The Queer Kentucky Survey | LGBTQ+ Data and Research Across Kentucky
Key Findings on LGBTQ+ Health and Life
In 2024, Queer Kentucky made history. Partnering with The Moore Lab- led by Dr. Justin X. Moore, a faculty member at the University of Kentucky- our newsroom created and launched the Queer Kentucky Survey, one of the largest comprehensive studies of LGBTQ+ Kentuckians ever conducted. You can read our article on the project here. (To be clear, while Dr. Moore supported the research, this project was not funded by UK or any of its departments.)
The survey’s goal was simple but overdue- to gather the stories, needs, and priorities of LGBTQ+ people across the Commonwealth in their own words. The result was groundbreaking. More than 3,600 Kentuckians from every corner of the state participated, giving journalists, researchers, and advocates a dataset that reveals Kentucky’s queer community as it truly is, not as it’s assumed to be.
This IRB-approved study provides an essential foundation for more accurate, inclusive reporting across the state. It allows us to identify the gaps in health, safety, and access that too often go uncovered- and to tell those stories with the depth and data they deserve.
As information about LGBTQ+ lives is increasingly scrubbed from national data sources, Queer Kentucky remains committed to transparency. This dashboard makes our findings public, permanent, and free to explore. Here, you can trace the trends, disparities, and strengths shaping queer life in Kentucky today.
And the work continues- this summer, Queer Kentucky launched a follow-up survey that kept the original framework but dug deeper into harm reduction, substance use, and sexual health behaviors within our community.
Researchers and reporters interested in using this data can request access to the full dataset through this form.
