The ACLU of Indiana sued Indiana State University over its refusal to host the 2025 Pride Fest on campus.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana is suing Indiana State University for refusing to host this year's LGBTQ+ festival on campus.
Along with the Terre Haute Pride Center, ISU hosted and sponsored the festival in 2024, featuring entertainers, all-ages activities and more than 100 vendors. ISU also hosted Pride Fest in 2023.
In a lawsuit filed Tuesday in the U.S. District Court against Indiana State University on behalf of the Pride Center, the ACLU said ISU is violating the center’s First Amendment rights.
Ken Falk, legal director of the ACLU of Indiana, said the Pride Center has a right to hold Pride Fest 2025 in a public space such as ISU’s campus. It’s important for the Pride Center to host the festival on ISU’s campus, Falk said.
“It sends every sort of message that the Pride Center wants to send — not just to the students at ISU, but the citizens of Vigo County and around — concerning the inclusivity and the educational purpose of Pride festivals,” Falk said. “This is a public space where First Amendment activities can occur, and it's being denied.”
The lawsuit names ISU President Mike Godard and Vice President for Engagement Nancy Rogers as defendants. ISU spokespeople said the university cannot comment on pending litigation.
Falk said the Pride Center is still seeking to host the 2025 Pride Fest at ISU in September. After the university responds and if ISU doesn’t appear to give up, Falk said the ACLU plans to file a preliminary injunction and push to host the festival in the fall.
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The Pride Center attempted to reserve the space after last year’s Pride Fest, but according to the lawsuit, ISU never responded. Instead, an announcement during a December 2024 meeting of the Terre Haute Human Rights Commission said Pride Fest 2025 would be held off-campus without consultation of the Pride Center.
The lawsuit alleges officials at ISU “reached out to the Office of the Terre Haute Mayor to request that Pride Festival 2025 take place away from campus.”
Mayor Brandon Sakbun said his office can’t comment on the lawsuit. Sakbun said the Mayor’s Office tries to include all groups and all conversations.
“You have discussions with education, discussions with workforce development, discussions in housing and even cultural events,” Sakbun said. “It's always important to hear all voices, all concerns. And there are Hoosiers who are against these events, and of course, we listen to them as well.”
In addition to not hosting Pride Fest, the complaint also accuses ISU leadership of intervening with other LGBTQ+ events on campus and encouraging students to not share pronouns at new student orientation.
“This is part of a recent pattern of officials at ISU cancelling, restricting, or threatening to cancel or restrict efforts designed to support and promote LGBTQ+ individuals and LGBTQ+ issues on the ISU campus,” the complaint said.
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ISU officials refused to advertise the Born This Way: Celebrating Queer Graphics Program, which took place in January, according to the complaint. The program’s reception was supposed to include drag performances and other entertainment. Organizers were also prevented from using words such as “queer,” “LGBTQ+” and “gender identity” when advertising or sharing the event on social media. The reception for the event was eventually moved off-campus to the Pride Center.
The complaint said ISU officials advised organizers to move another event, the Drop of Lavender LGBTQ+ Conference scheduled for April, off-campus.
“It is obviously a tough time for groups that support LGBTQ persons because of apparent backlashes around the country and increased scrutiny,” Falk said.
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ISU Complaint by Indiana Public Media News on Scribd
Joe Hren contributed reporting for this story.
Aubrey is our higher education reporter and a Report For America corps member. Contact her at aubmwrig@iu.edu or follow her on X @aubreymwright.
