LGBTQ+ Rights

We fight for LGBTQ+ Hoosiers to be free from discrimination and to enjoy equal rights, personal autonomy, and freedom of expression. From the Statehouse to the courthouse to our communities, we confront religious refusals and advance lasting protections.

Immigrants' Rights

The ACLU has a long history of defending the LGBTQ+ community. Nationally, we brought our first LGBTQ+ rights case in 1936 and founded the LGBTQ Project in 1986. Today, the ACLU brings more LGBTQ+ cases and advocacy initiatives than any other national organization. In Indiana, we combat religious refusal laws in the legislature, because religion should never be used as a means of discrimination. We continue to fight for equal protection in housing, jobs and services.

The ACLU of Indiana fights in the legislature, the courts, and the community for LGBTQ+ Hoosiers to live openly without discrimination and enjoy equal rights, personal autonomy, and freedom of expression and association. We have successfully advocated for the right of Indiana Youth Group to print IYG license plates, fought for the basic human rights of transgender prisoners, and ensured a Pride event could continue in the heart of one small Indiana town despite multiple attempts to prevent it. And in 2014, we proved in the courts that denying same-sex couples the right to marry was unconstitutional.

The Latest

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Press Release
Breaking News

ACLU of Indiana Sues Indiana State University for Terminating Work-Study and Other Funding for Student Employees at the Pride Center of Terre Haute

The ACLU of Indiana filed a lawsuit against Indiana State University alleging that a recent ISU decision to terminate work-study and other funding for students employed at the Pride Center of Terre Haute, Inc. violates the First Amendment.
Issue Areas: Free Speech, LGBTQ+ Rights
Press Release
Breaking News

Loogootee PrideFest Will Once Again Be Held in Public Square

The U.S. District Court for the Southern Division of Indiana granted a permanent injunction against the ordinance and ordered that the city allow PrideFest to take place at the Public Square on September 6, 2025.  
Issue Areas: Free Speech, LGBTQ+ Rights
News & Commentary
DeOnyae-Dior Valentina speaks into a megaphone at a protest.

DeOnyae-Dior Valentina on Storytelling as a Form of Resistance

DeOnyae-Dior Valentina, the subject of our June advocate profile, has been advocating for her community since high school. The secret to her advocacy, she says, is her own stories and experiences.
Court Case
Dec 07, 2018

Leo Pride Alliance V. East Allen County Schools

Court Case
Mar 28, 2018

J.A.W. v. Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation

The ACLU of Indiana sued the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation on behalf of J.A.W., a transgender high school student who was denied the ability to use the restrooms that correspond with his gender identity.