A Fox news affiliate in Indiana reports that the state will soon offer license plates expressing pride and support for people who are LGBT:
The first license plate in the country to feature the logo of a lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender organization goes on sale next month in Indiana.
The plates feature the logo of the Indiana Youth Group, an organization that advocates tolerance and provides training for schools and service agencies.
The Huffington Post notes that Indiana is not actually the first state in the nation to offer LGBT-friendly license plates, but it's progress in a state that is hostile to people who are LGBT.
Chicago Pride was given a first look at the soon to be offered license plate and they report:
IYG has provided GoPride.com with a look at the final mock-up of the plate (pictured), which will be available beginning in February and will cost an additional $40 with $25 going directly to the group.
[...]
It was initially reported that Indiana was the first state in the country to offer an LGBT license plate; however, GoPride.com found that Equality Maryland has offered Marylanders the opportunity to purchase a state license plate with their logo since 2009.
Regardless of whether the state is first or second, it's another state allowing its citizens to express support for LGBT people when a lot of us need the support. Just in the past week, it was reported that two more gay teens in the country have committed suicide. And those are only the teens that the media reported on in the past week.
Any outreach, any show of support is a good thing, especially in some of our most hostile environments. It makes a mark in states where people might feel alone or feel the need to hide themselves away because they're not accepted by their government or their community. It sends a message that people aren't as alone as they think. This is a small step toward reaching out to LGBT people, but a necessary one.
Oh, and h/t to Horace Boothroyd III for this story