood. Johnson hosts various events in the store from book clubs to craft nights, hoping to create an environment where Naptown natives don’t just show up to purchase books but to build real connections.
Leah later launched Project Loudmouth, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that expands Loudmouth’s mission beyond the store. Through free books, author visits, and programming for Title I schools, Project Loudmouth helps bring diverse literature to students across Indianapolis.
Meet Precious Jewel
Precious Jewel is an Indianapolis-based content creator, artist, and activist whose work is rooted in rediscovering community. After losing her brother to gun violence, she was reminded that life is short and began getting out and exploring the city she calls home. Her page follows her journey of falling in love with Indianapolis and pushing back against the fear-based mindset she was raised with.
With help from her girlfriend behind the camera, Precious is also building new spaces she feels are missing in the city. Together, they’re launching Les Go Outside, a Black Lesbian Social Club, starting with a mixer on July 12.
Precious says that growing up queer in a deeply religious household, she didn’t know that a future where she could be her authentic self was possible. Now, she creates content that shows people who were raised like her and who look like her that it is possible to build a joyful, fulfilling life as a queer Black woman raising a family.
Meet Ciara Myst
Ciara Myst is a shapeshifting superstar of Indianapolis, featured on Season 18 of RuPaul’s Drag Race, and a fierce advocate for trans rights, voting rights, and LGBTQ+ visibility. She found her way into drag through special effects makeup, but said she had to peel back the layers of toxic masculinity before “popping on a lash.”
Seven years into drag, Ciara sees the art form as both a personal expression and a way to honor the artists who came before her. To her, drag is everywhere. It’s art, performance, humor, transformation, and free and protected expression.
She carries that approach to advocacy, where she commonly speaks about anti-LGBTQ+ laws, anti-drag policies, and the misinformation behind them, all while bringing humor, pop culture nostalgia, and a grounded love and appreciation for her community in every space she’s in.
Meet Colton Manley
Colton Manley is a tattoo artist at Trapdoor Tattoos in Irvington and the director of Trans Pride Fest. Through tattooing and organizing, Colton is helping build spaces where queer and trans Hoosiers can feel seen, supported, and safe.
In Indiana, where transgender people are being targeted by policies restricting gender-affirming care, accurate IDs, and birth certificates, Colton says coming together as a community is more important than ever. Trans Pride, which is supported by the Connie Chapman Foundation and Midwest Trans Pride, offers community, resources, and care, from panels and resource tables to gender-affirming services.
Colton noted that living in Indiana as a trans person can feel unsafe, and that accessing affirming care can be exhausting and out of reach for many. Through his work, he hopes to connect trans Hoosiers with each other and affirm a simple message: trans people belong here.
Meet Martha Latta
In the heart of Windsor Park, Stomping Ground is a well-known local favorite built around acceptance, community, and making everyone feel welcome.
Owner Martha Latta opened the shop after years of running a t-shirt business, which was among the first in Indiana to print Pride flags commercially at a large scale. Today, Stomping Ground is an eclectic gift and plant store that reflects the neighborhood around it, with a Pride flag hanging year-round and a clear message that queer Hoosiers are welcome there.
Martha also helps organize Pogue’s Pride, the Windsor Park neighborhood Pride celebration. She reflected on her first Indianapolis Pride in the 90s, when she traveled to Indy Pride from Kokomo and found community at a time when many people still could not be openly themselves. Since then, she has watched Pride grow, change, and become more visible across the city.
Pride is Year-Round – Uplift Queer Voices
We are in a crucial time where LGBTQ+ stories and experiences must be uplifted in our state. When many Hoosiers can feel isolated or targeted by laws attacking their right to live freely, it’s important to remember that Indiana is home to an incredibly diverse, connected, and active community of queer individuals and allies.
Learn more about continuing Pride events in the state by visiting our 2026 Indiana Pride Hub.
