Last week, Denise talked about the moment her best friend came out to her. Her beautiful story made me realize something– most of my openly gay friends have never “come out” to me. They all just started living in their truth and stopped caring what other people think. The more I thought about it, the happier it made me because I realized that we may be getting to a point where “coming out” is no longer a big reveal. We can all just live in a world where people love who they love and it’s no one else's concern.

June is #PRIDE Month, a celebration of the LGBTQ+ community and the impacts that they have had on the world. Our first Friday Feature this month perfectly embodies pride and all is stands for. Shelly Snider is the executive director of Indy Pride, Inc. Shelly believes the feeling of pride should come from having the courage to be yourself authentically, no matter your surroundings.

When I was in college, one of my closest friends shared with me that he is gay. Now mind you, I had already suspected this, but it wasn’t my place to ask or judge, so I did neither. I just loved him. I loved him like a brother, and if anyone ever made the fateful mistake of saying something disparaging about his sexuality, I would defend him with every fiber of my being.