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Kaila Adia Story, PhD, she/her, Louisville

Use one Queer slang word to describe Kentucky!

YAAASSS!! I think that Kentucky has a lot of progressive folks who make up the community and each time you meet, or when I have met such a person, in my head, I am always screaming : “YAAASSS!” because meeting such a person runs contrary to stereotypes about our state as being backwards and non-progressive.

How did you activate and organize your community for equality?

I think that I activate and organize my community through my teaching. I think that I teach in a way that ignites progressive change and gets students to think deeply about the world around them and their place in it.

In the last 25 years, what is one moment that gave you hope for Kentucky’s fight in equality?

This past legislative session gave me hope for Kentucky. There were 13 anti-LGBTQ+ bills and 3 anti-DEI bills and all of them were defeated, no doubt because of all of the individuals who truly in freedom for all and fought to combat this harmful legislation.

What do you think is next for Kentucky in the fight for Equality?

I think we will have to continue to combat harmful anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in our state due to our Republican supermajorities and we will also have to continue to fight for the unhoused and reproductive freedom in light of recent SCOTUS rulings.

What are Kentucky’s greatest strengths when it comes to the fight for Queer equality?

I think that we have a lot of great collaboration amongst various organizations in our state. The Fairness Campaign often works with the ACLU and the Urban League and Kentuckians for the Commonwealth collaborate with one another to bring about justice.