Lt. Gov. Beckwith’s nasty warnings about Pride Month are exactly why pride is needed

• By Michael Leppert, IndianaCitizen.org
• I love June in Indianapolis. School’s out for me. The gardens, flowers and lawns around town are blooming and greening with optimism. And the city is quiet as it recovers from its traditionally hectic month of May. As my favorite performer, David Ryan Harris, sang in concert many years ago, this time of year transforms “slow like the breezes of springtime melt into summer’s grace.”

  As a dad, I am treated well in June. As a golfer, Indiana’s greens rarely run smoother. As a proud downtown dweller, my neighbors never love each other more. And that last one is all because of Indy Pride.

  Indy Pride is celebrating 30 years as an organization in 2025. Its founding preceded President Bill Clinton’s declaration of June as Pride Month in 1999. Yes, there are organizations all over America holding events during this wonderful month. I’ve had comparative conversations with people from other cities countless times. They usually go like this: “Our Pride is the best because…” An opening that often leads to an interruption of, “No, ours is better because…”

  The truth is all of them are special, and while I love mine the most, Indiana is not all that different from the rest of America. Cities and towns all over the state also have events of their own. From Fort Wayne to Spencer, from Greenwood to River City Pride in Warrick County, Hoosiers celebrate the LGBTQ community, and importantly, our collective love of it this month.

  That is why it is so truly evil that Indiana Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith hates it so much.

  I recognize Beckwith’s hatefulness. It grows from ignorance and his relentless commitment to it. On May 30th, he posted “PRIDE MONTH ALERT: The Rainbow Beast is Coming For Your Kids” on his Micah Beckwith for Indiana Facebook page. The kooky post is largely lifted from the story posted on an equally kooky website called “The Dissenter.”

  It’s difficult to editorialize on the lunatic rantings of, again, the sitting lieutenant governor of the State of Indiana. It’s akin to arguing with an idiot; there’s not much to be gained in the exercise.

  But as humanity begins the loving and celebratory month of June, it is important to bring attention to a primary reason why Pride exists. It is the ignorance, the lunacy, and the hatefulness from the smallest of people, like Beckwith, that should motivate those of us who love Pride’s celebrations to stay focused on its absolute necessity.

  Beckwith’s social media rant doesn’t have any facts in it. He tries to legitimize a “rainbow beast,” ironically implying this creature is responsible for child targeting, institutional surrender, and my favorite, the “pagan conquest.” He has a weird typo at the end of that last weird slice of paranoia, a stray “1” that doesn’t belong, making one wonder why things are being numbered. I’m usually not one to make fun of typos, but in this case, it does add to the hysterics.

  And let’s not gloss over the unhinged nature of The Dissenter, who our unhinged LG relies on for information. It’s branded “The Disntr,” presumably because the URL of the actual word was taken, but it could be because the website’s acolytes are trying to develop their language. It describes itself as “Christian independent press.” If those white men with the megaphones outside the Indianapolis Motor Speedway who scream non-contextual verses of the Gospel at fans entering the track had their own website, it would be this one.

  The depth of Beckwith’s disconnection from the bulk of Hoosiers’ faith, decorum, and frankly, our sanity, is bottomless. It’s a fool’s errand to try and persuade him to celebrate the love hundreds of thousands of his own constituents will display for one another this month. It is not, however, futile to shine a light on the dangerous nature of his hatefulness.

  I’m happy June has arrived. I will celebrate as it is now an embedded tradition in my life, my family’s lives, and throughout the Indiana community where we reside. Sadly, the need for Pride Month will not wane as long as I live. On the other hand, that need fuels the inspiration to continue our happiest month of every year.

  So, let us all celebrate June with joy in Indianapolis.

  Last June, Caitlin Clark came to town and the Indiana Fever changed basketball in basketball’s capital. This year, our beloved Pacers have stolen the madness of March and given it to June as they compete for their first NBA title. We can share some civic pride for these exciting moments.

  But Pride Month is more than that. What once was a fledgling and obscure 30-day celebration isn’t longer. It’s slow. It’s steady. And as the song goes, it’s now every summer’s grace.

  Michael Leppert is an author, educator and communication consultant in Indianapolis. He writes about government, politics and culture at MichaelLeppert.com. The views and opinions expressed are those of the author only and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Indiana Citizen or any other affiliated organization.

Safe digging is everyone’s responsibility  

CenterPoint reminds everyone to contact the free 811 service before starting any outdoor digging project 

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – June 7, 2025 – CenterPoint Energy is reminding everyone to contact 811 before starting any outdoor digging project. Anyone planning to dig — including gardening, building or repairing a fence, planting trees, installing a deck, placing a mailbox or laying a patio — should contact 811 at least three business days (excluding weekends and holidays) before starting their project. 811 is a free service that community members can use to have utility lines located and marked.  

 ording to the Common Ground Alliance, a member-driven association of nearly 3,800 damage prevention professionals in the underground utility industry, utility lines are damaged every few minutes because digging occurred prior to contacting 811. In 2024 alone, CenterPoint experienced more than 3,100 natural gas line damages within its service territory because 811 was not contacted before digging. 

  “As temperatures continue to warm up, our customers and community members are working on more outdoor projects around their homes. While they take advantage of the warmer temperatures, we want to remind everyone of the importance of having utilities located and marked prior to digging. By contacting 811, everyone takes a critical first step in helping keep themselves, their loved ones and communities safe,” said Al Payton, CenterPoint’s Vice President of Safety and Technical Training. “No matter how shallow or minor a project, everyone can help prevent safety incidents and loss of utility service for their communities by contacting 811 to have underground utility lines located and marked.”

Safe digging practices are required by state laws and help prevent damage to underground natural gas, electric, communications, water and sewer lines. Utility lines can be buried as shallow as inches below the surface. Digging without knowing the approximate location of underground utilities can result in serious injury, including death, as well as service disruptions, fines and costly repairs.  

Safe digging steps 

To prevent damage and stay safe, CenterPoint urges everyone to follow these steps before any digging project: 

·         Plan ahead! Contact 811 at least three business days before starting work.  

·         Make the request early in the week for weekend projects. 

·         Confirm all utility lines are marked before beginning work. 

·         Adjust plans if needed. Relocate projects that are too close to marked utility lines. 

·         If using a contractor, verify they have contacted 811 before their work.  

Smell natural gas? Act fast  

If a natural gas line is struck outside of a home or business, customers are reminded to:  

·         Leave the area immediately on foot. Do not attempt to restart or move powered equipment or use your mobile device or any other item that could cause a spark. 

·         Go to a safe location, then call 911 and CenterPoint. 

·         Remain in a safe area until directed by emergency personnel to do otherwise. 

·         Don’t try to repair a natural gas leak. Leave all repairs to a trained technician.  

Visit 811BeforeYouDig.com to learn more about the process to have underground utility lines located and marked. For more information about natural gas safety, visit CenterPointEnergy.com/Safety.