Indianapolis: LGBT+ History
Long hidden behind closed doors, LGBT+ people and their histories in Indianapolis have become increasingly visible in recent decades. The history of this community is the story of the struggle for civil rights and full inclusion in the fabric of our nation, of families and businesses, of churches and bars. It is, ultimately, one of conflict and celebration. There are—and have been—many historically significant LGBT+ spaces, buildings, and establishments in Indianapolis.
This LGBT+ History in Indianapolis tour represents only a small first step in telling this story. In 2014, Indiana Landmarks initiated a survey of historic places in Indianapolis connected with LGBT+ history. Also in 2014, the Indiana Historical Society began an initiative to collect and make accessible archival materials of Indiana's LGBT+ community. The first phase of this project is the Indianapolis and Central Indiana LGBT Oral History Project. If you know of anyone who should be interviewed or of materials that should be made available, please email emundell@indianahistory.org.
Throughout this tour, the addition of the plus sign (+) after LGBT signifies all groups associated with the LGBT community.
The Damien Center: AIDS In Indianapolis, 1981-?
The two-story brick building, located at 26 North Arsenal Avenue, is the current location of the Damien Center, which has provided HIV/AIDS health and counseling services to Hoosiers, gay and straight, since 1987. Here in this century-old building, Indianapolis’ resources in the fight against…
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Anita Bryant: The Catalyst
The Christian Right
In the late 1970s, conservative political voices began to push against what they saw as an unraveling of America’s moral fiber, arising from liberal political gains in the 1960s. Eventually, this conservative push grew into the Moral Majority movement of the 1980s as the…
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Carving Out a Community Space: Herron-Morton Neighborhood
History
Between the mid-1970s and late 1980s, the Herron-Morton Neighborhood located between Talbott Street and 22nd Street, was a center of the LGBT+ community in Indianapolis. The Herron-Morton neighborhood takes its name from the John Herron School of Art, originally located on 16th Street, and…
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Anti-Gay Police Violence on Indianapolis' Monument Circle in the 1980s
In August 1984, Indianapolis gay news publication The Works ran a profile on David Molden, an openly gay nineteen-year-old man who experienced police harassment on Monument Circle. On his way home from work late at night on July 6, Molden was stopped by Indianapolis Police Department (IPD)…
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Hoosiers Go to Battle: Indiana War Memorial Plaza Historic District
Imposing Policies
Until 1993, every potential soldier from Indiana or anywhere else in the United States who wanted to serve his or her country would have to answer question No. 27 on the Department of Defense enlistment form, which sought to identify—and disqualify from service—members of the…
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Wedding Bands and Bans: The Fight For and Against Same Sex Marriage in Indiana(polis)
Bands
You are standing in front of the City-County Building at 200 E. Washington Street. On June 25, 2014, it was witness to a historic moment in Indiana history. After news broke that a federal court judge ruled Indiana’s ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional, LGBT+ couples - some with their…
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Gregs: A Bar and Community Hub
Located at 231 E. 16th Street, Gregs is one of the most popular gay bars in Indianapolis and is a frequent stage for drag performances. Indianapolis has had roughly fifty gay bars in the last few decades, according to new information gathered by Indiana Landmarks. It is difficult to identify gay…
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Pride Parade
You’re standing at the corner of Vermont Street and Pennsylvania Street, where the Circle City Pride Parade has marched by every summer since 2002. The parade is a celebration of the Indianapolis LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) community’s decades-long struggle for recognition and…
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Discover Indiana gratefully acknowledges the financial support of Indiana Landmarks in the production of this tour.