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Serving the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and gender and sexual minority communities of Bloomington and South Central Indiana

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What we do

Bloomington PRIDE, Ltd. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization located in Bloomington, Indiana. We are entirely volunteer powered and support a range of LGBTQ+ programs and events, including the Prism Youth Community, LGBT Aging & Caring Network, Trans and Allies Support Community, PRIDE Film Festival, Pridefest summer celebration, and PrideSlam poetry competition. 

Throughout the year, PRIDE partners with local community organizations on community enrichment events. We also host monthly educational workshops and social gatherings. 

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How we got here

it all started with a film festival... 

Bloomington PRIDE, Ltd. was established as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in May 2013. In those days, we only had one charge—the annual Bloomington PRIDE Film Festival. 

The PRIDE Film Festival was founded in 2003 by two Indiana University Arts Administration graduate students through a partnership with Bloomington's historic Buskirk-Chumley Theater (BCT). The BCT ran the festival as an annual event until our incorporation as a freestanding nonprofit.

2014

Nicci B and Smoove, co-owners of The Back Door, instigated Bloomington PRIDE’s inaugural summer celebration. Then called Summerfest, the festival was Bloomington's first outdoor event celebrating LGBTQ+ community and culture. Attendees enjoyed live bands, poetry, drag performances, panel discussions, and educational workshops. Over the next three years, event attendance grew from a few hundred to a few thousand and the festival moved to Kirkwood Avenue. 

2016

The Rainbow Elders (formerly LGBT Aging & Caring Network) became Bloomington PRIDE's second program in late 2016. The network provides support, plans social activities, and creates educational opportunities for the aging LGBTQ population in Monroe County and surrounding communities.

2017

In July, Bloomington PRIDE established Trans & Allies Support Community (TASC) as its third program. TASC is a peer-facilitated group that works to support and confirm transgender and nonbinary gender-diverse people through community and advocacy. The organization also changed the name of its summer festival to Pridefest and hosted the inaugural PrideSlam poetry slam competition. 

Our leadership

Bloomington PRIDE's Board of Directors executes the organizational mission. The five-member team is a working board responsible for all aspects of the 501(c)(3) nonprofit.