Jenna R. Watson

Tracy, 57, and Tim Brown-Salsman, 59, residents of Loogootee, Indiana, pose for a portrait at home on Thursday, July 14, 2022. The married couple has lived in Loogootee, which is Tim's hometown of about 2,500 people, since 1997. "It's the small communities that need the voice," Tracy said. "We could have went to Indianapolis, or we could have went to Evansville or a bigger town and just carried on our lives for ourselves, but it's not just about us, it's about everybody."

Ty'la Dior Sanders, 23, is a lifelong Hoosier who attended Warren Central and grew up on the east side of Indianapolis. Sanders' gender expression was fluid throughout her teen years, before she found the words in young adulthood to identify as a transgender woman. “I didn't fully, fully feel affirmed in my womanhood and who I was as a woman until recently,” Sanders said. Sanders now works at Trans Solutions, a community resource and education center on 38th Street, and wants to help other Black trans women; a demographic that is particularly vulnerable to oppression and violence.

Kirin Clawson, second from left, waits in line to practice her runway walk Sunday, April 2, 2023, during rehearsal for the Trashion Refashion show in Bloomington, Ind. For the show, Clawson would model an outfit designed by Jeanne Smith. "We need trans kids as activists," Clawson said, "because we already have so many adults, but kids need a voice in saying what goes on because it's impacting them."

Kayla Whaley hugs Tracy Brown-Salsman after a Loogootee Pride meeting at the town's library on Thursday, Oct. 20, 2022. Whaley moved back to her hometown of Loogootee in 2016 but didn't become friends with Tim and Tracy until 2019. "I really didn't have any type of friendship or community in Loogootee," Whaley said. "I spent three years not talking to anybody because it was frightening to go from someplace that was really accepting back to my hometown that was… not."

Chrissy Honig, her 14-year-old son Oliver and their dog Trixie sit together on the couch Thursday, Dec. 8, 2022, at his home in Westfield, Ind. "I just hope that he's always confident enough to just be who he is," Chrissy said. "And even though he can't wear a sequined prom dress to school every day, that doesn't mean he can't express himself."

Leah Johnson unpacks books at her bookstore, Loudmouth Books, on Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2023, in Indianapolis. Johnson, an author and owner of the shop, will sell books that have been banned by government and school systems, and books written by and for marginalized people. "I was angry," Johnson said. "I decided the same laws that allow you to deny service to queer people, on the basis of whatever your beliefs are, are the same laws that allow me to sell these stories that you all are so afraid of." The store opens September 30.

A 16-year-old transgender girl swings in Indianapolis on Thursday, May 11, 2023. She asked to remain anonymous due to safety and privacy concerns. Her family has been rooted in Indianapolis for decades but is considering leaving the state due to recent legislation passed that will ban gender-affirming medical care, such as hormones, for transgender children in the state.

Eliza Housman, center, and others protest outside the Indiana Senate Chamber on Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023, as the Senate Health and Provider Services Committee hears SB 480 at the Statehouse in Indianapolis. The bill, which passed committee 8-3, would ban gender-affirming medical or surgical treatment for minors.

Kit Malone, advocacy strategist for the ACLU of Indiana, pauses for a moment while speaking during a Rally to Protect Trans Youth on Saturday, April 1, 2023, at the Statehouse in Indianapolis. "History is watching what happens here today, even, in this building," Malone said. "When history calls, I want to know that I was here, on the right side, doing everything I could to protect my people with my community right by me."

Veronica Pejril, left, a 58-year-old Greencastle city councilor, participates in a monthly council meeting on Thursday, Sept. 8, 2022. Pejril is Indiana's first openly transgender elected official. "I continue to play the long game with so many things in my life and I feel that I'm finally reaping the fruit of some of that stuff," Pejril said.

Lei Bretón is an inclusive fashion designer and owner of the House of Bretón in SoBro. Bretón works with clients of all body types and gender identities, many of whom are LGBTQ. "There's so much of the wedding industry that is catered to young, thin, white, straight, cis women, and so and I wanted to go as far away from that as possible," Bretón said. "Just last year I started doing suits. I did one suit, it kind of blew up a little bit because it was awesome, and now the majority of my clients this year are suits."Bretón prides themself on original designs that cater uniquely to each client, especially non-binary people, who identify outside of the two conventional binary gender identities of man or woman. "I want to make sure that other non-binary people can see inspiration from a non-binary wedding, as opposed to, 'well, I can make this work,' and they're really just creating looks out of thin air," Bretón said.

Sa'Hara Bea'Goddess Hall performs in a drag show hosted by Trans Solutions Research and Resource Center in celebration of International Transgender Day of Visibility on Thursday, March 31, 2022, at Meridian Park Event Center in Indianapolis.

Jessica Bussert is the founder and CEO of Wave Therapeutics, a health technology startup based in Nashville, Indiana, that specializes in devices that prevent pressure injuries. Bussert was a longtime global computer consultant who lost her career due to discrimination when she came out as transgender 16 years ago. She eventually became a travel nurse, which inspired her current business endeavor. "The trans community is statistically unemployed or under-employed, all across the world. Those of us that have jobs don't work anywhere near our capability and that's all because of discrimination. I've experienced that again and again," Bussert said. "So creating Wave Therapeutics is not only an opportunity to help protect people from bed sores, but it's to help ensure that I and my family and other members in our community have one more opportunity at a discrimination-free employment class." To Bussert, Pride is about celebrating accomplishments of the past and those to come. "Every year, the world gets just a little bit better. Every person in the LGBTQ+ community is enjoying rights and privileges that were fought for by a group of pissed off trans women who fought the Stonewall riots. All our benefits are on the things that they had to suffer. What I do today hopefully will make the next generation have an easier go of it. And what they do will make the next generation have an easier go of it, until eventually, it'll be a non-issue and we won't need a Pride month. That's the goal, that's the hope."

Reece Axel-Adams, a 19-year old Anderson resident, poses for a portrait at home on Sept. 6, 2022. During their senior year at Pendleton Heights High School, Axel-Adams helped revive the school's Gay-Straight Alliance and worked with the ACLU who filed a lawsuit against school administrators for discriminating against the club. Axel-Adams wants to study political science and hopes to become an Indiana lawmaker. "I was born and raised in Indiana and I don't want to give up on it. No matter what, we're still going to have LGBTQ folks in Indiana and they're going to need a voice," Axel-Adams said.

Betty Lynch and Annette Gross embrace during a rally celebrating the nationwide legality of same-sex marriage Friday, June 26, 2015, at the Statehouse in Indianapolis. Lynch and Gross both have gay sons who will now be able to marry in any state.

Tracy Brown-Salsman, 57, closes the blinds on his porch, where three large rainbow flags hang, Thursday, July 14, 2022.