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Entries by Missy Spears
Chat with Volunteer Lawyers, Notarize Documents, or Say “I Do” with Community Support This Sunday in Louisville
This weekend Louisville’s Mandala House is hosting their first LGBTQIA+ Legal Rights Day, a free event offering a wealth of resources designed to inform, educate, and uplift the LGBTQ+ community in an uncertain time. Resources include access to volunteer lawyers and notaries, on-site officiants, mental health resources, and an all day schedule of expert speakers […]
Kentucky’s Department of Corrections to expand protections for transgender inmates
Kentucky’s Department of Corrections has proposed rules to enhance protections for transgender inmates, focusing on healthcare access, pronoun respect, and housing considerations. The move aligns with federal standards but has sparked GOP criticism over potential taxpayer-funded surgeries.
Queer Kentucky ISSUE 07: Letter from the Executive Director
Let’s have a word from the coolest dyke in Kentucky, Missy Spears. Queer Kentucky ISSUE 07: 25 Faces of Fairness is available now in select stores and on our website.
Slasher movie “Horrified” filming in Lexington, Bowling Green in 2025
What’s your favorite scary movie? If you’re a Kentucky queer, that answer may soon be “Horrified,” a meta-horror comedy on track to film in Bowling Green and Lexington next year. Los Angeles-based queer director and writer Mike Zara is behind the film, and it stars Hallmark superstar Aimee Teegarden, renowned for her roles in “Friday Night […]
We can’t forget about the people of Whitesburg
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. […]
Queer Election Guide & Toolkit 2024
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.
1 Million Strong is giving sober spaces a VIP upgrade
Attending Louder Than Life this weekend? Check out the 1 Million Strong tent. The music industry, a hub of entertainment and creativity, is also a sector riddled with substance abuse, much like our own queer community. With 56 percent of industry professionals grappling with addiction, there has been a push to address the severe […]
From Doubt to Devotion: How Hannah Lowen Rediscovered Kentucky’s Bourbon Heart
Photos by Samuel Greenhill After swearing that she would never return to Kentucky, it was a handshake in a dog park that brought Hannah Lowen back. Lowen was born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky, surrounded by horses, Bourbon culture, and friends who didn’t look like her. Both of her parents were New Yorkers who had […]
A Letter from the Executive Director: Missy Spears
After over a year of working behind the scenes on this project, our team couldn’t be more excited to bring you Bourbon and Belonging: Kentucky’s Queer Bourbon Week. Over five days and across eight cities in October, participants will partake in dozens of curated experiences across Kentucky including rare tastings and tours, upscale dinners, pool […]
The Head Butch in Charge: Missy Spears
Queer Kentucky’s New Executive Director to Lead Organization’s Future This story is part of ISSUE 05: Reimagining Masculinity. The magazine is available for purchase here. Before I understood queerness, I understood masculinity. When I was a child I emulated masculine stereotypes at every turn, grabbing a hammer I could barely hold to help on a […]
Bourbon and Belonging: Kentucky’s Queer Bourbon Week
Dear Queer Kentucky, I am thrilled to announce Bourbon and Belonging: Kentucky’s Queer Bourbon Week. After working behind the scenes on this project since late last summer, I couldn’t be more thrilled to introduce Bourbon and Belonging to you. Over five days and across eight cities in October, participants will partake in dozens of curated […]
Northern Kentucky Health Department hires from within queer community for its first-ever deputy director
In a groundbreaking move towards enhancing public health initiatives, the Northern Kentucky Health Department hired Fort Wright resident, and prominent member of the NKY LGBTQ+ community, Elise Sebastian, as their first-ever deputy director. On December 27, Sebastian stepped into the role, marking a notable organizational shift as the health department aims to fortify its commitment […]
Queer Kentucky and Belle Townsend team up on a new project to offer accessible political reporting
As queer people, interacting with government and politics is as difficult as it is necessary. With so much information being constantly fed to us, it is increasingly hard to know where to access information about the political realities facing the LGBTQ+ community. Every political party has fucked us over, and few candidates have earned our […]
Watch these Four Kentucky LGBTQ+ Candidates Running for State House, Senate in 2024
After a record number of anti-LGBTQ+ bills were filed across the nation in 2023, LGBTQ+ Americans have already seen 125+ anti-trans bills filed within the first week of 2024. In Kentucky, where the community is still navigating 2023’s Senate Bill 150, one of the strictest anti-trans bills in the country, Queer Kentucky is closely following […]
Queer Kentucky hires Northern Kentucky LGBTQ+ activist Missy Spears as director of operations
Queer Kentucky is proud to announce our new director of operations, Missy Spears! Missy Spears is a community advocate, project manager, and award-winning asshole that uses humor to further civic engagement in the region and inspire action. Spears’ recent work includes leading projects for Cincinnati nonprofit Action Tank, assisting nonprofit Concerted with their expansion into […]