For the first time since 2019, Black Pride will return to Indianapolis.
From 2 p.m. to 7 p.m., Aug. 3 at Monument Circle (south end), the LGBTQ+ community and supporters are invited to join the BLQ+ Pride Fest. The event is free, but donations are welcome.
Hosted by Indiana Pride of Color (INPOC), Black Pride is all about culture, diversity and love, according to the official website.
BLQ+ Pride Fest will “celebrate the intersectionality of Black and queer people,” said Belinda Drake, board president for INPOC.
For the Black queer community, INPOC believes this event will be a welcoming, safe space like none other.
“While we feel grateful and loved and appreciative for being welcomed to the traditional Prides, there’s nothing like having your own, and sometimes that’s needed,” Drake said.
This event will include an activation for young people, food vendors, tabling vendors and Black LGBTQ+ entertainers, including nationally known influencer and podcaster, Boss Britt the Most Lit. However, not everyone who attends must identify as Black or queer.
“We always welcome allyship, partnership and those who don’t identify (as a part of) the LGBTQ+ community because we know that at the end of the day, we are all stronger together,” Drake said.
INPOC appreciates its partnership with Indy Pride, as well as with Black-led organizations such as Black Onyx Management, BU Wellness and the Indianapolis Recorder.
Drake said Black LGBTQ+ individuals face unique challenges within the larger LGBTQ+ community, and they experience an extra layer of marginalization because of their race. “Our Black Pride Fest will celebrate our resilience, and it will be the epicenter of joy for us, even if it’s only for those five hours that we’re together,” Drake said.
She said hosting the event in the center of Indianapolis on Monument Circle signifies that they belong in this city. The BLQ+ Fest will honor the trailblazers of the past, Drake said, and hopefully inspire future generations.
“It’s just going to be all about Black queer joy,” Drake said.
Registration for this free event is available through Eventbrite. Donations can be made to https://givebutter.com/INPOCGiving. For more information on Indiana Pride of Color, visit www.inpoc.org.
