Columbus, IN Pride Inc. Gives Back
Columbus, IN Pride Festival operates on generous sponsorships and donations, but we want to do more than put on an amazing celebration.
So, Beginning in 2023, we committed to donating 15% of our festival income to an annual initiative.
2023 Annual Initiative
RECIPIENT
2023 Annual Initiative:
PRIDE SAVES LIVES
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.
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.