A Louisville wedding photographer is challenging the city’s fairness ordinance on religious grounds. Chelsey Nelson said she believes marriage is between and a man and a woman and that she shouldn’t be forced to photograph same sex couples. WDRB News reported that the more than 50-page suit claims the law would “…force Chelsey to create […]
by Perry Dixon All LGBTQIA siblings, families, and those seeking to be allies are invited to Soul Supper, a free Thanksgiving Meal on November 21st. We will gather and eat together from 7:00-8:30pm in the Fellowship Hall of Highland Baptist Church (1101 Cherokee Rd) with vegan, vegetarian, and gluten free menu items included. This is […]
BELLEVUE — With a unanimous vote of 6-0 tonight, the Northern Kentucky town of Bellevue, population 5,772, became the fifteenth city in the commonwealth with a Fairness Ordinance prohibiting LGBTQ discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations. Bellevue continues the record-breaking streak of cities passing Fairness Ordinances this year by becoming the fifth to extend […]
by Thomas Wray, Illinois Eagle OWENSBORO — Officials in Daviess County, Ky. told a local newspaper that there weren’t the votes to pass a fairness ordinance. A fairness ordinance would add LGBTQ to the local non-discrimination laws. Fourteen cities in Kentucky have passed fairness ordinances in the past few years. One of the most recent […]
By Ben Gierhart SOMERSET — Some disturbing news has come to the attention of QueerKentucky. Kristina Brant, a PhD candidate in sociology at Harvard University and a doctoral fellow in the Multidisciplinary Program in Inequality and Social Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School, took to Twitter on Monday, November 11 to report that she believes […]
Kody, Bullitt County What does the word queer mean to you? To me, the word queer is an umbreall term used to describe anyone that exists outside of societal terms. Growing up in a much more rural town, queer is still often used as a slander. I think it is beautiful how the term queer […]
UPDATE: Matt Bevin used his right to a recanvasing that took place today, but in the end, the exiting governor said he couldn’t fight the numbers. “We’re going to have a change in the governorship based on the vote of the people,” Bevin said at a news conference. “I truly wish the attorney general well […]
Nicholas Hill What does the word queer mean to you? It’s just a label of me honestly.. a proud label of course. I’m also Hispanic, Irish and Native American and I’m proud at that also so I pretty much just categorise it as such. How do you identify? Human. Explain how was it growing up/living […]
Isiah Fish What does the word “queer” mean to you? It’s 2007. I get my first job popping corn & frying funnel cakes at a movie theater. With my first paycheck, I buy the “Queer as Folk” complete boxed set. Night by night, I devour it in the dark, sitting in a chair close to […]
The first anti-trans legislation of 2020 is in the works according to a Kentucky State Representative’s Facebook page. State Representative Savannah Maddox (R-61st District) just announced her intention to file a bill in the 2020 Kentucky General Assembly targeting transgender kids and preventing them from obtaining the care they need. Yesterday, I began drafting a […]
“I live in Shepherdsville, KY. It is difficult living in KY. It was difficult growing up in KY. Being queer and living in Bullitt County, you always have to be alert of your surroundings. You can’t presume you’re safe just because you live in Bullitt county. You’re only safe if you’re white, redneck, religious, and […]
SWAN DEL Rey, Henderson What do you identify as? Why? Or why don’t you identify as anything? I identify as male because society says I am even though I feel like I am part women too. I am not a fan of labels — it puts restraints and limits on your growth. I hate feeling […]
By Ben Gierhart In an era when acceptance of queer people seems to be at an all-time high, it may come as a shock that the idea of whether or not someone can be fired for being gay or trans is still being contested. That is exactly what is being decided on October 8 as […]
Hoba House is a soon to open creative space in Portland, Kentucky. As an LGBTQ+ owned space we will strive to create a place where everyone can feel safe and comfortable to be themselves. We will be offering many opportunities for queer artists and musicians to share their work in a welcoming, intimate environment. HOBA […]
VERSAILLES — With a vote of 3-2 tonight, the Woodford County, Kentucky town of Versailles, population 8,568, became the fourteenth city in the commonwealth with a Fairness Ordinance prohibiting LGBTQ discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations. By becoming the fourth city to adopt the measure this year, Versailles makes 2019 a record-breaking year for […]
What does the word queer mean to you? How do you identify? It’s a huge question, but one I think is worth discussing. It’s a word that has been used to hurt me, smear me, physically assault me; I have had a painful past with the word. When I first was growing into myself, my […]
McKenzie and Colby What does the word queer mean to you? M: I always thought of it as existing outside the heteronormative universe—with rules about the things you’re “supposed” to do. It’s marching to your own drum and being different while not having to worry about what society says you have to do at a […]
Casey What do you identify as? Why? Or why don’t you identify as anything?I am a non-binary lesbian because I personally do not subscribe to a male or female identity but sexually identify as lesbian. What does the word Queer mean to you?It means taking a weapon (a harmful word) from my oppressor and making […]
by Ben Giehart As I’m sure most Kentuckians are well aware, Kentucky is a red state. There are exceptions of course. As a whole, big cities like Louisville and Lexington are decently progressive – as one might expect. There are pockets of other cities and towns littered throughout the state that harbor modern civil rights […]
Lu Fields, Barbourville What do you identify as? Why? Or why don’t you identify as anything? I am a Proud Transgendered Woman from the small city called Barbourville in the County of Knox. What does the word Queer mean to you? Queer has many meanings to me as a Trans Woman who proudly fights for […]
Queer Kentucky sat down with Arielle Clark, founder and owner, Sis Got Tea, LLC to talk about her business. Give a brief update on the black, sober, queer space business you’re starting. I’ve had this business idea in my head for about ten years now. I always had big, grandiose ideas (I’m a Leo; it’s […]
The first openly gay presidential candidate from South Bend, Indiana, will attend a “grassroots event” hosted by Play Louisville. The event is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 17.
by Ben Gierhart In 2019, The Trevor Project, the country’s leading organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LGBTQ young people, conducted a landmark national survey. This first-of-its-kind survey is the compilation of data from the responses of over 34,000 LGBTQ young people under 25 from all 50 states, and the results are […]
Georgetown — With a vote of 5-3 tonight, the Scott County, Kentucky town of Georgetown, population 34,395, became the thirteenth city in the commonwealth with a Fairness Ordinance prohibiting LGBTQ discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations. Georgetown is the latest in a string of Kentucky cities that have recently voted to approve Fairness Ordinances […]
Kay Moss When I hear Queer I think gay man or butch queen. A lady like myself doesn’t use that word to describe herself. I can settle for words like TS or Trans woman but not Queer or tranny. I am from Louisville, Kentucky I was born at Norton Hospital. Growing up in Kentucky was […]
Our Emotional Wellbeing is a two-year initiative organized by IDEAS xLab, an artist-led nonprofit based in Louisville, KY. This initiative is designed to measurably impact hope and belonging of young people 12 – 20 years old through an arts-based co-creation process. In partnership with Louisville Youth Group (LGBTQ+ young people under 21), and two after-school programs at Meyzeek Middle […]
Jordan Williams, Hardin County Queer to me means to exist in an unconventional way. It’s the giant umbrella of ppl that understand that we need a come ground to communicate about similar experiences but we don’t need to agree with one another to respect how some1 else lives/expresses themselves. It’s like a community barbecue you […]
Fairness Campaign Director Chris Hartman and fairness advocates Sonja De Vries and Carla Wallace were dragged out of the Kentucky State Fair’s ham breakfast for the Kentucky Farm Bureau Thursday morning. The three were arrested after protesting KFB’s discriminatory policies against LGBTQ+ people. Each year, Kentucky Farm Bureau Insurance customers are automatically charged a fee […]
Jimmy Ausbrooks official Facebook Dear Editor, I wanted to reach out to the readers of Queer Kentucky and announce my candidacy for the United States Senate. I am a native of Kentucky, a mental health counselor, and a proud gay man that advocates for the LGBTQ+ community. I grew up in rural Simpson County, raised […]
Briana Patterson, Ft. Knox/Radcliff So here’s my story, the very short version: I’m originally from Kentucky. I grew in an emotionally abusive household where I traumatized by my alcoholic father. I moved to San Francisco when I was 18 to go to school for Graphic Design. I fell in love with SF and the culture. […]
