Indy Pride President’s Response to Evansville’s Letter to the Editor
June 19, 2018
Dear Editor,
June is a month of celebration for the LGBTQ+ community, and I would like to extend a heartfelt “congratulations” to Evansville for their recent Pride events! As an Evansville native, it is encouraging to see how our LGBTQ+ community continues to mature and find a place to freely express who we are in public forum. Having grown up in Southern Indiana in the 90s, I can say that through the entirety of my youth I never felt comfortable living openly as my true self. I am thrilled to have seen so many felt empowered to participate in the pride celebration this year, and I look forward to helping foster the growth of this event in years to come.
I am discouraged, however, to see the letter you found fit to publish criticizing the joyous celebration of our diversity. To print “Not impressed by drag show” was a slap in the face to the gay community of Evansville, and should be an affront to all readers. In doing so, you have provided a platform to people who seek to demonize the culture of our people, question the ethics of parents in our community and assert that our celebrations exclude our constituents from having Christ-centered homes.
The decision to print this letter was a major misstep by your publication. It is unfathomable that, especially during Pride month, you would select a venomous social commentary to run in the newspaper of the third largest city in our state. We should live in a society that encourages every person to be the best version of themselves, open to new ideas and embracing the diversity that makes this country the best place to live in the world. When our newspapers print pieces like “Not impressed by drag show” I feel we fall far short of those ideals.
