Lexington Public Library cancels LGBTQ+ programing, community voices concerns
The Lexington Public Library is making changes.
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Entries by Spencer Jenkins
Old Louisville Coffee Co-Op lease ending, owners seek to buy their own space
After three years in business serving the LGBTQ+ community and its allies, Old Louisville Coffee Co-Op is seeking to purchase their own space.
Louisville Pride Foundation pauses remaining $100K in vaccine program due to DOGE budget cuts
DOGE cuts are coming for Kentucky’s LGBTQ+ community.
Natasha Bedingfield to headline 2025 Kentuckiana Pride Festival
The Kentuckiana Pride Festival lineup is here! Well, the first part.
Kentucky entrepreneurs launch virtual micro-school to support LGBTQ+ students amid hostile climate
Amid growing hostility toward LGBTQ+ youth from federal and state governments, two Kentucky entrepreneurs have launched a virtual micro school that fosters community engagement and uses virtual reality to create an affirming, supportive learning environment for LGBTQ+ high school students. Co-founders of The Harbor Academy, Louisvillians Dr. Josh Covington, a former teacher, and Taylor Young, […]
Trans joy takes center stage at Kentucky Capitol amid legislative challenges
Trans advocates celebrate joy and resilience at Kentucky Capitol Rotunda.
Queer Kentucky Southeastern Media Study explores importance of LGBTQ+ Visibility
Our study shows queer media is a lifeline—fostering community, advocacy, and visibility in the Southeast.
Neonatal Clinicians, Entrepreneurs Develop LullaFeed to Support Infants with Feeding Challenges
LullaFeed, a smart baby bottle device, uses lullabies to support infants with feeding difficulties.
A Little Vacation with Matteo Lane: The Gay Comic’s Upcoming Performance in Louisville
Comedy darling Matteo Lane is coming to Louisville!
10 Activities to Look Forward to this Spring and Summer
Got the winter blues? Here are 10 activities to look forward to this summer!
Chemsex: Understanding the Risks, Realities, and Resources for LGBTQ+ Communities
Chemsex, or combining drugs with sex, poses serious health risks but harm reduction and support can help. 🌈💊 Learn more about the realities, risks, and resources.
Meta paves way for hate speech, violence against LGBTQ+ community
Meta is rolling back hate speech policy. What could go wrong?
Gov. Andy Beshear declared a state of emergency ahead of winter storm
A storm is coming! Possible 6 inches in the state.
Bowling Green man charged with murdering friend
A Bowling Green man, Ali Fadil, has been arrested for allegedly murdering his friend, Michael Scott Lee, and staging a crash scene. Lee was known for his support of the LGBTQ+ community.
Trouble Bar to close, making way for new community-centered venture
The beloved queer-friendly hub Trouble Bar will pour its last drinks on New Year’s Eve, as owners prepare to transform the space into a new business continuing their legacy of advocacy and community connection.
Ethel Cain announces ‘limited pressing’ of “Preacher’s Daughter” vinyl release
Ethel Cain announces “Preacher’s Daughter” vinyl release date.
Louisville’s Lexi Love Joins RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 17
Lexi Love is the fifth Kentucky queen to join RPDR.
Queer Kentucky ISSUE 07: Letter from the Editor
Queer Kentucky ISSUE 07: 25 Faces of Fairness is available now in select stores and on our website.
Let’s Breathe: Queer Kentucky offering FREE “Mindful Movement” Class
Queer Kentucky’s Mindful Movement class at Suspend offers a safe, LGBTQ+ affirming space for trauma-informed breath and bodywork.
Northern Kentucky, Cincinnati BLINK with big gay lights
BLINK Cincinnati brings lights and queerness to the Northern Kentucky region.
Florals for spring? Groundbreaking. Kentucky’s newest sweetheart yassifies a Derby tradition
Contrary to popular belief, The Kentucky Derby has always been queer. Big, boisterous hats and flashy fascinators paired with dresses in bright pastels, deep rosy reds and Kentucky blues fill Churchill Downs from the infield to Millionaires row. Let’s face it: it’s one big drag show. For the Derby’s 150th anniversary, Churchill Downs and Woodford […]
Letter from the Editor: Spencer Jenkins
Dear reader, Recently, a few Bourbon tasters and tour guides educated me on the aging process of Kentucky’s state sprit, and I couldn’t help but notice its parallels with Queer Kentucky. At minimum, Bourbon must age for two years, during which time it develops taste and character through each of Kentucky’s distinct seasons. But, it […]
Brown-Forman, University of Kentucky gut DEI initiatives
After the murders of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd in 2020, something shifted in the world — at least for a little bit. Conversations surrounding race and LGBTQ+ equality infiltrated family dinner tables and corporate boardrooms across the United States. Four years later, the once touted DEI initiatives are being cut. Last week, Bourbon powerhouse […]
Gay Polo League to transform Kentucky Horse Park into Pink Pony Club
Two very distinct worlds will trot side by side into Lexington the first week of August — the prestigious sport of polo and gay people. The International Gay Polo League Tournament, which produces events globally, will take place Aug. 3 at Lexington’s famous Kentucky Horse Park. Chip McKenney, founder of GPL, said his horse loving […]
Feeling Home in Louisville: Kennedy Stephens
Queer Kentucky has partnered with Louisville Magazine for our fourth print issue. We asked Louisvillians and Kentuckians at large about their queerness and its relationship to the city, where they feel at home, who was there for them when it felt like nobody else was, the biggest issues facing Louisville’s queer communities, and much more. In this issue, […]
Pornhub alerted users this week that Kentuckians will lose access to the site due to age verification requirements on July 10
This story was first published by Louisville Public Media When Kentuckians opened up the pornography video-sharing website Thursday, they were hit with a pop up. In all caps underneath a picture of the Kentucky flag, it read, “You will lose access to pornhub in 26 days.” Earlier this year, Kentucky lawmakers passed a bill — following in […]
Feeling Home in Louisville: Megan Miller
Photo by Sarah Davis Queer Kentucky has partnered with Louisville Magazine for our fourth print issue. We asked Louisvillians and Kentuckians at large about their queerness and its relationship to the city, where they feel at home, who was there for them when it felt like nobody else was, the biggest issues facing Louisville’s queer communities, and […]
Chappell Roan gives “Swan Lake” in dress designed by Kentuckiana native Gunnar Deatherage
After selling out Kentuckiana Pride last week, pop sensation Chappell Roan has dipped her pink pony toes back into the Kentuckiana community, however this time she worked with regional native Gunnar Deatherage on the perfect dress for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. The Project Runway alum took some time to chat with Queer Kentucky […]
Bowling Green born artist curates sexy, uncensored magazine for queer creatives
photos by Brett Loudermilk I Will Follow You to BG ‘Cause That’s What Us Boys Are For In 2022, I stumbled upon an Instagram post of a sun-kissed bronze, tatted, and otteresque artist, Zain Curtis. He had recently gained notoriety from screen printing T-shirts with blood infused paint to raise awareness of the homophobic blood […]
Chappell Roan, Icona Pop and Robin S. to headline Kentuckiana Pride
Get ready, Kentuckiana! Louisville’s Waterfront Park will turn into the Pink Pony Club when the Midwestern Princess herself, Chappell Roan, Swedish duo Icona Pop, and the legendary Robin S. perform Saturday, June 15 at Kentuckiana Pride Festival, kicking off pride in the Bluegrass. In its 24th year, Kentuckiana Pride has served as an event for […]
Letter from the Editor: Let’s Reimagine Masculinity
“I love being gay. I love spending twenty minutes moisturizing. I love carrying my phone in my hand like a little coin purse. I love poppers. I love incense. I love drama. I love starting phone calls with GIRL and biiiiiiiitch. I love songs that are just one command, like DANCE, spoken over and over […]
Noah J. Ricketts Brings the Bluegrass to Hollywood and Broadway
Noah J. Ricketts, Louisville, masterfully donned 1950s drag and 1980s swag as Frankie Hines in the Showtime political romance miniseries, Fellow Travelers. The show follows a group of men, led by Matt Bomer and Jonathan Bailey, through the Lavender Scare, the Vietnam War, and the AIDS Crisis.
Covington’s Carnegie Theater Director offers passion and community through queer performances
In case you didn’t know, Covington is bursting with queerness. From their downtown rainbow crosswalks, ever-growing queer-owned businesses sprinkled on Main Street, and flamboyant theater productions, the Northern Kentucky city is an underrated queer-friendly mecca. No one knows this better than Carnegie Theater Director and queer culture leader, Tyler Gabbard. “People are friendly here,” the […]
Kentucky’s Regional LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce hires new executive director
Kentucky’s LGBTQ+ Regional Chamber of Commerce has hired a new executive director and will be hosting monthly events for small and large businesses, corporate suppliers, and entrepreneurs to enhance the LGBTQ+ business ecosystem. The CIVITAS board of directors hired Bryce Cariel to lead the organization into financial and organizational sustainability in 2024. Born a […]
Louisville native, Fellow Travelers star heads into awards season with high hopes
As gaggles of gays make plans to cozy up around their TV’s dressed in their Saltburn-themed attire to watch the glitzy and glamorous award shows, one queer Kentuckian is heading to the ceremonies with nominations in hand. Noah Ricketts, from Louisville, blessed screens donning his best elegant 1950s drag attire and 1980s swag in 2023 […]
Groups, goo and La Grange: A Kentucky Sniffies Download
2023 was a mild-to-wild year for me. If I summarized my experience with hook-up apps in 2023, spotify-wrapped-style, my top artists would be … well let’s not overshare TOO much, but my playtime would be uhm… several dozens of hours. Seeking out fixes and fucks in the digital space takes a lot of time and […]
Queer Kentucky Issue 04: Letter from the Editor
To Mary, Alli, Shaye, Kristen and Kami: I love you to the moon and back. When I came out as gay in my junior year at Eastern High School, I was very dramatic. Not only was I aggressively leaning into teenage angst by slamming doors and arguing about the color of the sky — being […]
A letter from the Editor-in-Chief, Spencer Jenkins
photo by Urban Wyatt for the Jack Harlow Foundation My one wish is that the stories and creations between these pages offer us all hope that a life of queerness is a life worth living. Queer lives are precious and worth saving — I am speaking of my own, yours, and also of those that […]
Queer activists stare down a barrel of hate in Eastern Kentucky park
by Spencer [email protected] At Sanders Park in Corbin, KY, members and activists of the LGBTQ+ community rallied together on June 3rd to support one another. What should have been an uplifting event turned unsettling when faced with animosity and hate. LGBTQ+ activist Trent Osborne said he and his friends were having a peaceful protest in […]
A small note from us
Dear Readers, Here at Queer Kentucky, we aim to educate, entertain and instill pride and hope. We have created a platform for Queer people from all around our great bluegrass state to share experience, ideas, philosophies, emotions, and on and on and on. Our voices may sometimes be unfortunate, cheerful, inappropriate and sometimes down-right […]