by N. David Williams Williams-Nichols Collection Department of Archives & Special Collections University of Louisville Use of the word “gay” in a homosexual context may date to as long ago as Paris in the late 16th century, when homosexuals were reportedly called ‘gai,” but there are a couple of other intriguing and perhaps more provable […]
Lakisha, Louisville What do you identify as? Why? Or why don’t you identify as anything? I am a woman that loves women. My love for Women goes beyond the labels placed on me based on who I choose to be intimate with. My soul belongs to the Woman I choose not to say that I […]
DAYTON — With a unanimous vote of 5-0 tonight, the Northern Kentucky town of Dayton, population 5,338, became the twelfth city in the Commonwealth with a Fairness Ordinance prohibiting LGBTQ discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations. “Dayton is extremely excited to be able to join the other eleven cities, out of 419 in the […]
“In general, bars appear to be seasonal phenomena among the gay population. Grand openings occur only to be followed by not-so-grand closings. In Louisville, two bars have managed to survive the inconsistent nature of the clientele they serve, thereby maintaining long and continuous runs.”
The word queer to me can mean a lot of things. As a queer person you sometimes think about when people refer to things as queer. Does someone who identifies as a male wearing a crop top make them more queer or one who likes football is less queer? I think it just boils down […]
by David Williams Photos Courtesy of The Courier Journal archives and University of Louisville Photographic Archives Article Originally Published January 2, 2016 At this late date it’s nearly impossible to write a fulfilling history of the Beaux Arts Cocktail Lounge. A great many former patrons are undoubtedly deceased. If still alive, they’re in their late […]
Chan Ponder I identify as a Lesbian an my pronouns are she, her and hers. I grew up in West Louisville on 40th and Market Street. Growing up for me was pretty dope and from growing up in the west end, urban community, I’ve definitely seen a lot. My mom was a single parent and […]
Interview with Event Founder, Desiree Carr What is the event date? This year the Pride Games are September 13 – 15. September 13th – 2816 Crums Lane September 14 – George Rogers Clark Park, 1024 Thruston Ave September 15 – 723 south brook Street What are the pride games? They are fun safe space where people […]
To me, the word queer means to be different, unique, and special; to be unlike the others. I personally identify as a gay man, as this is the title I’ve grown to be most comfortable with and proud of. However, at the end of the day, I feel like we are all a little queer […]
Barrett Gargala “You don’t look gay.” I’ve heard it 1,000 times. Who are you to label me? I get to choose how I see myself and today I choose joy. Being queer to me has nothing to do with who I love but how I feel. I want other people to realize the power in […]
Louisville — The national Equality Federation and Kentucky’s Fairness Campaign will co-host the 22nd annual Leadership Conference in Louisville from July 17-20. The conference is the premier gathering of LGBTQ movement leaders focusing on the crucial work of winning equality in state legislatures and local communities across the country. Nearly 250 people will be in attendance to strategize, mobilize […]
PADUCAH — A Western Kentucky Pride event could be in jeopardy after conservative community members advocate for it to move indoors and out of the public waterfront. In the past week, Western Kentucky Pride Festival event sponsors have received letters requesting them to back out of the event, said Dustin Havens, director of WKPF. So […]
According to a Facebook post from the LGBT Center at University of Louisville, Dominique Jackson, Star of POSE & Author of The Transsexual from Tobago (Revised), will be the keynote speaker for the University of Louisville’s Pride Week. This event is in partnership with the LGBT Center and Student Activities Board at UofL. The event […]
by Arielle Clark, MBA (she/her/hers) The Louisville LGBTQ+ scene is inundated with white, gay people and is steeped in alcohol culture. There, I said it. And did I stutter? Insert shrug emoji here. Louisville is my home. I was born in a Louisville hospital, raised in a Louisville home, and attended Louisville schools (and have […]
Chocolate, liquor, auctions and more! Kentuckiana AIDS Alliance’s annual Chocolate Fest fundraiser is Aug 3 at the Mellwood Art Center. The event is from 7 p.m. — 11 p.m. The KAA unites local non-profit agencies to provide a unique system of support for those affected by HIV/AIDS. They serve 19 counties in and around Metro […]
By Sarah Gardiner, Nanny Goat Books Photo by: Camilla Jasis-Wallace The first time I walked into Purrswaytions was on New Years Eve 2015. I was supposed to be on my way to New York, but the flight was canceled and I was desperate for any sort of lesbian energy. Pulling out my phone, I googled […]
by Deantre Martin Tinder is so Shady So, let me tell you why tinder is shady af! On the dating app users are allowed to choose from a plethora of gender identities and even can customize their own identities (I think), but the real tea is that even after all that tinder still asks whether […]
Jeremy McFarland, Campbellsville Participating in the LGBTQ+ Pride Panel at Taylor County Library was one of the greatest honors of my life so far. While growing up as a transgender man in Taylor County, I never imagined something like the panel ever taking place. As a panelist, I and four other openly LGBTQ+ adults shared […]
by Xian R. Brooks In February of 2017, after seven years of self-reflection, internal debate, and fear, I became a gun owner. I was not raised with guns. In fact, I was raised to fear them. Fear them because they could kill you. Fear people with them, especially police, because they could kill you. We […]
What does the word queer mean to you? How do you identify? Queer to me is the defiance of gender and sexuality. It’s anarchic. It’s as equally controlled or chaotic as you want to be. Some people use the term queer as an umbrella term for all people in the LGBTQ+ spectrum, and some people […]
On Friday, June 28, GRLwood released “I Hate My Mom,” an angsty song about hating life as a teenager. Bandmates Karen Ledford and Rej Forester are natives of the Bluegrass and Queer Kentucky caught up with them today. Q: Where are y’all you from? A: Rae is from Louisville, and Karen is from Hardin County. […]
by Jarred Johnson Before this week, it had been years since I heard the word “faggot” used as a slur. There on a crowded subway car in New York on my commute home, a man bumped into another. “Back off me, faggot,” he said. Knocked back, bones rattled, fear webbed out in my gut. Muscle […]
PADUCAH – Many small rural communities are creating safe spaces and pride events for their communities. Western Kentucky activists with OUT Paducah are leading this movement and were asked to be the guest of honor for a large Pride event. On June 29, Smedley Yeiser is hosting Pride Riot, a one night only pop-up venue to […]
HENDERSON — With a vote of three to two tonight, the Western Kentucky town of Henderson, population 28,657, became the eleventh city in the state to protect LGBTQ people from discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations. , A press release from the Fairness Campaign said that tonight’s Fairness Ordinance vote comes 20 years after […]
What does the word queer mean to you? How do you identify? The word queer means to me any form. To be honest I just found out about what the word queer meant when I moved to NYC, to me I associate the word queer with anything that has to do with being gay and […]
In a standing room only event, community members of Taylor County came together on Thursday to tell their heart-filled LGBTQ+ stories to the Board of Trustees of the Taylor County Library. This public event arose after backlash from conservative community members concerning an LGBTQ+ Pride Panel that took place on June 18 at the Taylor […]
PRESTONSBURG — The Big Sandy LGBT+ Safe Zone, Inc. is hosting a Pride Picnic on Monday, June 24th. The event will be held at the Dewey Dam Spillway at Shelter #4. Kyle May, president and founder of BSSZ, said the picnic came about because a community member suggested having a Pride Picnic so that […]
UPDATE: According to The Taylor County Library Facebook account, they will be having a special session meeting to discuss the controversy in response to the library’s recent LGBTQ Pride Panel. The event will take place in the community room at 1 p.m. The public will be allowed to put their input in during the hour […]
Queer Kentucky would like to thank Josh Miller of IDEAS xLab for photographing Kentuckiana Pride this year. This was the largest Kentuckiana Pride event ever and we hope all of the prides around the state continue growing. About Josh Miller: Originally from Chattanooga, TN, Josh is the co-founder + CEO of IDEAS xLab – an […]
Jasmin Kowalski I grew up in Bowling Green, Kentucky on a 34-acre farm in a creaky cabin down a long circular driveway. Growing up, I was either outside causing trouble in the neighborhood or inside glued to my T.V. playing my favorite role-playing video game. (It’s Final Fantasy IX by the way and no, VII […]
