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 […]
Dalton, one day you will grow up to do great things – Dawn W. My mom, a parent that deserves recognition, planted this phrase in my head when I was young. I suppose a mother can see beyond their child’s foggy, truth seeking eyes if only they take the time. In this case, my mother […]
By Brent Schanding During the month of June, Proof on Main at 21c Museum Hotel Louisville will donate all proceeds from the sale of its Sweet Evening Breeze mocktail to the Sweet Evening Breeze LGBTQ+ shelter, which is expected to open as early as this winter. Proof will also host a drag brunch at 11 a.m. on […]
Story by Jimmy Cheatham, Lexington Art by Joshua Riley Queer. To me, that word means living outside of the heteronormative/cisnormative world that we see everywhere we look. I’ve been queer long before I identified as a cis gay man. Growing up in rural Kentuckiana I always knew there was something queer about me and that […]
Josh Miller What does the word queer mean to you? I love the phrase “a glorious amalgamation.” Partially, because it just feels extra – in the best kind of way. And, because I think it encapsulates what it means to be queer. It’s a mashup of cultural underpinnings, of expressions from across the spectrum, […]
Jasmin Kowalski Photo credit: South Korean Feminist Journal Bisexuality is not a term that is easily defined- it differs from one person to another. The basics are that bisexual humans are attracted to more than one gender, which hello- that’s me! This is not just about me being bi, this is about being bi and […]
The Kentucky Youth Law Project, Inc. has agreed to become the fiscal sponsor of Ban Conversion Therapy Kentucky as of June 1, 2019. A fiscal sponsorship is a formal arrangement in which a 501(c)(3) public charity, like KYLP, sponsors a project that may lack exempt status. This arrangement will allow BCTK to take advantage of KYLP’s tax […]
Meghan Stevens What does the word queer mean to you? How do you identify? I don’t think we can really break down the meaning of what it means to be Queer without recognizing the historical hurt and inherent insult that comes along with it. In the past, it has been weaponized as a pejorative that’s […]
Xian Brooks My identities definitely influence how I carry myself in the day to day. I’m Black first. Not that I put that identity over my other identities, but that it is my most salient identity. Everyone, and trust me, I do mean every, including other queer folks (that don’t know I’m trans) interact with […]
Sarah, Elkhorn City I grew up in Elkhorn City, Kentucky. My childhood was spent playing in the mountains, riding ATVs and horses, and collecting Hot Wheels. I was always a tomboy and hated wearing the frilly dresses my grandmother made me wear to church every Sunday. That just wasn’t who I was, and I just […]
Sweet Evening Breeze Inc., is committed to Louisville’s youth experiencing homelessness by going beyond the expectations of shelter, hope, and healing. It was James Herndon “Sweets,” a Kentucky historical figure whose hospitality and compassion for others inspired our purpose and vision to offer LGBTQ+ affirming emergency shelter, food and supportive services for youth who may […]
by Deantre Martin White supremacy and racial oppression are the cornerstones that have built Western civilization. No matter what, as long as you are black these things will perform against you. This article is an excerpt of a thesis paper I wrote in defense of how white supremacy performs in the LGBTQ+ community. Throughout the […]
Alex Selby, Danville How do you identify? I am a gay trans man. What does the word queer mean to you? I have a weird relationship with the word queer. I grew up only hearing the word used in a derogatory manner, because of that the term still invokes a slight sense of anxiety. Personal […]
By Sarah Gardiner “Thank ya, honey” “Anything else I can get for ya, doll?” Regional language has always been a main string of Southern culture’s DNA. Every place has their colloquialisms and particular ways of speaking, but there’s something about the south that invites a friendliness in conversation unmatched anywhere else. “There are no strangers […]
Brent Schanding, Bourbon County What does the word queer mean to you? How do you identify? For me, “queer” is anything different, alternative, out of the norm. It’s a counterculture — a way of life that’s on the fringe of what’s socially acceptable. As a person who’s always felt on the periphery, queer is an […]
Spencer, Louisville I was born in Louisville, Kentucky. My grandmother delivered me in our home on Frankfort Avenue, in my mother’s bed. Growing up I spent my time split between my dad’s shotgun in the Highlands, my mother’s apartment and my grandmother’s farm in rural Southern Indiana. The farm is called Rainbow Circle Farm and […]
The Lodge is an artist’s dream studio, with over 9000 sq/ft of space for many different disciplines. We offer screen printing, photography, painting, audio recording and rehearsal space. Over the last eight years we have been working to make this dream of creating a community arts center a reality, and with your help we can […]
“From metro streets to Appalachian trails, these are our stories.” Queer Kentucky is beyond happy to announce THIS many Pride celebrations throughout our state in 2019! We love watching our community come together in different regions to lift their voices in LGBTQ+ pride. We will add more events as we learn about more events. June […]
Kaila Adia Story, PhD What does the word queer mean to you? To me, Queer means not letting society, institutions, friends or loved ones define who you are, or you hope to be. It means defining yourself, for yourself. It means living freely, unapologetically and boldly. It means feeling so emboldened within your queer self […]
Kalee Johnson What does the word queer mean to you? Historically I’ve been called queer in ways that were detrimental and harmful to me, and I know that many, many others have shared that experience. There’s a lot of hate that lived behind the word queer, and that hatred fueled those who used it against […]
Tell us about your business. What do you do? Why/How did it Start? Any details about the business itself you’d like us to know. One Love Hemp Dispensary is a woman owned and led business with it’s roots in Louisville’s local business community. Co-founder Nancy Roberts owned New Earth Organics and Hydroponics for thirty years, […]
Terra Russell, Louisville What does the word queer mean to you? Queer means anything other than what is usually accepted as the norm. How do you identify? I identify as a bisexual, cis woman. I also identify as biromantic and queer. Why? Or why don’t you identify as anything at all? I call myself bisexual […]
Derek Guy, Kentucky by way of Atlanta, Georgia What does the word queer mean to you? How do you identify? Why? Or why don’t you identify as anything at all? Queer means that I am as fluid as the colors surrounding us. I identify as a queer transman and my identity grows with me and […]
Blake Reichenbach, Lincoln County, Ky. What does the word queer mean to you? How do you identify? & Why? Or why don’t you identify as anything at all? I see queerness as a claim of liberation. In fact, I generally refer to myself as “queer man” rather than a “gay man” even though gay is […]
What does the word queer mean to you? To me queer has always equated with “outside of the other categories you’ve given me to choose from.” Which I like personally and I have always admired those who had adopted the label early. But then I catch the juxtaposition of choosing the “other” label (behold, it’s […]
by Tucker Keel As April begins this year, you may have noticed an increase in the visibility of issues and causes related to Autism—This is no coincidence, as April is Autism Acceptance Month! Previously, this has been called Autism Awareness month. The change may seem subtle, but it is an important distinction. In a world […]
By Chuck Leach, former pastor and counselor Photo by Adam Creech We must stop folks from pushing children off the ledge. Conversion therapy (sometimes called “Reparative Therapy”) does exactly that; it pushes children off the ledge by unraveling the underpinnings of self-understanding, acceptance, and personhood. Conversion therapy was concocted by well-intended but misguided people to […]
To mean queer means the freedom to be as “weird” as your heart desires. I think that’s why conservatives hate us so much, we get to live out their wildest dreams & darkest fantasies like it’s everyday life. I identify as PRINCE! I don’t feel the need nor the obligation to anyone (besides who I’m […]
Lane Levitch What does the word queer mean to you? How do you identify? Queer to me means an umbrella term for the LGBTQ+ community. I didn’t use it at all until I got to college, I always heard it as a derogatory word in media growing up. I’m glad that the LGBTQ+ community is […]
