By Lilli Dwyer
InkFreeNews

KOSCIUSKO COUNTY — Pride Month, celebrated in the month of June, is about commemorating strides forward in the rights of the LGBTQ+ community.

Pride is celebrated in a number of different ways. Members of the community and their supporters might come together to march in parades, hold parties and festivals, or gather to remember lives lost to AIDS or violence.

A Brief History of Pride Month

The first official Pride march was held in New York City in the summer of 1970, to commemorate the anniversary of the Stonewall Inn raid. On June 28, 1969, police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar on Christopher Street. At the time, homosexuality was illegal in many states.

Stonewall’s patrons refused to be removed from the bar that night, and a six-day-long series of riots was kicked off as people on the street rose up in support of them.

These events are often considered the catalyst for the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement. Afterwards, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender groups grew increasingly vocal about their rights, and more and more civil rights groups formed around the nation. After the first Pride march, similar demonstrations and celebrations continued to crop up.

June was officially designated as Pride Month by President Bill Clinton in 2000. Other strides toward LGBTQ+ acceptance include the nationwide decriminalization of homosexuality in 2003 and the U.S. Supreme Court’s legalization of same-sex marriage in all 50 states in June of 2015. The Stonewall Inn itself was designated a national historic landmark in 2016.

Pride’s most recognizable symbol is perhaps the rainbow flag. First debuted by San Francisco artist Gilbert Baker in 1978, the flag has undergone some changes over the years. Some versions include extra stripes for specific members of the LGBTQ+ community. For example, pink, blue and white stripes represent transgender individuals.

Local Perspective

Shanna Webb has lived in Kosciusko County with her wife, Brandy, since 1999.
“We met on the internet before the internet was cool,” Webb recalled with a smile. After 17 years together, the two were officially married in 2016.

“I never thought I’d see gay marriage legal in my lifetime, that shocked me,” she remarked.

Marriage was a practical arrangement as well as a romantic one. Because Webb has multiple sclerosis, she wanted Brandy to be taken care of in the event of her death, something that might not have been possible before they were able to legally marry.

“Nothing changed except my last name and whether I had to file two tax returns instead of one,” she said of her life afterward.

When it comes to what she wishes others could understand about the LGBTQ+ community, Webb stated, “we love just the same, we’re regular people. We’re not out there to hurt people. And it’s not a choice, because I can guarantee you that if it were a choice, a lot of people wouldn’t choose it.”

In years past, the Webbs went to Fort Wayne to partake in Pride celebrations and spend time with a like-minded crowd.

“It was for the camaraderie. I mean, I didn’t know too many gay people growing up and it was just, basically, the people,” she said. “We used to have rainbow everything.”

On a local level, there are those who endeavor to show their support. Pride flags can be spotted flying outside a few businesses around Warsaw, including Zimmer-Biomet’s main building and the office of local lawyer Travis McConnell.
“Pride Month is all about celebrating, about showing support to that population, so that they’re not alone,” said McConnell.

The nearby Moving Pictures Tattoo Cinema also displays a pride flag in the front window and has for the past four years.

“I have a large percentage of clients that are gay, lesbian, trans, so my philosophy here is that everybody should be treated with love, honor and respect,” said owner Nathan Underneath. “The pride flag is more just a visual representation that everyone is welcome here. By hanging the flag it’s also showing that we’re not going to discriminate for employment or for clients.”

He elaborated on the impact he sees the message of a pride flag having on those who see it, stating, “people need to see representation of themselves. They want to know they are not outcasts, they’re not going to be ostracized. All of us businesses, we put up stickers if we’re a member of the Chamber of Commerce. We put up stickers that say, ‘Shop Local,’ ‘Shop Small.’ We’re showing what we are encouraging of the community. … So we also need to show the community itself that we support them and their lifestyles as well.”

Another county resident celebrating Pride Month is Brayden, a transgender man who asked to be identified by his

first name only. He lives with his wife, Alicia, and their cat and dogs. He also holds a position on the nearby Whitley County Pride board. The organization recently held its very first Pride celebration, Prism Fest, in Columbia City on June 1. Attendees got to enjoy food, vendors, live music, and bounce houses and face painting for the kids.

“When we had our event in Columbia City we were expecting to have some sort of backlash, some sort of protest, and we didn’t have a single protester, which was nice,” said Brayden. “We had the cops there, we had some that were on duty. … If we were to see (protesters), as long as they weren’t causing an issue or a scene to where it could be harmful to someone else or us or anything like that, we were supposed to just let them be, let them do their thing. If that’s what they wanted to do, that’s what they wanted to do. It’s not gonna bother us, it’s not gonna stop us from having fun.”

While still cautious, in light of recent events, the couple is holding out hope for a kinder attitude towards the LGBTQ+ community.

“Since we’ve moved here, I feel like we’re starting to see more and more people being who they want to be rather than just hiding,” Brayden said.

“I’d rather people just walk away than start any issues or become mean and aggressive. It takes zero effort to be kind,” Alicia added.

In expanding its membership, Whitley County Pride has recently taken on a few members from Kosciusko County. “We’re trying to bring it this way so that people don’t have to go to Fort Wayne or South Bend, but it’s a process,” Brayden explained.

Webb, now in her late 40s, has slowed down in her participation quite a bit, but continues to see the value in Pride.

“It’s still just as important now as it was when Stonewall happened,” she said.

For more information on Whitley County Pride, its events and available resources, visit whitleycountypride.org or facebook.com/WhitleyCountyPride.

To learn more about the history of Pride Month and LGBTQ+ activism, visit:
• The Library of Congress at loc.gov/lgbt-pride-month
• The Smithsonian Institute at si.edu/stories/marsha-johnson-sylvia-rivera-and-history-pride-month
• PBS at pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/stonewall-inn-through-years/
• The presidential proclamation on the Stonewall Inn National Monument at obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2016/06/24/presidential-proclamation-establishment-stonewall-national-monument