Indy Pride, Inc. is pleased to announce a unique headliner for the annual Circle City IN Pride festival:Marriage Equality.

A lawsuit (Baskin v. Bogan) challenging the state’s refusal to grant marriage licenses to same-sex couples on June 25, 2014 paved the way for same sex marriage in Indiana. Working in tandem with the Indy Rainbow Chamber, Indy Pride is proud to announce that, for the first time ever, happy couples will be officially married at this year’s Circle City IN Pride Festival, Saturday, June 13.

Circle City IN Pride is one of Indy’s most anticipated events. Its concluding festival garnered some 95,000 attendees last year. This year, couples will be able to marry at the festival through a massive wedding on the main stage, or in a more personal chapel setting.

While Indy Pride cites specifically the legalization of gay marriage as the impetus for offering marriages at the festival, Chris Morehead, Indy Pride president, assures that all are welcomed to register. “This is a first for us, both as an organization and as members of the LGBT community,” he says, “and we want to celebrate marriage equality by hosting a wedding for anyone that wishes to take part. This includes heterosexual couples and those already married who simply wish to renew their vows.”

INDY PRIDE’S BIG HAPPY WEDDING

This appropriately titled massive wedding is free and open for everyone, no matter one’s sexual orientation or gender identity, and will take place at 11am on the main stage.

The first 10 couples to register online will have a place on the main stage during the ceremony; however, there is no cap on the number of couples who can participate and there is no registration fee.

NIKI QUASNEY EQUALITY CHAPEL

Thirteen individual 15-minute ceremonies will also be offered at an on-site chapel setting, and will run from 11:30a through 6:00p. Couples will check-in at the Niki Quasney Equality Chapel, with the Indy Rainbow Chamber of Commerce. The chapel will be located near the back of the main stage area.

The chapel is named for Niki Quasney, who, along with wife Amy Sandler, bravely joined Lambda Legal’s marriage case against the state of Indiana, even while Niki battled cancer. Niki passed away on Thursday, February 5, 2015, but Niki and Amy’s bravery made history. Their fight will be remembered.

Couples wishing to partake in an individual ceremony at the Niki Quasney Equality Chapel will be required to register online, which will cost $100. The onsite ceremonies will feature amenities to be announced, at this time including seating for 20, flowers provided by lilly lane flowers, and a choice of wedding officiant. Any proceeds after costs will benefit Indy Pride, Inc. and its mission. Registration is on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Registration is now available at http://shop.indyprideinc.org/marriages.

Couples taking part in any ceremony will be responsible for their own marriage licenses or registrations.

“Circle City IN Pride is a welcoming environment for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Straight Allies,” says Morehead. “The message is simple: All are welcome.”

Four more headliners will be announced on our Facebook page, one a day, each day this week at noon.

The Circle City IN Pride week of events begins on Friday, June 5, and culminates with the Cadillac Barbie IN Pride Parade and Circle City IN Pride Fest on Saturday, June 13. The full list of events will be announced in the coming weeks. For all the latest information on events throughout the week, please visitwww.CircleCityINPride.org, or follow Indy Pride on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.