Our Mission

Established in 2018, Columbus IN Pride Festival exists to unite Columbus as one community that celebrates diversity, fosters inclusion for all, and celebrates LGBTQA+ residents, allies, and their families.

we support this mission through…

  • Celebration

    Our biggest event is the annual Pride Festival, which is the ultimate celebration of diversity! Pride festival are important because they create public spaces that are empowering, safe, and supportive for the LGBTQ+ community and can help raise awareness of LGBTQ+ issues.

  • community events

    Throughout the year, you can catch us at tabling events (like the Youth Empowerment Summit, Comicon, or Enlighten Up), facilitating educational sessions with community partners, and supporting nearby Indiana Pride Festivals!

  • More to come in 2024!

    As a brand new 501(c)3, we are getting our footing, meeting with community partners, and starting to plan new ways to support our community in 2024 and beyond.

    Stay tuned for more!

Support Us

Click below to see how you can support Columbus, IN Pride

Columbus, IN Pride Inc.

We are a 501(c)3 nonprofit that supports people who identify as LGBTQ+, as well as their support people and other community partners. What began as a senior project in 2018 grew into an annual festival, which has taken place in Columbus for the past 6 years. In 2023, the festival grew into a nonprofit organization that will offer new events (as well as the festival!) throughout the coming years.

Pride in Columbus, Indiana started with Erin Bailey, pictured above, who wanted a senior project that would make a lasting difference. The first ever LGBTQ+ pride festival in Columbus generated a lot of media attention, as it is the hometown of former Vice President Mike Pence, also the former governor of Columbus, who is known for being anti-LGBTQ+ and anti-choice.

Erin publicly spoke about this matter, stating in a Refinery 29 interview that hopefully “Mike Pence can see from this festival, taking place where he grew up, that we don’t agree with [his stance on LGBTQ+ issues] - so he should listen to us.”

From the beginning, Erin was vocal about doing this “for members of the community.” Even now, as our committees, fundraising goals, attendees, vendors, and sponsors continue to grow, Columbus, IN Pride is focused on supporting, celebrating, and including the community in all that we do.

2023 Annual Initiative

Columbus, IN Pride believes that mental health is vitally important in the queer community, especially among the 43,000+ LGBTQ+ young people in Indiana.

As Indiana Youth Institute (IYI) states, “Many in the LGBTQ+ community face discrimination, prejudice, denial of civil and human rights, harassment and family rejection, which can lead to new or worsened mental health symptoms, particularly for those with intersecting racial or socioeconomic identities.”

This is why we decided to make LGBTQ+ youth and young adult mental health our focus in 2023.

Want to join our effort? Consider donating or shopping our merch.

All proceeds from Pride Saves Lives merchandise go toward this initiative.

Did you know that 45% of queer youth in Indiana reported seriously considering suicide in the past year? Or that 75% reported anxiety symptoms?

A 2022 study from The Trevor Project published these alarming statistics about the mental health of LGBTQ+ young people in Indiana. Another study from Indiana Youth Institute revealed that nearly 2x as many LGBTQ+ youth are battling symptoms of depression, compared to non-LGBTQ+ peers. Despite these high rates of suicidal thoughts, anxiety, and depression, 62% of queer youth who wanted mental heath care did not seek it - sometimes because they were afraid to talk to a caretaker about their needs.

If LGBTQ+ youth cannot disclose their feelings to a caretaker, and less than half of surveyed youth felt that home or school were LGBTQ-affirming spaces, it becomes more important than ever to increase the number of community places that are LGBTQ+ affirming. According to young people interviewed by The Trevor Project, this means spaces where:

- Youth can be themselves

- There are anti-discrimination policies in place to protect them

- Staff members or other involved people are openly queer

- Staff is diverse

- There are pride flags present

We are excited to help bring more affirming community spaces to life in 2024.