WFHB Bloomington Community Radio
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The first of June officially kicked off Pride Month. Across the state, LGBTQ+ Hoosiers are celebrating their right to same-sex marriage, gender affirming care, and the opportunity to live authentically. However, this year has also welcomed a growing number of anti-LGBTQ+ bills by Indiana legislation and some Hoosiers are finding it difficult to celebrate Pride Month in light of recent bills.
As more anti-LGBTQ+ legislation passes the State house, more LGBTQ+ Hoosiers are growing concerned and questioning their safety within the State. Most recently, Senate Bill 480 was signed into law by Governor Eric Holcomb. The bill restricts the right to gender-affirming care for trans children. Shelly Snider, the Executive Director of Indy Pride says the amount of anti- LGBTQ+ legislation in 2023 is concerning.
“We were alarmed because the most we have ever seen come down is seven. We know that this year there were triple the amount of anti-LGBTQ+ bills that came out of the State house, and it has really had a negative effect on the emotional state of our community members,” said Snider.
The Trevor Project reports that nearly 59% of transgender boys/men and 48% of transgender girls/women considered suicide in the past year. They also found that for transgender children living in a community not supportive of their identity, suicide rates were significantly higher.
Anti-LGBTQ+ bills are hurting the State’s economy as well. LGBTQ+ people are leaving Indiana because of safety fears and a restricted access to health care. G. David Caudill, the Founder and Operations Director of Equality Indiana says it’s disappointing to see big businesses in Indiana stay quiet on the issue of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation.
“The business community did not speak up forcefully enough, especially the larger businesses. Passing these bills could impact their businesses because their employees won’t feel safe, whether their children won’t, or whether even LGBTQ adults will suddenly not feel safe being in this State and will want to relocate. Which means these companies may take away from the economic engine of Indiana if they say they don’t want to be in this State any longer.”
LGBTQ+ people are leaving Indiana for more progressive States that still have access to gender affirming care and are less discriminatory. Trans children no longer have access to gender affirming care in Indiana meaning they must travel to a nearby State to receive care. Parents in support of their trans children are deciding to uproot and leave the State.
“It’s very concerning to see these anti-LGBTQ+ bills come out of the State House. It has an effect on the economy, it makes people not want to work in the State of Indiana, it has an effect on our families and these people not wanting to live in the State of Indiana,” said Snider.
Katie Blair, the Director of Advocacy and Public Policy for ACLU Indiana says a small but radical group of legislators are controlling the State House. This year, they have chosen to draft legislation affecting one of Indiana’s minority groups- trans people.
“It’s really devastating to see the amount of bills pushed forward both here in Indiana and across the country. We’re seeing an onslaught of anti-LGBTQ+ bills, bigger than ever before. I think that there is a small but vocal, radically conservative part of our legislature that is pushing forward these bills. They are working with national anti-LGBTQ hate groups to draft these bills and push them forward,” said Blair.
The Alliance Defending Freedom or ADF is one of the national anti-LGBTQ hate groups pushing legislators to pass more extreme bills against the LGBTQ+ community. ADF was first classified as a hate group in 2016 by the Southern Poverty Law Center. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, ADF has spread lies about LGBTQ+ people being linked to pedophilia and more recently misinformation about gender affirming care.
ADF also believes homosexuality should be a crime and in the past, has supported laws forcing sterilization for transgender people.
Caudill says limiting health care for trans people, as Senate Bills 480 does, is concerning for not only LGBTQ+ people but also for any Hoosier in the State.
“If laws are being passed to attack someone they know, love and affirm, it does create that question, ‘If they are going to stop allowing medical care for gender affirming care, are they going to pass a law that limits care for people with diabetes or people with hair loss?’ I mean, where does it end?”
ACLU Indiana is keeping a close eye on legislators and is suing the State over any bills they find to be unconstitutional. However, they do encourage people to make their voices heard by emailing representatives or attending protests at the State House. Indy Pride is also encouraging Hoosiers to attend Pride events.
“I encourage people to think about these bills being identified as a slate of hate and when you think about that fourteen year old queer kid in southern Indiana who doesn’t have any positive LGBTQ+ role models, consider making yourself known to those people and come out to our events to celebrate and show the State of Indiana that we exist, we are here, and we are proud of who we are,” said Snider.
Organizations such as ACLU Indiana, Equality Indiana, and Indy Pride are all advocating for a change within Indiana’s legislature. They encourage Hoosiers to attend protests, keep informed on anti-LGBTQ+ bills, and to vote in upcoming elections. For more information on Indiana legislature and local legislators visit either aclu-in.org or equalityindiana.org. To learn more about Pride month visit indypride.org.
