feature photo by Tony Lowe It was 2014 in Louisville. That year, the Kentucky General Assembly saw a record number of co-sponsors on both the House and Senate versions of the Statewide Fairness legislation, even though no vote took place. Bourke v. Beshear won recognition of their marriage on February 12 and on February 14, […]
Today, I’ll teach you a word universal to the trans experience to some degree; dysphoria! Miss Dysphoria usually comes packaged with her quirky cousin, dysmorphia. Do you feel uncomfortable in your body, so much that you want to change it? Are you burdened with the concept of even existing physically if you’re slightly out a […]
(PIKEVILLE, KY) – LGBTQ+ Eastern Kentuckians have long lacked spaces designated specifically for them to gather in a safe and friendly environment; however, one individual, backed by a supportive community, is hoping to change that. London native Tasha Sams, and a team of others, are working to bring HOME Appalachia to life. HOME Appalachia is […]
Flag Art by: Yoko Molotov Tuesday is June 1st and the beginning of Pride. COVID is still lingering like bits of toilet paper on your butt and making Pride 2021 feel different than past years. But one thing that still feels familiar is the rainbow capitalism that typically saturates this month. Rainbow capitalism is sponsorships, […]
When Alex Salisbury opened Kaiju Games in 2019, he was reigning Kentucky Bourbon Bears Cub and “Community Dad” just looking to create a space for friends to game. Opening a niche store in a small community is risky enough, but Salisbury seemingly had both the will and the way. And it has paid off. Rather […]
by Heather Brydie Harris (they/them) This series is proudly sponsored by Highland Coffee, Louisville’s Finest Coffeehouse, locally owned and operated since 1999. They have lots of VEGAN eats and treats made in house. Draft nitro-cold coffee on tap! Highland Coffee proudly bakes it’s own desserts and breakfast pastries in house, including many vegan & gluten […]
Pride Month Beer Was Brewed in Collaboration with Queer Kentucky Louisville, KY – On Friday June 4th, Mile Wide Beer Company (MWBC) will release Dorothy’s Riot, a beer brewed in collaboration with Queer Kentucky (QKY). Dorothy’s Riot is a 5% ABV Belgian-Style Witbier, brewed with Raspberry Purée. Mile Wide worked with QKY, Louisville Pride Foundation, […]
After recovering from my last breakup, I decided to get on the apps (the dating and hookup apps, that is). Gay hookup apps allow you to state your sexual preferences: are you a top, bottom, versatile, and so forth. As I was creating my first profile, on Scruff, this option gave me pause. How do […]
Editor’s Note: The below is considered explicit content to many people. We have always stood by our stance of sex positivity in all facets and we normalize human sexuality within our organization. And let’s face it, we’ve all had interesting sexual experiences and you don’t want to feel alone in that, do you? Anyways…enjoy! Long […]
by Kelsey Westbrook When Alee Alleman went to disclose her HIV positive status to her now husband, she made a plan on when and where it would happen, so that he could be in a position to leave if that’s what he wanted. She sat in her car for forty-five minutes, agonizing over her words, […]
photo: Gay ACT UP members carrying huge banner that reads THE AIDS CRISIS IS NOT OVER as they walk down the street during Gay & Lesbian Pride march. MICHAEL ABRAMSON/THE LIFE IMAGES COLLECTION VIA GETTY IMAGES Queer Kentucky and VOA FIT continue HIV education partnership by Kelsey Westbrook A stark, fluorescent-lit hallway, hospital-issued outdated chairs […]
“I want to tell you a love story. A story about a woman, her imagination, and her perseverance. The woman in this story is me, Seun Erinle.” (via LinkedIn) Seun Erinle is an innovator in the tech education and design space. As Founder and Lead Instructor at A.I.R. Labs, she helps the youth in our community cultivate their understanding […]
Zack Flanagan, is the owner of Board and You Bistro and Wine Bar. They are a proud sponsor of Queer Kentucky and as an LGBTQ+ owned business, they understand the importance and power of LGBTQ+ visibility. Every Saturday, the bistro throws their weekly drag brunch! Drag Brunch at the Bistro will be an experience like […]
Brittani Ratcliff What does the word queer mean to you? Queer to me is an amazing ‘umbrella term’ for humans who defy the societal spectrum of orientations and identities. It’s great for inclusivity and I love it for that purpose! In the past, queer has been used as a slur. But in modern age, we’ve […]
Frankfort — Kentucky Senate Bill 83, a “Healthcare Discrimination Law” that would disproportionately affect LGBTQ people and other marginalized communities, is slated to receive a hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee tomorrow, Thursday, February 11 at 9:30 a.m. ET. The bill, proposed by Senator Steve Meredith (R-Leitchfield), would allow any worker in a healthcare setting […]
Trust can mean anything from faith in a relationship to a monetary promise endowed to the generationally wealthy. It’s one of those words where we all kind of just assume we’re operating from the same definition, which, in my opinion, is not a generative example of trust as a practice. The nuances matter. People can […]
Fox Faget What does the word queer mean to you? Queer means to be free, to question norms, the predetermined structures put in place. Queer means making your own meaning, queer means healing. queer is community. How do you identify?I identify as trans non-binary. What are your pronouns? Why are they important? My pronouns are they […]
Bianca Smith What does the word queer mean to you? The word queer to me is all inclusive. It took me a long time to feel as if it was my word too. I felt excluded from the word for many years. I felt as if it was meant for gay men in my younger […]
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A slew of pro-LGBTQ bills for the 2021 Kentucky General Assembly were prefiled this week, including the first “Statewide Fairness Law” co-introduced in the State House by a Republican and the “HEROES Act,” which would restore state veterans’ benefits to some LGBTQ ex-servicemembers. “Statewide Fairness Laws,” which would add sexual orientation and […]
Indigo Child Realizing there was more to my queerness, beyond sexuality, was a lot like learning there are more colors in the rainbow than the ones that are visible, and not every color in the rainbow exists. Our beloved rainbow is made of three primary colors (red, blue, and yellow) and three secondary colors (green, […]
Valentina Ashurova What does the word queer mean to you? I’ve always viewed attraction and love as something that isn’t controlled by a checkbox, that people find one another and there is a chemistry or attraction that is independent of what is between someone’s legs. It is in that sense that I Identify as queer. […]
Christopher Abair, Handsome Fellows Barbershop Christopher Abair is offering $5 off for anyone who comes into Handsome Fellow Barber Shop and mentions this article! Handsome Fellows Barber Shop offers precision haircuts, straight razor shaves, and beard trims in a traditional, modern-rustic space. “I think it’s important for queer Louisville residents to feel that they have […]
This piece is the first in a series produced by Queer Kentucky that covers the intersectionality of queer identity, HIV status and drug/alcohol dependency in the city of Louisville. Other pieces will cover the rest of the state. Local luminary Amirage Saling was interviewed as part of the research for this piece, and in keeping […]
In honor of National Coming Out Day (Oct. 11th), I’m inviting you into a two-part stream of consciousness. This piece aims to be trauma-informed and is broken up into segments. The second segment titled, “Learning how to bend light”, comes with a content warning for a coming out story, religious oppression, homophobic home environments, and […]
The following story was written by Josh Riley, a sex worker that wanted to shed light on an industry struggling due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The highlighted sex workers have either remained anonymous or allowed us to use their name they use as a sex worker. All of the workers were compensated from non-Queer Kentucky […]
Ezra Yelverton What does the word queer mean to you?Being queer means sharing similar experiences with a person or group, but having a different story to tell. I think everyone that falls under this umbrella term has several things in common, but no one is ever the same. And that’s okay because, at some point, […]
Phelix Crittenden What does the word queer mean to you? Queer means to me, the ability to be whoever the fuck you want! Queer is limitless. Queer is captivating. Queer is bold & brave. Queer is fearless & unapologetic. Queer can be fabulous & dainty, or rough & rugged, or literally all of those things […]
Mariah Mays What does the word queer mean to you?In all technicality queer means strange or odd, but how does one person claim what’s strange or odd? Because you choose not to conform to societal expectations, or adapt to what’s accepted or passing? For me to be queer is to be black and to be […]
by Brodie Gress Two local Louisvillle non-profits have teamed up to launch the Black Trans Relief Direct Person Fund, an initiative to directly donate money to Black trans, non-binary, and non-conforming people in need. Applicants in need can go to their website and fill out a form asking for their name, background, amount of cash […]
For full audio of this piece, click here. “If you’re a writer, you are forced to look behind the word into the meaning of the word. You are responsible for what that word means. You have to find a way to use that word to liberate the energy in that word so that it has […]
