In the heart of Louisville, echoed cheers and excitement bounce throughout the arena as blurs of speed zoom around an oval track. No, it’s not the Kentucky Derby; it’s the Roller Derby. For nearly two decades, Louisville Roller Derby (LRD) has been an empowering haven for a gender expansive community of people in Kentucky and […]
Originally published by The 19th Your trusted source for contextualizing the news. Sign up for our daily newsletter. The family of four rolled up to their new home, exhausted but relieved after hours of travel. They had never seen the house in person, but it didn’t matter: This was a fresh start. It wasn’t even […]
My HIV is 20 this year. I tested positive in September 2004. It was my habit to get tested during my birth month, and start my new year with a clean bill of health. The day I tested positive was a work day. At the time, the AIDS Volunteers of Lexington (AVOL) was in downtown […]
Cry Baby General Store is nestled comfortably in the Shelby Park neighborhood of Louisville, offering a wide selection of products like chainstitch embroidered apparel, toilet paper, cards, and crocheted catnip-filled doobies made by “my friend’s cousin’s wife.” You could even find a certain fabulous queer publication on the shelves. But products aren’t all that Cry […]
photo by Muse Marketing Pikeville Pride held its fifth annual Pride event on Oct. 12, 2024, hosting over 50 vendors from across and beyond Kentucky. The celebration aims to foster diversity, with particular understanding and acceptance of the LGBTQIA+ community in Pikeville. The Pride event featured speakers and performers, including Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman, New […]
photos by Jon Cherry Along Main Street in downtown Corbin, across the street from White Rabbit Records and bookended between the pinball museum and a local coffee shop called Folktales, Wrigley’s Taproom & Eatery celebrated its ninth birthday earlier this year. That party was, in some ways, the culmination of star chef Kristin Smith’s return […]
With the heated political climate for LGBTQ+ Kentuckians, there have been many responses from communities across the state– from anger, to hope, to exhaustion. In 2023, in response to the first legislative session with a slate of anti-LGBTQ+ bills, young Kentuckians rallied in the hundreds at the state capital to fight SB 150. In 2024, […]
When Kyle Scott heard former President Donald Trump mention his town during the first and likely only debate against Vice President Kamala Harris, the feeling was not the joy of being acknowledged on a platform being watched by a reported 67 million viewers. He feared how the fallout would impact his neighbors and friends. I […]
photos by Samuel Greenhill The spirit, fight, and resilience of Michele Hobbs. Nothing that I describe to you, from her nonstop energy to her multiple successful businesses to the Bourbon that we initially intended to speak about, sums Michele Hobbs up better than her insistence on turning all conversations to the people of Whitesburg, Kentucky. […]
While the Presidential race is all over our screens, we know that true decision-making power happens closer to home. Enter our 2024 Queer Election Guide & Toolkit, designed to inform folks about what's on their ballot, why it matters, and what those big issues are that we keep hearing about.