I grew up in rural Indiana, and did not know I was queer until six years after graduating high school. Small, overwhelmingly conservative Lawrenceburg, in Dearborn County, Indiana, had its first LGBTQ+ pride parade in 2018; the fact that there is visibility now is almost unbelievable to me. All of my friends who are queer had to leave to either realize it or come out safely. However, the slow work of organizing for a better future is finally happening. Dearborn County Pride is now incorporated as a 501(c)(3) and hosts regular events to support the queer community. Kate Weinbender, executive director of Dearborn County Pride, notes that there are unique fights that must happen in areas like Lawrenceburg, but the first and largest obstacle is that people in these places have a lot of misconceptions about what being queer actually is. Organizing in a place like this requires spaces for people to come and question.
