Celebrating pride is an important part of reminding transgender people in Kentucky (and worldwide) that there is community and safety to be found, even in the face of much discrimination and anti-trans legislation. 

As a nonbinary person, celebrating pride has been a transformative experience for me. The first time I was able to go as a young teenager, I found myself in the most accepting environment I had ever seen. 

I had struggled with my identity for quite some time, feeling isolated from my peers in my hometown where I was one of few transgender people. When I went to LexPride, a Lexington festival that takes place each June, I was surrounded by people like myself. This changed my perspective, and led me to finding self-acceptance, and even joy in my identity as a trans person. 

For transgender folks especially, pride fosters an environment of education and inclusion. Many nonbinary people find difficulties in feeling like they are “trans enough” for transgender spaces. 

Ripley Morgan, a 24 year old nonbinary individual, said that pride helped them to accept their gender identity. 

“Going to Pride helped me see that there is more to being trans than just MTF or FTM…there are so many people who identify as many unique identities that all fall under the trans umbrella,” they said. “We’re building a community to support each other.” 

Queer education, particularly in rural areas, is not part of the educational curriculum in schools, but is one of many important resources available at pride. 

“Richmond Pride last year was the first Pride I’ve ever attended,” Morgan said, referring to the 2024 celebration. “I learned about safe sex for all relationships.” In Kentucky and other rural parts of the United States, conversations about sex are often limited. “I was not taught that at all, only to practice abstinence,” they said. “It is really important for people to be educated so they don’t wind up in bad situations in their daily life.” Pride events, Morgan added, serve not only to celebrate queer joy but also to promote queer health and safety.

Pride festivals also offer education on queer history. 

LexPride offers drag shows, and this is where I was able to see my first one. Drag is such a crucial piece of LGBTQ+ culture and history, so it is important to have access to at a celebration of queerness like pride. Moreover, there are resources provided to find more safe spaces, connections for finding safe and inclusive healthcare, and vendors selling merchandise that loudly celebrates queerness. 

These resources showed me the importance of community, particularly for queer and transgender folks. The amount of care and support given at Pride festivals was something I was wholly unacquainted with and surprised by, and it demonstrated to me that I am not alone in the adversities that I face as a trans person every day. 

Crow Miles, 24, found their first pride festival to be a life saving experience. 

“At my first Pride, I found a line of parents wearing ‘free hugs’ shirts,” they said. “One woman hugged me so tight and whispered, ‘I’m glad you’re still here.’” That moment, they said, made them realize that even in a world where their family and classmates had been cruel, there would always be people who were happy simply because they were still here.

Pride can save lives, and transform unhealthy ways of thinking that queer people are instilled with because of an unaccepting culture and environment. Miles said that that moment has kept them going throughout their life, and is a big reason they’re still here, proudly able to be themself. These festivals aren’t just about celebrating queerness, but helping queer people to survive. 

I went to my first pride with a trans flag wrapped around my shoulders like a cape. While I was there, I got rainbow face paint that covered my cheeks in a prideful blush. I felt like my outside was reflecting my inner identity for the first time in my life. 

I watched protestors circle outside of the festival, shouting hateful rhetoric and carrying their homophobic and transphobic signs. Even this led to inspiration, though, as all of my queer siblings shouted back, and danced and sang through the adversity. I watched an entire community support each other despite outside hatred, and I felt truly safe. 

Pride is a fun, uplifting event, but it is important to worry about your health and safety while attending! For those who chest bind, below are some important safety tips to consider.

A struggle I faced for many years attending pride was the heat, as I was chest binding for the majority of my teenage years. This taught me to research safer methods of binding in situations where the heat is inescapable, and led to me searching for binders that were more comfortable in those situations. I want to highlight the importance of binding safely, both for health reasons, and the success of desired gender-affirming top surgery. I have attached an article on the safety tips for binding in the summer here. 

Every queer and transgender person deserves to feel included, and to experience places and people that create an environment of safety. Pride accomplishes that goal, and benefits so many of us every year.