INDIANAPOLIS — The 2019 Cadillac Barbie Pride Parade announced its four Grand Marshalls of the annual Indy Pride on Thursday.
Indy Pride announced the 2019 Grand Marshalls as State Senator J.D. Ford, D-Indianapolis; former Roncalli guidance counselor, Shelly Fitzgerald; dance party organization, Low Pone; and Trinity Haven Indy, Indianapolis' first transitional home for LGBTQ youth.
The organization said that all four have "contributed to our community in some amazing ways and we are excited to honor them as Grand Marshalls for this year's Parade."
Sen. Ford had the following remarks on his appointment:
I am incredibly humbled to have been selected as a Grand Marshall of this year’s Pride Parade. It has always been my personal policy as a legislator that the Statehouse is your house. This means every Hoosier deserves to have a voice in our government, including our LGBTQ+ Hoosiers. There has been a lot of animosity toward the LGBTQ+ community in bills that have moved through the General Assembly this year, and the Pride Parade is a great event to show the whole state that those of us in this community matter too. It’s an honor to stand beside my fellow Grand Marshalls and declare that Indiana is an inclusive state. I want every LGBTQ+ Hoosier to know that my door is always open. I want you all to know that you can always turn to me.
To learn more about each one of the Grand Marshalls, Indy Pride provided background information on their website, here.
The Indy Pride Festival is scheduled for Saturday, June 8 from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., with main entrance on New York Street between West Street and Blackford Street.
