Indianapolis, Indiana — This month in Indianapolis, a milestone is being celebrated for the LGBTQ+ community. At the end of June, the city will have its first Latinx LGBTQ+ pride event.
According to Angie Martinez, a chairperson for the event, “It is huge! We’re really excited because, you know, our Latinx community just continues to grow here in Indianapolis.”
Latinx Pride: 2022 Orgullo Latinx hosted by Indy Pride was designed for and by the Latinx community in Indianapolis. According to Jay Castillo-Jimenez, vice president of community at Indy Pride,“It’s really just to give our people the space to be them.”
Martinez said, “For us to be in 2022 now and to have the first Latinx event pride, where we could have had it 25 years ago, does mean a lot.”
According to Castillo-Jimenez, “It’s different because when you’re with your people — cuando estás con tu gente — you feel different and you feel supported, and it’s just great to see other individuals that are maybe older or wiser or have more experience and kind of just learn from them.”
According to Castillo-Jimenez, when he was growing up that he never saw a lot of Latinx LGBTQ+ festivities. “A lot of us, me being a Latinx (and) queer individual that grew up in Indianapolis, we’ve never seen this,” Castillo-Jimenez said. “I’ve always wanted to see it. I’ve seen it in other cities, so to be able to be part of a team that brings it to life means a lot to me and I hope the community enjoys it.”
Martinez hopes this event will make an impact on the community for generations to come. “Hopefully, it continues to grow and other organizations and other cities nearby can see us take that lead and create their own pride as well for Latinx pride.”
The event will start at 9 p.m. Friday at The Vogue, and doors will open at 8 p.m.
