The Global Impact of Queer Hoosiers
Indiana is home to countless members of the LGBTQ+ community who’ve left their mark on the Hoosier state and beyond. Whether they’re new to you or a household name, each of these people have permanently shaped the world with their passion, drive and creativity.
Ernestine Eckstein 
South Bend trailblazer and activist Ernestine Eckstein is credited with coining the term “coming out” in reference to gender and sexuality. Throughout her life, Eckstein used her voice to speak out on intersectional issues affecting women, Black Americans and the LGBTQ+ community. As a student at Indiana University, she worked with the NAACP during the Civil Rights movement.
Her work reached even more people after graduation. In 1965, she participated in two picket protests of discrimination against same-sex couples. Photos of these protests show that she was the only person of color and one of few women who participated. Her work continued with groups like the Congress of Racial Equality, Black Women Organized for Action and the New York chapter of the Daughters of Bilitis, of which she served as vice president of for a time.
Image courtesy of a 1966 publication of ‘The Ladder’ by Kay Tobin
Gary Brackett
Best known as his drag persona, Cadillac Barbie, Gary Brackett founded Indianapolis’ first LGBTQ+ Pride parade. In 2016, the celebration was renamed to the Cadillac Barbie Pride Parade in his honor. Brackett is also a member of The Indy Bag Ladies, an organization of drag queens which has supported Hoosiers living with HIV/AIDS for more than 30 years.
Fun fact: The Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites has Cadillac Barbie’s dress, wig and jewelry from the 2016 Cadillac Barbie Pride Parade in our collection! You can check them out here.
Photo courtesy of https://ourcommunityroots.com/
Blair St. Clair
Blair St. Clair is an Indianapolis-native drag queen, musical artist and hairdresser. St. Clair credits her experience at the Footlite Musicals theater with introducing her to drag culture during a production of “La Cage Aux Folles.”
After her debut as a contestant on “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” she released her 2018 album, “Call My Life,” which reached No. 1 on the iTunes Dance Chart and the Billboard Dance/Electronic Albums Chart. She was crowned Miss Gay Indiana 2016.
Photo courtesy of www.blairstclair.com
Ryan Murphy 
With critically acclaimed shows like “Glee,” “American Horror Story” and “Scream Queens” under his belt, television and film producer Ryan Murphy has been a mainstay in American media for more than 20 years. Throughout his career, Murphy has helped increase LGBTQ+ visibility in mainstream media. His show “Glee” played a particularly prominent role in bringing queer experiences to primetime television in the late 2000s and 2010s. But his impact goes beyond the screen.
In 2015, Murphy was honored with the Award for Inspiration from The Foundation for AIDS Research for his professional and philanthropic work. And in 2016, he launched the Half Initiative, which works to increase inclusivity for minoritized groups in the entertainment industry.
Photo courtesy of www.fxnetworks.com
Janet Flanner
Before reaching international fame under her pseudonym, Genêt, Janet Flanner was the first film critic at The Indianapolis Star. In 1916, Flanner established the newspaper’s movie reviews column, quickly becoming known for her wit and insightful analysis. A few years later, she decided to broaden her horizons and eventually settled in Paris in 1922.
In 1925, Flanner was hired as a narrative journalist for The New Yorker — then, an up-and-coming magazine. Assuming the pen name Genêt, Flanner delivered her observations on art, politics, theatre, French culture and public personalities in her “Letters from Paris” columns. She also reported on major world events throughout World War II and the Suez Crisis, among others. Her work quickly gained widespread popularity and established her as a respected writer and cultural correspondent for nearly 50 years.
Bill Blass
Fashion designer William Ralph Blass, known to the public as Bill Blass, helped define the relaxed, pared-down elegance that characterized American fashion in the late 20th century. Inspired by old Hollywood glamor, Blass began sketching designs at a young age and became committed to work his way into the fashion world. After selling several designs to brands that sold them under their own labels, he decided he wanted to build his own fashion house.
Blass became the first American designer to brand himself and helped put American fashion into the spotlight. In contrast to many of the European fashion houses of the time, Blass’ design was distinct for its prioritization of comfort within couture styles for women.
Photo courtesy of Associated Press
Roy Halston Frowick 
Before he was known to the fashion world as Halston, Halston Frowick spent some of his most formative years in Evansville. As a young man, Frowick’s penchant for sewing bloomed into a deep love for self-expression through clothing. In the early 1950s, he established his own hat business and opened a store on North Michigan Avenue. His popularity skyrocketed in 1961 when he designed the pillbox hat that First Lady Jackie Kennedy wore to her husband’s inauguration.
His minimal yet luxurious designs earned him extensive accolades throughout his career and many of his styles, like halter dresses, became a fixture of 1970s discotheque culture. Today, Halston is credited with creating American luxury sportswear and introducing haute couture styles distinct from European designers. Additionally, his lifestyle branding business model went on to influence designers like Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren and Michael Kors.
Photo courtesy of Getty Images, Bill Young, San Francisco Chronicle
Cole Porter 
Born in Peru in 1891, composer and songwriter Cole Porter wrote some of the most popular songs of the 1920s and 1930s. Some of his biggest hits included “You’re the Top,” “Night and Day,” “I Love Paris” and “In The Still Of The Night.”
Porter also wrote the music and lyrics for Broadway musicals like “Kiss Me, Kate,” “Anything Goes” and “Roman Holiday.”
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