On International Transgender Day of Visibility, host Scott Aaron Rogers welcomes G. David Caudill — founder, executive director, and president of the board of Equality Indiana — to discuss the state of LGBTQ+ rights in Indiana and across the country. Equality Indiana operates as two separate entities: a 501(c)(3) focused on civic education and voter engagement, and a 501(c)(4) handling lobbying and candidate accountability. The conversation ranges from sports — the Indiana Pacers’ upcoming Pride Night, the Chicago Bulls recent waiving of former Purdue star Jaden Ivey over anti-LGBTQ remarks, and the NHL’s quiet retreat from Pride programming — to corporate allyship (Target, Eli Lilly, the Indiana Chamber of Commerce) and what genuine year-round support actually looks like. Scott draws a parallel between the current political climate and Weimar-era Germany; Caudill affirms the risk and explains why the dehumanization of trans people is the historical first step in a broader assault on the entire community. The two discuss the “LGB without the T” movement, self-loathing gay conservatives like Scott Bessent and Bari Weiss, Gavin Newsom’s “culturally normal” stumble, the Indiana Democratic Party’s decades of messaging failure, and the structural failings of the state party. The back half of the episode is devoted to Equality Indiana’s Queer the Vote Indiana GOTV campaign — how it works, why college students and trans Hoosiers face unique voting barriers, and what the organization is doing to get people to the polls.
WHAT’S INSIDE:
00:03:16 - What is Equality Indiana?
New organization, two separate entities
501(c)(3) — Equality Indiana Educational Fund: civic engagement, voter education, tax-deductible donations
501(c)(4) — Equality Indiana Advocates: lobbying, candidate questionnaires, electoral advocacy
IRS required questionnaire work to live in the C4; entities maintain separate IDs, bank accounts, fundraising
00:08:16 - Indiana Pacers Pride Night — April 10
Friday, April 10: Pacers LGBTQ+ Community Night
Ticket purchases through Equality Indiana’s landing page generate proceeds for the 501(c)(3)
Indianapolis Men’s Chorus singing national anthem before tip-off
Indy Pride, Indy Fuel, Indianapolis Indians, and Indiana Fever also hosting or expected to host Pride Nights this season
00:10:10 - The Jaden Ivey Situation and Sports League Tensions
Chicago Bulls recently waived Jaden Ivey after anti-LGBTQ and anti-Catholic social media posts around Pride Night
NBA: optional participation, but players held accountable if they actively attack league values
NHL: backed away from on-ice Pride gear after pushback from Russian Orthodox players; rainbow tape on sticks during warmups only, not games
Caudill attributes divergence to demographic differences between leagues — NHL less racially diverse in players and fan base, driving more conservative business calculus
00:17:00 - Corporate Allyship: Target, Eli Lilly, and the Chamber Problem
Scott: is Pride support from corporations just cynical business, not genuine commitment?
Caudill: businesses can’t please everyone, but LGBTQ community maintains a “good list/bad list” — Target has cycled on and off it
Without naming Eli Lilly: stop giving to Indiana Chamber of Commerce, which funds the extremists passing anti-LGBTQ legislation
365-day support means lobbying and political giving that matches the rainbow imagery on Pride weekend
00:23:25 - The Weimar Warning
Scott draws parallel to late Weimar Berlin — visible, open LGBTQ life followed by catastrophic rollback
Caudill: dehumanization of a targeted group is the historical precursor to broader persecution
Direct line from anti-immigrant rhetoric to current targeting of trans people — once you normalize it for one group, it extends to all
Caudill is displaying Indiana/trans flag composite behind him in honor of International Trans Day of Visibility
00:27:58 - The “LGB Without the T” Movement
Movement most prominent in UK; Caudill describes it primarily as a social media phenomenon, limited real organizational depth
Functions to fracture coalition — exactly what anti-LGBTQ forces want
Trans people face the highest rates of discrimination and violence; excluding them abandons the most vulnerable
Points to women’s suffrage [the 19th Amendment was ratified August 18, 1920] and civil rights movement as proof that coalition unity wins
00:33:17 - Self-Loathing Conservatives and Voter Apathy
Scott: what do you make of Scott Bessent and Bari Weiss — openly gay/queer, doing MAGA’s work?
Caudill: some gay men are functionally self-loathing; mix in narcissism and they become useful instruments for forces that regard them with contempt
About 12% of LGBTQ voters supported Trump — roughly 90% didn’t
The real problem isn’t persuadable LGBTQ Trump voters; it’s LGBTQ non-voters
00:36:15 - Gavin Newsom, Pete Buttigieg, and Democratic Messaging
Newsom’s “culturally normal” comments: an attempt at internal Democratic strategy, but wrong framing — reinforces a false normal/abnormal binary
Buttigieg made a similar misstep with the trans community, also had to walk it back
Both trying to find a “big tent” message; both threw lead balloons
Caudill: Democrats do stand for things — they’ve just been terrible at messaging since Jimmy Carter, with brief exceptions (Clinton’s “It’s the economy, stupid,” Obama’s “Hope”)
00:44:11 - The Indiana Democratic Party
State party in structural failure since Frank O’Bannon’s 2000 re-election
Individual wins (Donnelly 2012) mostly attributable to Republican self-destruction (Mourdock’s rape comments), not Democratic strength
Caudill refuses to donate to state party or Stonewall Democrats until they answer basic questions about where the money goes
Still a “diehard Democrat” — gives directly to candidates instead; raised $16 million for a Democratic governor in Missouri in 2008
00:47:48 - Queer the Vote Indiana
Primary GOTV vehicle: voters sign a pledge to vote and recruit others; Equality Indiana pledges to keep them informed
Partnership with vote.org for voter registration capture
Indiana’s primary voter registration deadline: midnight, April 6 (six days from recording)
Indiana is a closed primary — voters choose Democrat or Republican ballot
Registration reopens May 19; Equality Indiana plans to attend all 50+ Pride events statewide, late May through October
00:53:45 - GOTV Tactics and Protecting Trans Voters at the Polls
Plans for GOTV rallies during early voting — drag queen appearances at donut shops/coffee shops in Indy, Muncie, Bloomington; “bring five friends next Saturday” multiplier model
Trans Hoosiers face compounded barrier: state blocking ID document updates, creating friction at the polls
Equality Indiana will escort trans voters and advocate for provisional ballots if clerks push back
Legislature banned college IDs as valid voter ID; Equality Indiana working with campus LGBTQ centers on state ID access, will provide BMV transportation if needed
00:58:37 - How to Get Involved and Show Closing
equalityindiana.org — volunteer sign-ups, committee work, event tabling
Hoosier Hysteria Pride Flag fundraising campaign: $100 one-time or $10/month earns choice of one of six pride flags, delivered before Pride Month
Scott thanks Caudill, PIN subscription pitch, social media handles
