Diversity Rules Magazine

7 Diversity Rules Magazine June 2019 Bloomington - Con't from page 3 bakery staff is welcoming, and establishment is one of the favorite morning des na ons among locals. The city of Bloomington has enacted a Nondiscrimi- na on Policy which provides all ci zens equal oppor- tunity for educa on, employment, access to public accommoda ons and housing. This policy is on top of Indiana University's policy, making Bloomington a very welcoming and safe place for LGBT people to live, work and study. Not too far from campus is the Bloomington Salt Cave. It's not actually a cave, but it is the perfect place to unwind. A session includes a re- laxing 45-minute stay in a room made up of Himalayan rock salt. The therapy is a pro- ac ve way to achieve overall health and wellness through the use of nega ve ions. Eastern Europeans have been using dry salt therapy for genera ons and there are now ther- apeu c salt caves all over the world. Bloomington is also home to The Kinsey Ins tute for Sex Research. Named for Dr. Alfred Kinsey, the Ins - tute had two primary goals: to con nue the team's research on human sexual behavior; and to admin- ister research resources, including research materi- als, a library, case histories, and other related mate- rials. Drs. Alfred Kinsey, Wardell Pomeroy, and Clyde Mar n developed the Heterosexual-Homosexual Ra ng Scale—more commonly known as "The Kin- sey Scale," which showed people did not fit into exclusive heterosexual or homosexual categories. Guests can visit The Kinsey Ins tute Collec ons, which encompass print materials, film and video, fine art, ar facts, and photography collected from six con nents and spanning more than 2,000 years of human history. Indiana University also boasts an ac ve LGBTQ+ Alumni Associa on, who's goal is to improve the quality of life for LGBTQ+ students, faculty, staff, and alumni of IU on all eight campuses of the univer- sity. The organiza on sponsors educa onal ac vi- es, provides informa on on ac vi es and events of interest to the IU LGBTQ+ community and award grants to deserving LGBTQ+ students and student organiza ons. If you need a break from your culture and history tour of Bloomington, head to Cardinal Spirits, a local dis llery and creator of Pride Vodka. While there, order one of their delicious hamburgers, which were cooked to perfec on and quite filling. You won't leave hungry! In the mood for a drag show? Head to The Back Door, the city's only official gay bar. I say 'official' because many bars in the city are LGBT friendly and some locals men oned a few others, but The Back Door is the only bar that bills itself as a gay establishment. While there, I had front row seats at their RuPaul's Drag Race-inspired compe on, where they ap- pointed Bloomington's next drag superstar. Bloomington is located about an hour outside of Indianapolis, so if you are visi ng from the east or west coast, it would prob- ably be easiest to fly in to Indy and rent a car. I love explor- ing small LGBT- friendly towns and ci es and B l o o m i n g - ton definitely didn't disappoint. It's surely one of the blue dots in Indiana. Enjoy the Journey!

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