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By Alex Van Gorp, Strada Education Center
The Indianapolis Bar Association’s Lambda Committee is happy to announce that we will again proudly participate in the Indianapolis Pride Parade on Saturday, June 14, at 10 a.m. on Mass Ave. Last year, our members, their families, and friends came together to walk, celebrate, and support our LGBTQ+ colleagues, clients, and loved ones. It was a day filled with laughter, community, and the best Indianapolis has to offer.
Our presence at Pride was not just about fun, although we did have a lot of that. It was also an opportunity to showcase the services and support available through IndyBar’s lawyer referral service: Indy LawyerFinder. It was a meaningful reminder that, beyond celebration, Pride is also about making sure that all people, regardless of identity, have access to the legal support they need.
Arriving at the parade last year, I worried that I would come to find little more than a couple staff members but was met by a growing crowd of dozens of IndyBar members and their families excited to march with me and my community.
At the heart of IndyBar’s participation is the idea of visibility. By showing up, we send a powerful message of solidarity to our LGBTQ+ clients, colleagues, friends, and families. Our presence is not performative; it is a reflection of our deep commitment to inclusion and respect. As lawyers, we understand the immense importance of visibility. In our practices, we give our clients a voice and an advocate. In our courtrooms, visibility means that justice is seen to be done. At Pride, walking the route through downtown Indianapolis echoes these same principles. We are there to be seen, to bear witness, and to honor the dignity of all people.
Just as I did as a teenager, thousands of young Hoosiers will travel hours from across the state to experience one weekend of inclusivity and acceptance. Those kids deserve to see that they can be lawyers and judges. They can start their own families. They can feel safe and celebrated for being who they were meant to be.
It is worth remembering that Pride did not begin as a festival or a parade, but as a way to honor the courageous group of LGBTQ+ people who rebelled against a justice system that was anything but just. Today, the Indianapolis Pride parade features thousands of people walking and standing in solidarity. That growth speaks volumes about the change that visibility can spark and the support that sustains it.
We invite all IndyBar members, their families, and their friends to join us. Bring your pride, your energy, maybe some glitter, and your commitment to visibility and respect. Visit indybar.org/pride to register. The $15 fee secures your Tshirt for the parade! Then afterward join Indy residents for the broader two-day Pride celebration on Monument Circle and “Word of Mouth” concert on American Legion Mall. Together, let’s walk in celebration of who we are, the clients and communities we serve, and the future we are helping to shape…one step at a time.•
Alex Van Gorp is Senior Corporate Counsel for Strada Education Center. He is a Member of IndyBar’s Lambda Committee, part the Women and the Law Division’s Executive Committee, and a Graduate of IndyBar’s Bar Leader Series. He received his JD from the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law and his BA from Ball State University.
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