In a room bouncing with blasting music and filled with ambient lights, people in colorful outfits filed in with one central goal: to celebrate Indiana’s deaf LGBTQ+ community.
The seventh annual event, co-hosted by the Hoosier Rainbow Alliance of the Deaf (HRAD) and Indy Pride presented by Lilly, was held at an event space in Tinker House.
For Benjamin Benton, chair of HRAD, Deaf Pride is part of a continuous effort to raise awareness about the deaf LGBTQ+ community.
“Some people didn’t know that deaf/hard of hearing people celebrate their pride,” Benton said in an email.
For many years, Benton said the lack of awareness caused pride events to be less accessible. Deaf LGBTQ+ individuals couldn’t participate as actively due to a lack of interpreters.
Events like Deaf Pride helped make Indy Pride’s partnership with ASL interpreters possible, something that has helped break a barrier for the deaf LGBTQ+ community.
“While working closely with Benjamin and HRAD for these events, Indy Pride has strived to work closely with other organizations to make ALL Pride events accessible to all,” Christina Robbs, marketing director of Indy Pride said in an email.
As part of this effort, Indy Pride has partnered with LUNA language services to have interpreters at all Pride Events this season.
Making the events accessible helps to ensure Indy Pride is more inclusive, something which Robbs said is of great importance to Indy Pride.
“Including DEAF PRIDE in Indy Pride Season is essential as it highlights the intersectionality within the LGBTQ+ community, ensuring that Deaf individuals are celebrated,” Robbs said.
This celebration is something Benton emphasized as well.
“It means a lot to me, specifically the deaf and hearing coming together to celebrate our pride,” Benton said through an ASL interpreter. “The biggest thing is we want to share our culture. That’s why we’re here.”
In Tinker House, bright LED lights and colorful flags decorated every column in the wheelchair-accessible space. Music blasted loudly enough that attendees could feel the vibrations and dance along to the beat as they enjoyed drinks and grabbed free flags, merch and makeup from an entryway table.
Benton, dressed in a black and white shirt with vibrant pink hair that matched his bracelet and nails, took the stage.
“I really want to make sure that everyone has equitable access here tonight so we can all enjoy the show,” he said as an interpreter repeated his words from a microphone. “If you have any visual problems, if you’re low-sighted, please move closer, okay?”
Outside of ASL interpreters, interpreters for blind attendees were also present. Through interpreters or through sign language, attendees talked amongst themselves while waiting for the show to start.
Later in the night, attendees watched a series of dance, lip-syncing and drag performances — and even a performance from Benton himself.
Other featured performers included a duo called Deafies in Drag, and three others — Lisa St. Laurent, Ajay Finesse and Luna Magick, who are this year’s Miss Indy Pride, Mr. Indy Pride and Mx. Indy Pride, respectively.
Each danced across the stage in long, sparkly dresses, or full drag with makeup to match. Some pranced down the aisles to dance with audience members.
As they danced or signed to music, interpreters signed the lyrics from the stage.
“Seeing everyone showing who they are and showing us how much they loved themselves was my favorite part of the event,” said Beth Yaste, an attendee who helped interpret for the event.
Yaste’s partner, Ethan Young, said one of the things he liked about Deaf Pride was seeing everyone come together.
“It is important for this to happen to spread awareness that they and we (the deaf and queer communities) aren’t done, no matter where we are,” Young said.
Another attendee, Nia Voss, echoed these sentiments.
“It’s a huge part of who I am,” Voss said. “Being deaf and queer is everything to me and having a space (that celebrates both) means a lot.”
Voss said the space also allowed her to dance and meet new deaf queer people, and helped her feel encouraged to be herself.
Just as she felt supported at the event, Voss said the LGBTQ+ hearing community can continue to support deaf queer people by being “inclusive to deaf people in everything they do.”
Contact Indianapolis Recorder Intern Kayla Barlow at kaylab@indyrecorder.com.
