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.

Denise, Selena, and Kierra's blogs took us on a journey of self-discovery and held a mirror to some of our innermost thoughts. Our #UMatter theme causes us to push pause on our thought patterns and challenge ourselves to do some self-inventory