Southern Indiana Pride's 2020 Call-Out Meeting is tonight at Pints&union.

Southern Indiana Pride, Fuller's London Pride. That's what I call ideal symmetry.

In the off chance that there may yet be interested parties who are unaware of this gathering, a quick boost to Southern Indiana Pride's Call-Out organizational Meeting tonight, 6:00 p.m., upstairs at Pints&union.

For further details, visit the event page at Facebook.

Join us and learn how to get involved in our 2020 Southern Indiana Pride events.

On June 6th we will be having our annual Pride festival and parade. These events and the planning that goes in to them could not happen without the help of an incredible team and the amazing people who volunteer. We would love for you to come to the call-out meeting to provide your input and support as we plan for these events and also to discuss how you can get more involved with our festival!

Grab some food and drink at the bar and head upstairs. We can’t wait to see you there!

Neither Deaf Gahan nor Mike Hall are present as stellar rally in support of an Indiana hate crimes bill takes place at Caesartennial Park.

This Sunday: "Southern Indiana Residents Rally to 'Protect Hoosiers From Hate,' Support Comprehensive Bias Crimes Law."

After a one-week weather delay, we had a pleasant spring day. The rally was short, mostly bipartisan and straight to the point.

The pay-to-play hierarchy of the Floyd County Democratic Party didn't seem to be very interested in the proceedings, but we've some to expect very little from them apart from vapid posturing, so their absence wasn't a tremendous surprise.

Congrats to the organizers. It was a spirited but professionally planned event with ample substance and a communal spirit.

Southern Indiana community members to rally for hate crime law Sunday, by Rachael Krause (WAVE)

Community members in Southern Indiana will rally for hate crime law Sunday

Indiana is one of just five states without a hate crime law, it’s a statistic Hoosiers hear regularly.

Despite repeated calls for legislation to pass that would implement strong protections, lawmakers continue to show that one in five statistic is one that won’t be easily changed.

In February, the Indiana Senate approved a hate crime bill but the legislation had stripped away the list of included protections for people based on things like race, gender identity or religion. The bill has been criticized by many around the state who say without a list of protected people, the bill likely won’t be strong enough to protect victims of targeted crimes.

Joining the call to do better and propose stronger legislation is Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb ...

This Sunday: "Southern Indiana Residents Rally to 'Protect Hoosiers From Hate,' Support Comprehensive Bias Crimes Law."

Facebook event page.

(Because of expected winter weather, the rally has been rescheduled for Sunday, March 10th at Noon)

Here's the press release; see you there.

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Southern Indiana Residents Rally to “Protect Hoosiers From Hate,” Support Comprehensive Bias Crimes Law

WHAT: On Sunday, March 3rd at noon, Southern Indiana Pride along with the Indiana Forward campaign will host a rally at Bicentennial Park in New Albany (118 E. Spring Street) to call on Indiana Statehouse legislators to support a strong hate crime bill that includes a list of characteristics supported by Governor Eric Holcomb. The rally will be bipartisan in nature and will include Southern Indiana political and faith leaders, business owners, students, and activists.

Hoosiers from all over Indiana were let down by the State Senate’s refusal to pass a comprehensive hate crime bill. Senate Bill 12 is not a hate crime bill. The enumerated protections were stripped from the bill after legislators approved Sen. Freeman’s (R Indianapolis) amendment. The protections stripped from the bill included a list of personal characteristics supported by Governor Eric Holcomb that included race, religion, ethnicity, national origin, disability, sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity. The bill now goes to Indiana’s House of Representatives. Our hope is that Indianapolis will listen to Hoosiers and amend the bill so that it protects all Hoosiers from hate.

WHEN: Sunday, March 3, 2019 | 12 p.m.

WHERE: Bicentennial Park, 118 E. Spring Street, New Albany, IN 47150

WHO: Speakers at the rally will include:

Councilman Al Knable (R-New Albany)
Rep. Ed Clere (R-New Albany)
Rep. Rita Fleming (D-Jeffersonville)
Michael Leppert - Indiana Forward Campaign For Hate Crime Legislation
Jason Applegate (D-Candidate for New Albany City Council)
Miguel Hampton (D-Candidate for Jeffersonville City Council)
Pastor John E. Manzo (St. Marks UCC)
Cade Gibson (Jeffersonville HS)
Elijah Mahan (Roncalli HS Shelly’s Voice Leader)

WHY: Bias crimes are on the rise across the country, but Indiana remains one of just five states without a clear and specific bias crimes law. Gov. Eric Holcomb has repeatedly called for bias crimes legislation and has stated that reaching consensus on this issue is his top priority in 2019. More than 74% percent of Hoosiers support a bias crimes law, including a majority of Republicans, according to a January 2019 Indiana Chamber statewide poll. This support echoed by employers, who report that the state’s lack of a bias crimes law fuels a negative perception of the state that hinders their talent recruitment efforts and economic development opportunities.

Southern Indiana PRIDE kicked off on Thursday, and this is a good thing.

I regret missing the launch on Thursday night.

Looking over the list of speakers, it looks as though Floyd County's DemoDisneyDixiecrats were represented by district 72 state representative candidate Sam Charbonneau alone.

His November election opponent, incumbent Ed Clere, was there as well, along with fellow Republican Al Knable.

Were other Floyd Demos in attendance? Let me know, and I'll note them in this space.

Best wishes to Evan, Erin and the expanded organization. We can only hope that New Albany's mayor refrains from fighting too openly against it and embarrassing New Albany in the process.

Local LGBT inclusion and equality movement expands reach and alliances, by Melissa Goforth (Tom May Content Aggregator)

SOUTHERN INDIANA – It all starts with friendship.

From there, positive change in society can – and does – happen, despite personal differences, when that change is built upon a foundation of mutual respect.

That’s the philosophical approach Jeffersonville PRIDE Festival founder Evan Stoner is taking as he works to expand his organization’s reach by launching a new era of LGBT inclusion and equality throughout the region.

Thursday night in honor of National Coming Out Day, more than 50 areas residents attended the official kickoff of the newly formed Southern Indiana PRIDE organization at 300 Spring in Jeffersonville.

The event featured 12 guest speakers from different backgrounds and agencies, as well representatives from both the Republican and Democratic parties.

The diverse cultural and political cross-section of society represented at the event was exactly what Stoner hopes to see more of as he works to build bridges throughout the region with this expanded effort ...

"State Representative Ed Clere will be a featured guest speaker at the Southern Indiana PRIDE Launch Event next Thursday October 11th, 2018."

Does anyone know if Mayor Gahan will be in attendance?

Evan Stoner previews the advent of Southern Indiana Pride.

Having Ed Clere as a featured guest speaker at Southern Indiana Pride's launch event strikes me as an ideal way to promote unity -- at least among those who wish to be unified.

We are #proud to announce that State Representative Ed Clere will be a featured guest speaker at the Southern Indiana PRIDE Launch Event next Thursday October 11th, 2018. State Rep. Ed Clere has been a longtime supporter of marriage equality, and was the sole Republican legislator who voted against the so-called marriage amendment in 2011. Rep. Clere has repeatedly introduced legislation on gender issues, and this year he authored a successful bill aimed at beginning to de-stigmatize HIV. Rep. Clere is an unwavering supporter of the Southern Indiana LGBT community, and has been a consistent advocate on behalf of LGBT inclusion & equality throughout Southern Indiana and across the Hoosier State. Pic Creds: The News & Tribune.

Evan Stoner previews the advent of Southern Indiana Pride.

Evan's essay begins with an appropriate history lesson before seguing to the launch of Southern Indiana Pride. It appears that Southern Indiana Pride will be a successor of sorts to a previous group, now defunct. 

UPDATE: Southern Indiana Equality is no more.

At times it takes time, and the time seems right ... right now.

Launching Southern Indiana Pride, by Evan Stoner at Medium

... Hyper-partisanship and division plagues the current state of U.S. national discourse. I strongly believe that re-discovering American unity rests squarely on the shoulders of my generation. Since 2016, Jeffersonville Pride has refused to pour gasoline on a partisan wildfire. Our organization has consistently invited leaders who represent opposing political views to speak at Jeffersonville Pride and have welcomed support from Democratic and Republican leaders. Why? Because supporting LGBT civil rights transcends political partisanship. In these starkly divided times, our organization has been a strong voice of unity. We are proud of this identity, and we are proud to announce an upcoming event that will truly reflect our commitment to building bridges of unity throughout our hometown.

In early October, a brand new organization will launch. Southern Indiana Pride will harness the support and enthusiasm of Southern Indiana creators, educators, business leaders, and world-changers from across our region to work towards advancing LGBT inclusion and equality in Southern Indiana. Southern Indiana Pride will take Jeffersonville Pride’s place as the new host of the annual PRIDE parade and festival in Southern Indiana. Southern Indiana Pride is slated to take place summer 2019 in Jeffersonville.

The official launch of Southern Indiana Pride will take place at 7PM on National Coming Out Day, October 11th, 2018 at 300 Spring St. in downtown Jeffersonville! ...