Indy Pride Parade And Festival Draws Record Crowd



Sen. Vi Simpson walking in Indy Pride Parade with supporters

Hundreds of Pride attendees stood in long lines to meet Libertarian gubernatorial candidate Rupert Boneham (shown above in his signature tie dye shirt) and to get his autograph

Indianapolis' largest and most culturally-diverse summer event, Indy Pride Parade and Festival, attracted nearly 100,000 visitors to Indianapolis' downtown on Saturday. The parade with more than 100 entrants is now larger than the 500 Festival Parade held each Memorial Day Weekend. While many politicians still shun the event, others warmly embrace it. Democratic Lt. Governor candidate Sen. Vi Simpson and Libertarian gubernatorial candidate Rupert Boneham both participated in the parade, along with a number of other local Democratic candidates, including U.S. Rep. Andre Carson. Libertarians touted Boneham as the only candidate for governor who supports marriage equality. Both Mike Pence (R) and John Gregg (D) support a proposed constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriages and similar benefits now enjoyed only by opposite sex couples. Gregg's running mate, Sen. Simpson, has been a strong proponent of marriage equality in the Indiana General Assembly. No Republicans participated in this year's parade, not even District 100 state representative candidate Scott Keller, who co-sponsored the human rights ordinance as a City-County Councilor. Carson's Republican opponent, Carlos May, attended the festival and said he would have participated in the parade but was told by event organizers there were no more open spots.

Gregg To Name Vi Simpson As His Running Mate

Vi Simpson

John Gregg wasted no time in leaking to reporters his plan to name State Sen. Vi Simpson (D-Ellettsville) as his running mate after Mike Pence selected State Rep. Sue Ellspermann. Simpson's liberal views contrast sharply with the conservative views of Gregg. She's pro-choice and supports the right of same-sex couples to marry. Simpson, who briefly ran for governor in 2004, currently serves as the Senate Minority Leader. Simpson has been a member of the Senate since 1984. She is married to Bill McCarty, a former state senator from Anderson and former member of the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission.

Questions have been asked about her residency in the past because she represented a Bloomington area district, while her husband represented a district much further north in the Anderson area. Former Sen. Larry Borst used to joke when he was in the Senate that he represented both McCarty and Simpson because of a residence they had in Greenwood within his state senate district to accommodate the distance between their two districts. John Gregg has already attempted to make an issue of Mike Pence's residency because he and his family have primarily resided in their Washington home instead of their Columbus home since he has been serving in Congress.