Meet our volunteer Indigo (they/them). Indigo lives with their parents, their Grandma, their dog Bridget and their cat Phantom! Indigo says “Each of them is important to me in their own ways and have taught me many values and lessons. My mom has always been my advocate, and she inspires me every day to do the same for myself and others. My dad showed me that hard work always pays off in the end, even if it feels impossible. My grandma taught me that it’s never too late to learn a new skill, my cat Phantom taught me it’s okay to be yourself, even if people judge you for it and my dog Bridget taught me the value that loyalty and compassion can have on a person. I would never have made it this far without any of them!”
Indigo is our the new editor of our Arts and Culture page at Sussex Pride. They are responsible for posting arts and cultural events to our website, and managing our Sussex Pride Arts Instagram and Facebook pages. If you have something you would like to see posted on our arts & culture page, email Indigo at arts@sussexpride.org.
Here are eight questions and answers to get to know Indigo better.
Where are you originally from and if you moved to Delaware, how did you end up here?
“I was born in New Jersey not far away from Philadelphia. I lived in New Jersey for 10 years and my mom and I escaped our old lives and moved to Pennsylvania to live with the man I call my Dad. My biological father was never in the picture for me and when he was, it was not in a good way so he’s always been my dad.
However in 2017 due to complications of a rare disease, I was placed on life support. I was not supposed to survive and only given hours to days to live. As of January 2025, I have been a survivor for 8 years! After I recovered, we decided to move to the beach. I already had my Pop Pop who lives in Selbyville, and we realized that life was too short to wait for opportunities to come to us, we had to find them ourselves and take the opportunity and that’s what we did! We haven’t looked back since!”
Did you grow up here? What are your memories of Delaware?
“Growing up I always visited during the summer because of my Pop Pop and my Grandmom Floss who passed away in 2019. Many memories were spent here with my cousins. We would swim in the pool all day until the sun went down, we would go for Ice Cream at a small beloved Ice Cream parlor that was in driving distance from their house, we would go to the Boardwalk and my Pop Pop always made sure we never went home without one thing we wanted. If we wanted something, he always made sure we left with it. I also have memories of riding the Cape May – Lewes Ferry from New Jersey to Delaware and back, including one time where we rode the last ferry of the night and saw beautiful sunsets. Delaware was a whole new world compared to New Jersey. A beautiful, peaceful and safer one compared to the world I knew back home.”
Who is your LGBTQ+ hero? Who do you look up to most in our community and why?
“I heavily look up to the alternative music scene for heroes who have broken barriers in music, especially in that very heteronormative scene for a very long time. Especially during the early 2000s, a time where the internet was a new thing and to be seen as successful you had to fit a certain bill or image. One person who comes to mind is Gerard Way of My Chemical Romance who has always been both an ally to the LGBTQ people as well as someone who famously broke the mold in that scene with various looks and went out of his way to amplify voices, especially the voices of transgender and nonbinary people and continues to do so, especially on tour!”
What is your volunteer role at Sussex Pride and what do you like most about it?
“I am an Arts and LGBTQ Culture editor here at Sussex Pride! I love my job because I myself am very much an artistic person when it comes to music, art, writing, and anything creative and I get to write about different events in the era that fit under that roster and more! I also love that I get to bring our community together in this way!”
When was the first time you went to a Pride Event? What do you remember about it?
“It was the Rehoboth Beach Block Party in 2024! My friend and I went to Rehoboth Beach and we were completely unaware an event was going on, but we decided to stop in and we had a blast! I remember getting so many items from vendors and talking to so many people and I even had my face painted! Many Sussex Pride subsidiaries were in attendance!”
What is your favorite Delaware Beach?
“Rehoboth Beach! Not only is it a beautiful place rich with LGBTQ history but no matter what time of year you go, there’s always something amazing to go see or be apart of!”
What is your favorite Beach food?
“My guilty pleasure beach food is definitely Fisher’s Popcorn. I have so many buckets lying around the house from them. However I’m also definitely a sweet tooth when it comes to beach food, especially Ice Cream!”
What have you enjoyed most about volunteering with Sussex Pride and what (if any) advice would you give to someone who is thinking about volunteering?
“I love being apart of something and finally getting to be who I truly am after hiding myself for so many years. Having a local LGBTQ community and being accepted in it is amazing and if there is anyone out there wanting to volunteer, my advice to you is never go silent. We live in an era today where now more than ever our voices need to be heard, and no voice is too small!”