I grew up in the outskirts of Henderson County in Western Kentucky. For as long as I can remember, every Christmas, birthday, or day worth celebrating had a central staple: Thomason’s BBQ Baked Beans. When I tell y’all it’s a special local business, I mean it. But, don’t just take my word for it. A […]
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 […]
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, […]
“As a queer employee of UK, I feel they didn’t stand up for me… And if this is what standing up looks like, it’s dire in Kentucky.” Senate Bill 6 and House Bill 9 were the two anti-DEI bills in the 2024 session. Both of them died in the legislature, despite Republican lawmakers’ bureaucratic efforts […]
photos by Milkman Photography The booze beginning I did not grow up with queer people around me in rural Kentucky. But, I did have a fabulous, good country woman as a grandmother. She taught me how to cook, how to be myself no matter what anyone thought, and how to fight to survive in a […]
The “rural-urban divide” has been named a major fault line in American politics. This conversation leaves people quaking every presidential election, when rural swing states are often named as the deciding factor of the national vote. JD Vance, venture capitalist and senator from Ohio, has been named Donald Trump’s running mate for November’s presidential election. […]
photo by Lauren Smith-Reed (they/she) Young people sit in front of a crowd looking towards the stage at Henderson, Kentucky’s first-ever Pride on June 30, 2024. In 1999, the western Kentucky town of Henderson passed the fairness ordinance to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation. Henderson was originally the third city in Kentucky to have LGBTQIA+ […]
Kentuckians in crisis can now connect with suicide prevention, mental health, and substance abuse counselors using a nationwide, easier-to-dial phone number – 988. Phone service providers will now direct 988 calls to the existing national lifeline with its 13 Kentucky call centers, and connection to additional crisis services will be provided if necessary. The American […]
This story is part of a series from Queer Kentucky focused on following the 2024 Kentucky General Assembly from a queer lens. Follow Queer Kentucky on your favorite social media platform to stay up-to-date with our GA24 coverage. If you are a Kentuckian who identifies as LGBTQ+ and you would be open to sharing how […]
Today is the infamous sine die, which is the action that officially ends this legislative session. This legislative session has included at least 14 anti-LGBTQ+ bills, with anti-DEI bills being particularly publicly controversial. Of all of the bills, only 1 of the anti-LGBTQ bills passed. House Bill 5, a broad-reaching crime bill, will become law […]
photo by Jon Cherry for Queer Kentucky Of the slate of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation this session, it looks like the healthcare discrimination, religious freedom expansion, anti-drag, and anti-DEI bills are all dead. There is always the chance that bills that did not pass will be infused into bills that have passed, like HB 470 was infused […]
photo: Jon Cherry for Queer Kentucky February 2024 There is a continuous wave of bills regulating the civil rights of LGBTQ+ communities, and many people in the community feel like they are drowning. Currently at 479 bills, there is a nationwide influx of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation. But, where are these bills coming from? The bills in […]
photo: Jon Cherry for Queer Kentucky. Drag queen May O’Nays speaks at the fairness rally on February 18 in Frankfort. A national kerfuffle over whether or not a bill is a threat, the moves to ban drag, and national think tanks influencing Kentucky state policy… oh my! Updates on HB 747, HB 5, SB 6, […]
photo by Jon Cherry There is a slate of at least 14 anti-LGBTQ+ bills in Kentucky’s 2024 Legislative Session, and this is alarming to many folks– both LGBTQ+ and not. But, there are organizations, advocates, and community members coming together to testify against, publicly denounce, and oppose said bills. Additionally, there are pro-LGBTQ+ bills that […]
photo by Jon Cherry for Queer Kentucky On the same day as the Fairness Rally and Lobby Day for LGBTQIA+ rights, the House Judiciary Committee planned a hearing at 10 a.m. to hear what is being referred to as the “anti-Fairness law,” or House Bill 47. HB 47 would, “allow for private individuals to sue […]
As Kentucky’s 2024 Legislative Session continues, so does the controversy following the bills filed. This article will cover 5 more anti-LGBTQ+ bills, bringing the grand total to 14 anti-LGBTQ+ bills so far in this session. The Fairness Campaign, Kentucky’s leading LGBTQ+ advocacy organization, has designated 12 bills as being anti-LGBTQ+. Of those 12, Queer Kentucky […]
Kentucky legislators have now introduced a total of 9 anti-LGBTQ+ bills in the 2024 legislative session. The newest of these bills includes: Senate Bill 147, House Bill 402, House Bill 49, House Bill 358, House Bill 390, and Senate Bill 147. This is following a continuation of last year’s legislative session where at least 9 […]
By the end of 2023, 510+ anti-LGBTQ+ bills were introduced legislatively across the United States and tracked by the American Civil Liberties Union. This was a record number of anti-LGBTQ+ bills filed in state legislatures in the United States. As of January 26, the ACLU has named 367 filed bills attacking LGBTQ+ rights so far […]
Last year, 510 anti-LGBTQ+ bills swept legislative sessions across the country. Of this national total, at least 9 were from Kentucky, and multiple of the bills were filed as education bills – but all of them impacted Kentucky’s youth, namely LGBTQ+ youth. These bills varied from censoring students’ pronouns in the classroom and outing students […]
The views and opinions expressed in submissions to Queer Kentucky are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Queer Kentucky. Any content provided by our submissions or regular columnists are of their opinion. As a reader, you are always welcome to submit your op-eds through our submission form: […]
Eric King, a Murrow and Emmy award-winning journalist, has 20 years of on air experience. He is from Bardstown, Kentucky, and he is a graduate of the University of Louisville. A journalist and broadcaster with a love for traveling and storytelling, King uses his perspective in news to challenge and educate. On the topic […]
by Belle Townsend Photo by Amber Lawrence “It’s important that sapphic minded individuals have safe spaces, even if it’s just one day a month of saying, ‘Hey, we’re going to get together and meet each other,’” shared Lussi Brown Coffee Bar Owner, Sarah Brown. She continues, “There’s more than a handful of us. There’s a […]
