Nearly 500 people gathered in downtown Anderson on Sunday for what the organizers call the first ever LGBTQ Pride event held in the city. As IPR’s Thomas Ouellette reports, those organizers hope to make it an annual celebration.

According to event organizer Amber Jones, the Anderson Paint the Town with Pride event centered around acceptance and building a stronger feeling of safety and community throughout Anderson.

“We all know someone who’s in the LGBTQ+ community, we probably all love someone who is, and I think it’s just about the support and the love that there actually is.”

Hundreds of people of all ages and backgrounds took part in yard games, face painting, art projects, and a drag show.

Officials say the event itself cost about $10,000, all of which was donated.

Organizers saw the event as a massive success and hope that they helped show LGBTQ members of the community that they are not alone.

Jones doesn’t think there is one specific reason why Anderson has never held a pride celebration.  But she attributes the low level of representation to a general feeling of not being comfortable with being open about who you are.

“I think the more that you can show people that this is not about changing the trajectory of another person’s life, this is about having spaces to link in if you choose to.”

Jones says she is excited to begin working on the next celebration.

“Pride was was so much more than I think we expected it would be. My heart is so full.”

Event organizers hope to hold the celebration for years to come.

Thomas Ouellette is our reporter and producer.  Contact him at thomas.ouellette@bsu.edu