(upbeat hip hop music) - Happy pride.

- Happy pride.

- [Narrator] Like in most cities, pride in Indianapolis is a pretty big deal.

LGBTQ events are held throughout the month of June citywide, hosted by a multitude of organizations.

Indy's Pride Parade is a good showcase of these groups highlighting both their mission and specific niche.

On this Across Indiana, we'll be focusing on one in particular, Stonewall Sports.

- Stonewall Sports is a national nonprofit organization.

It is a space for LGBTQIA plus individuals and allies to find a safe, affordable, and inclusive space to play sports and just get involved in other recreational activities (rhythmic band music) (people applaud) - [Narrator] With weekly activities year round, you might have already noticed a Stonewall gathering in your neighborhood with their banners waving in the wind and their colorful team shirts worn by Hoosiers of all backgrounds.

- [Emily] You can have any identification and play in our league.

My partner, who identifies as straight, plays in the league, but truly, if you're passionate and are a safe and welcoming person, you're more than welcome to play with us.

- [Narrator] Volleyball is the pick for today and subsequently most of the summer for that matter, with a rotation of other sports coinciding with their appropriate season - Going on behind me right now is volleyball.

That started in 2021.

305 people are in our volleyball league this summer, and I think overall, I just sent an email out to everyone today.

We have about three, a little over 3,000 people who have participated in some capacity over the last five years.

Throughout the year, we host a really good amount of sports, though.

We have our fall and spring kickball league, dodge ball in the winter, pickleball in the spring, and then we go into the summer for volleyball and softball.

- I guess my big initiative is trying to grow volleyball as an activity, just getting more people signed up, just seeing where we started with numbers and how every season, we kind of grew and grew, getting to know a wide range of people just interacting and talking to me about like, hey, if it wasn't for this, I wouldn't have been able to make this like friend group.

So I feel that it's like a key cornerstone or keystone part of our community where people can just actively go out and build bigger and better relationships.

- [Narrator] For the players here, it's never just about the game.

It's about the teamwork that builds relationships and fosters a sense of belonging for those who might need it the most.

- I think Stonewall bridges the perfect gap between athletics and community.

It is a great opportunity for people to get out and meet new people as well as just getting some good exercise.

- I came to Indianapolis right when I turned 21, 24 now, and I was seeking community.

I was coming back from a deployment in the military.

I really wanted to be around LGBT people as much as possible, and when I found out about this, I was like, oh, perfect.

I can do sports that I'm not very good at but also be around individuals who I wasn't ever around for the last three years or whatever.

- One, it brings a sense of community to people who may not have the people in their lives that they want.

I mean, they may have been outcasted by friends, their society, their neighbors, their parents.

This is the community that really gives you that sense of family that a lot of people don't have for being LGBT.

- Whenever we do Pride Nights or if I'm out, people tell me they're new to town, and if I'm at LGBTQIA bars, instantly I'm gonna say, do you wanna play sports?

Do you need a way to find a little bit of the community here?

I will direct them to our social media, get them on a signup somehow.

It's a really cool way to just meet people.

- [Narrrator] Meeting new people and establishing yourself in a group is hard enough, but Stonewall makes a real effort to welcome everyone, queer-identifying or not.

- We have it set up where we have different divisions for people depending on their skillset.

So volleyball for instance, we have a recreational league, which is more social, let's go out and have some fun, and then we have the complete opposite side where we have that competitive league, people that have been playing club volleyball, those who've been around activity.

So no matter your skillset, you are going to be able to participate, and we don't want to push those people away.

- You just jump in.

People are never gonna talk to you in a way that's gonna make you feel like you're less than, you're not good enough.

There's levels to this.

There's competitive, where you're kind of crazy and really wanna go about it.

Those are the recreational, right, where you can just slow go.

It's kumbaya, lots of good vibes, people are friendly.

I think that people need to challenge themself, right?

I understand anxiety, I understand being afraid, but when you join this and you're on the other side, you just feel so much better and it gives you something that you might be searching for.

(cheery contemporary music)