photos by Matthew Pruitt Amy Mobley (she/her) Bar 32 Covington, KY As I step into Bar 32 located in Covington, I’m overwhelmed by a sense of nostalgia. The bar instantly feels like home, where the regulars converse like they’ve known each other for years (which they probably have) and visit this place frequently (which they […]
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Conversion therapy survivors tell their story in a now publicly released documentary created and produced by Kentuckian Zach Meiners. To celebrate this, Big Bar will be rolling out the red carpet tonight from 6 – 8 p.m. Gravitas Ventures, an Anthem Sports & Entertainment Company, announced today the acquisition of U.S. and Canadian distribution rights […]
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 […]
“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 […]
The views and opinions expressed in submissions to Queer Kentucky are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Queer Kentucky. Any content provided by our submissions or regular columnists are of their opinion. As a reader, you are always welcome to submit your op-eds through our submission form: […]
2/5: Mercury Enters Aquarius 2/9: New Moon in 20° Aquarius 2/13: Mars Enters Aquarius 2/16: Venus Enters Aquarius 2/19: Sun Enters Pisces 2/23: Mercury Enters Pisces 2/24: Full Moon 5° Virgo A macrocosm in bloom, we expand past our personal cosmos and reach for the idyllic, composed and assured. Enter the season of The Water […]
By Aaron Guldenschuh-Gatten he/him One June weekend, on a Friday, I arrived at the crest of a hill on a hundred-acre farm, deep in the rolling wooded hills of Central Kentucky. The setting summer sun bathed the distant pasture in gold as waves of tall grass seemed to whisper to me. A close-by friend, also […]
The views and opinions expressed in submissions to Queer Kentucky are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Queer Kentucky. Any content provided by our submissions or regular columnists are of their opinion. As a reader, you are always welcome to submit your op-eds through our submission form: […]
Interview questions curated by Marwa Asad she/her Queer experience by Nick Tawasha he/him Edited by Spencer Jenkins he/him and Belle Townsend she/they The views and opinions expressed in submissions to Queer Kentucky are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Queer Kentucky. Any content provided by our […]
The views and opinions expressed in submissions to Queer Kentucky are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Queer Kentucky. Any content provided by our submissions or regular columnists is their opinion. As a reader, you are always welcome to submit your op-eds to [email protected] Matthew Truett, […]
I think some would say I had a unique experience growing up as a queer Appalachian atheist in rural Kentucky. I’ve always presented masculine of center despite being born a biological female. I’m a textbook transgender man, but my relationship with religion is undeniably intertwined with my identity just as much, if not more, than […]
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 […]
Story by Noa August Photos by Jason Morales I tried my best to play the role of masculine partner in my relationships. I was stoic, providing, logical, strong, domineering… I thought that if I was this unbothered, mysterious, nonchalant person, I would be identifiably queer. I wholly embraced mysteriousness, assertiveness, decisiveness, independence; and while some […]
My first real look at roller derby was what I consider to be the cult classic “Whip It,” a combination of bad-ass body slams and young people finding both happiness and the strength to stand in their truth. I felt so empowered by the charm of this coming-of-age film focused on finding oneself with the support […]
Queer Kentucky is proud to announce our new director of operations, Missy Spears! Missy Spears is a community advocate, project manager, and award-winning asshole that uses humor to further civic engagement in the region and inspire action. Spears’ recent work includes leading projects for Cincinnati nonprofit Action Tank, assisting nonprofit Concerted with their expansion into […]
by Bethany Robinson The later days of spring have arrived, and we are on the precipice of hot summer days with that itch to engross ourselves in the beauty of nature. Many opportunities exist to get out in the beautiful world of Kentucky outdoors, with exciting opportunities of climbing popping up within central Kentucky. With […]
The Drag Show Will Benefit the Church’s Ministry of Feeding Neighbors in Need by J.C. Phelps Louisville, KY [June 2023] – Calvary Episcopal Church, which was founded in 1860, has a long history of reaching out in love to their neighbors. In that spirit, the Downtown Louisville congregation invites and welcomes all inside their doors to […]
Sunday, June 11 – RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 15’s Jax comes to Play Louisville. Jax is an NYC-based drag queen affectionately known as the Simone Biles of Drag. Expect plenty of flips and stunts at this show! TICKETS Sunday, June 18 – Boulet Brothers Dragula Season 4 and Titans finalist Hoso Terra Toma makes her Louisville debut. […]
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 […]
There’s a man in a synthetic wig, the fibers shining on camera, eyes coated in blue, heavy eyeshadow and cheap plastic-y lashes that look like they were applied by a 6-year-old experiencing cough syrup for the first time. His stubble is visible, intentionally, the actor going unshaved for the day, and a sequin — perhaps […]
by Spencer Jenkins he/[email protected] photos by Bearykah Shaw Grab the print edition of Queer Kentucky Volume 2 Throughout my career as a professional queer journalist, I have met a circus of people from every corner of the world. From famous Ru girls to trail- blazing activists and politicians; from Queer Eye’s Carson Kressley to comedy […]
By Spencer Jenkins he/[email protected] Booty shorts, knee-high socks and belly-revealing crop tops are just some of the looks to embody for the Nashville-based event, MeatUp, coming to PLAY Louisville on May 27. MeatUp is an event created by couple Al Gregory and Toby Sturgill, and their friend Griffin Green. It offers a retro-inspired experience for […]
by Sydni Hamptonshe/[email protected] Each year, hopeful contestants from Arizona to New York, descend upon Louisville in hopes of being crowned the next National Entertainer of the Year. Winners include the likes of Maya Douglas (1997, F.I.,) Erica Andrews (2006, F.I.,) Nina West (2008, F.I., RuPauls Drag Race,) Mokha Montrese (2012, F.I.,) and Trinity “The Tuck” […]
by Taylor Cochranshe/[email protected] Queer Kentucky is a proud partner of the Lee Initiative. This is the first part of a series of stories uplifting Queer voices within the hospitality industry in partnership with the Lee Initiative. “We started The LEE Initiative in Louisville, KY in 2018 after we saw a need for more diversity, more training, […]
by Belle Townsendshe/[email protected] “I’m so sorry that we even have to be here,” said Cherlynn Stevenson (she/her) to the audience of concerned Kentuckians. Stevenson, the District 88 state representative and House Democratic Caucus Chair, opened the Bluegrass LGBTQ+ Town Hall held in Lexington, Kentucky, held in response to the recent legislative LGBTQ+ attacks. She continued […]
By Alixandria [email protected] ‘All Our Hidden Gifts’ By Caroline O’Donoghue | Illustrated by Stefanie Caponi Walker Books; $19.99 “All Our Hidden Gifts” is the perfect YA cozy read, especially now when darkness comes soon after the workday ends. It has witchcraft, tarot, betrayal, romance and spookiness galore. This coming-of-age novel depicts the difficulties of growing […]
by Belle Townsendshe/they [email protected] With Omnibus anti-trans bill SB 150 passing in Kentucky, transgender and gender non-conforming Kentuckians and their loved ones are worried for their safety and access to life-saving medical care. Hosted by Suzanne Kingery, M.D. (she/her) and presented by the LGBT Center and Office of Diversity & Inclusion, University of Louisville, Health […]
by Sydni Hampton (They/Them, She/Her) Alice in Derbyland Returns for Third Year to Celebrate Derby Festivities Sydni Hampton (They/Them, She/Her) It’s that time of year again… Mint Juleps, larger-than-life hats, pastels, nightmare parking- and Drag Daddy Productions’ ALICE IN DERBYLAND returns to celebrate and pay homage to our city’s beloved Derby traditions for the third […]
On Saturday, April 8th from 1 to 4 PM, Berea PRIDE will be hosting its second annual Easter egg hunt. There will be games, food, and prizes available for anyone interested in joining. In Berea, there are very few Easter egg hunts and even fewer that aren’t church affiliated. Berea PRIDE’s new Easter egg tradition […]
With the release of a *particular* game about wizards in an IP created by famed trans-exclusionist/man in bathroom paranoia-conspiracy theorist J.K Rowling, my social media, which largely consists of millennials who defined their personality traits based on Hogwarts houses— for the record, I’m a Slytherin — and gen Z’ers who don’t have the attachment and […]
“The reality is you’re going to interact with somebody from all walks of life if you live long enough. A lot of people are under the impression that I will never, because I won’t befriend a queer person. I’ll never have to respect one but you will. They’re gonna be your manager, your taxpayer, your […]
Imanitwithago Zachee (pronounced Za-shay, known as Zachee to friends) was a Black transgender woman gunned down outside of her work on February 3. In addition to being murdered outside of her workplace at JBS plants in Butchertown, Zachee was murdered by one of her coworkers. The suspect, who turned himself in and now is pleading […]
The University of Louisville Trans Rights Alliance, or ULTRA, has been bringing attention to policy and culture promoting transphobia on the college campus. The student organizers leading this group include juniors Miles Lanham and Calvin Silver, with senior Parker Albro. According to University of Louisville students and activists associated with ULTRA, there have been lasting […]
Imanitwithago Zachee (pronounced Za-shay, known as Zachee to friends) was a Black transgender woman gunned down outside of her work on February 3. Soon after, a dozen Louisville advocacy and support groups, as well as friends, family, and community members, gathered to honor her life through a candlelight vigil. Zachee was shot and killed as […]
This Valentine’s Day do you find yourself brokenhearted, disposed of, or eating chocolates in your bed and crying to Lana Del Ray? Baby, fuck that. You need to dance. You need to party. You need to forget all about them. When your heart gets ripped out of your chest, you bleed out… but what if […]
It is only the beginning of February, and there is already another violent killing of a Black trans woman. An immigrant from Rwanda, Africa, Imanitwitaho Zachee (pronounced Za-shay), known as Zachee to friends, was shot and killed outside of the JBS Foods plant where she worked on Feb. 3. Police say the gunman and Zachee’s […]
“When I was growing up in Carollton, I used to daydream about gay bars in the big city and what it would be like to go there and dance to all the music I loved. In some ways, working at Big Bar is like living my wildest dreams.” Carrollton is a small community nestled among […]
As the LGBTQ+ community becomes more visible, institutions are adapting their policies to be more inclusive. The Transportation Security Administration will now offer gender-affirming screenings for queer and transgender travelers.
Kentucky Democratic state Sen. Karen Berg has announced in a statement on Tuesday, that her transgender son died by suicide. Berg said in the statement that Henry Berg-Brousseau, 24, spent his life “working to extend grace, compassion and understanding to everyone, but especially to the vulnerable and marginalized.” “As the mother of a transgender son, […]
Although my column is rooted in my own experiences which I try to paint as humorous, there’s always been something I’ve been paranoid about, or avoided. Through myriad years of lying about my age, never once thinking about what I should do with myself at all for too long, and rushing in and out of […]
On the horizon for Louisville queers, is a new collaborative inclusion effort supporting the Queer Trans Asian-American Pacific Islander (QTAAPI) community. The initiative is supported by Joel Buno, director for the Asia Institute – Crane House (AICH), and Mike Slaton, executive director for Louisville Pride Foundation (LPF). With May being AAPI history month and June […]
Q: Where were you born and where do you consider home these days? A: Louisville born, Jeffersonville, Ind., raised, but I consider Louisville home ALWAYS. After I graduated from UofL, I traveled a lot to larger cities like L.A., New York and Chicago. I truly loved those places, but they just weren’t checking all the […]
Update 5:18 p.m. Via CNN Nineteen of the 25 people wounded in the overnight shooting at an LGBTQ club in Colorado Springs sustained gunshot wounds, Mayor John Suthers told CNN’s Jim Acosta Sunday. Based on his communication with medical personnel, Suthers said he expects the injured victims to survive, and the community is “crossing our fingers” for no more fatalities. Suthers […]
“The thing is, I’ve always looked like this and believe it or not, it took me a long time to come out.” Chef Connie Hartsock laughed and cradled her freckled forehead in her palm framed by long red hair across the table from me at Fullstop. Connie’s first venture into the world of the service […]
Daniel Cole’s Hard Candy presents yet another stunning RuPaul’s Drag Race star for its upcoming mini tour series with the one, the only, the Bald Queen herself, Ongina. Ongina is a Filipino-American drag performer who became the first queen to not wear a wig on the main stage, and the first to come out as […]
On June 24, 2022, the Supreme Court overturned Roe. v. Wade, the landmark case in 1973 that ruled to affirm the constitutional right to an abortion. Months later we are still reckoning with this decision while the consequences of what this will mean for many marginalized people still hangs in the air. We spoke with […]
by Ben Harlan of La Casita Louisville TW: Violence against queer and Latinx people. Having grown up and lived in Orlando, Edgar regularly visited Pulse nightclub and talks about the impact the shooting had on the queer community there. If you happen to be AMAB and have sex with men, when you hear “high-risk” and […]
Many moons ago, I wrote an article titled Lesbian Heaven Exists detailing my deep love of Louisville’s former lesbian bar, Purrswaytions. Since the space closed in 2019, my search for a queer femme community has been an ongoing journey. From throwing our own parties with Gayborhood Events to following popular DJs around dance spots in […]
As one of my closest friends facetimes our transgender groupchat from post-surgery in Texas, her face is bruised, bloodied, hammered. Her face swollen into a newfound beauty, jaw shaved and skin glossy with sweat. Her eyes are swollen from lid to undereye, painted purple and black with bruising: an elegant eyeshadow that cost thousands. Her […]
Since 2017, Desi Carr has been the sole organizer of Melanin Pride – a multi-day social event that celebrates the Black queer community. The event started with Black queer folks wanting to play kickball together, but slowly grew into something much bigger. The 2021 festival was five days long, in celebration of the event’s five […]
Earlier this Summer I had the opportunity to attend Shelby County Pride Parade and Festival, which took place on June 26 at the Shelbyville Stargazer Plaza. The event was filled with queer folks and allies, vendors and entertainers alike. I had a great time, and would give the festival five stars–were it not for the […]
by Spencer Jenkins (he/him)Executive [email protected] *Update: $50,000 bond has been posted, according to court documents. Mattingly will now go into the home incarceration program. He will be in court again on Sept. 30 at 9 a.m. for a preliminary hearing. On September 21, David Timothy Mattingly, owner of Nowhere Bar on Bardstown Road, was arrested […]
There’s a new neighborhood art space in town and the locals are loving it. Highview Arts Center launched its inaugural season with “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged)” directed by Kieth McGill. Starring Derrick Ledbetter, Clarity Hagan, and Jay Padilla-Haytera, the cast of three performs this modern day twist on all the classics packing […]
Q: Where were you born and where do you consider home these days? A: I was born in Louisville and it’s still home. I used to live in the west end with my aunt and uncle who raised me then I moved to St. Matthew’s in high school with my sister and her husband. I […]
Despite being someone who publicly announced they once threw up on a man while sucking dick (and has routinely told that story as an ice breaker) some of you may think there’s nothing I won’t share or say. An open book, with open legs, and an open heart (read: throat) always seemed to be the […]
“I’ve burned, and that’s what I wish for all of you. To burn with anger, desire, joy, sorrow. All of it.” -Lark Ascending Lark Ascending by Silas House was the first book in a long time that I read deep into the night with no hope of sleep until I finished the very last word. […]
The Louisville Pride Foundation has released their theme for the 2022 festival — “Welcome Home.” The festival is also being considered a celebration of the opening of a new permanent home, and Queer community center, in Old Louisville. “Being LGBTQ means being isolated at some point in your life,” said Executive Director Mike Slaton. “Our […]
Fairen Kia Harris (she/her/hers) sits at a booth in the Old Louisville Coffee Co-op, surrounded by unsuspecting customers who might not immediately know they are in the presence of a powerhouse. She looks unsuspecting in glasses and what she deems her ‘teacher dress’… a long red sundress, arms out, braless, long blonde dreadlocks with rainbow accents […]
National News: With the growth of Queer Kentucky, we think it is important to keep our audience up to date on big national Queer news that may affect Kentucky in the future. This year, the Florida government passed bills that use purposefully vague wording and interpretation to manipulate and scare LGBTQ+ communities. Unclear and nonspecific […]
CRASH by Charli XCX Charli XCX has taken the indie pop/hyperpop scene by storm for years. Most people either know her name or know a song or two by this queen, but we never imagined that during this hellacious pandemic she would give us some of her best bops yet; using several ‘80s pop influences […]
Drag Daddy Productions, the company behind such original and revived works as Alice in Derbyland, Hedwig and the Angry Itch, Drag Revival, Tuba Atonement and more, is seeking new talent to join them in the Fall 2022/Spring 2023 seasons. Auditions will be held August 14th and 17th. If interested in joining the queer theater company, […]
Jason X (2001) When you think of Jason Vorhees, you think of three things: The iconic hockey mask, horny camp counselors and of course, the 80’s; This makes sense, given most of the films Jason dons a hockey mask, kills camp counselors who are very horny and most of the entries in the series have […]
“Come as you are, play as you are.” Who wouldn’t love to hear or see that motto when entering a team sport? Ideally, queer folk want to come into a space that creates a culture where there is inclusion and acceptance for one’s identity. The Lexington Black Widows, a rugby team within the Ohio Rugby […]
Where were you born and where do you consider home these days? I was born in Boston, MA and I’ve lived in Kentucky the last 25 years or so. My parents met in Boston. Dad was a refugee from Argentina during the Dirty War. After they had my sister and I, we moved out to […]
I’m sitting on my bed, laptop cooking my thighs as my partner comes into the bedroom to ask what I’m doing. Staring at the blank word doc in front of me I reply, “I’m writing an article about Disability Pride Month.” The question tumbles out of their mouth, “Shouldn’t they have someone with a disability […]
LEXINGTON Ky. — Pride month is a time for celebration and remembrance — a time for the queer community to let our hair down and live it up with friends and (chosen) family. Pride began in 1969 with an outburst of rage and violence, in defiance of the oppressive police who regularly harassed queer folks […]
Kaitlin Keane (she/her) is celebrating the anniversary of her local Louisville, Kentucky photography business by hosting the third Annual KKP Boudoir Pool Party Saturday, July 9 at 7:15 p.m. The 18+ only event is Kentuckiana’s most inclusive and body positive pool party where all genders and body types are invited to don a sexy suit […]
Kentucky has a habit of pumping out celebrities with impeccable talent. The Bluegrass State is home to folks like country legend and coal miner’s daughter Loretta Lynn, Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Lawrence, boxing legend Muhammad Ali to name a few. But the most recent addition to the state’s celebrity pantheon? 3x GRAMMY-nominated, multi-platinum, chart toping rapper […]
I’ve always found something beautiful in watching climbers scale massive rocks; the way their powdered fingertips would grip onto tiny ledges of earth. The way they gracefully scale a massive surface. Imagining their fingertips pressing into the rock, making a small impression of their fingers, a little memory that they made their mark there on their […]
For Pride month I felt there was no better book to review than Stonewall. I hate to admit that this was my first time reading it, despite being out and proud for over a decade. It was amazing to get to learn such a pivotal part of our history. Stonewall was written by Martin B […]
After two years of longing from Louisvillians all around, Forecastle Music Festival has finally returned. And they are back with a bang. While I haven’t been to every Forecastle ever, I will go ahead and say… This was the gayest Forecastle Music Festival yet. With colorful flags, prideful light shows, and the queerest lineup ever, […]
While floating along the Ohio River between Kentucky — a slave state — and Indiana — a free state — participants will be immersed in the stories of two families seeking to escape enslavement by boat. As each guest boards the Belle for the river cruise, they will receive a color-coded passport and be assigned […]
Please tell us your quick and dirty bio I’m a Cincinnati-area native. Born and raised on the westside of town. Just barely graduated Walnut Hills High School and then ended up at UC, where I thrived (the second time around). It was there I discovered conversations around Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) through a nationally […]
While students across the nation, and here in the commonwealth, continue to face LGBTQ+ discrimination, students at Stuart Academy in West Louisville are celebrated for who they are. Students walking the green and gold-lined halls of Stuart Academy, a middle school located at Valley Station Road in Louisville’s West End, were greeted with reaffirming and […]
I’m an acquired taste. If you don’t like me, acquire some taste.” -Bearykah Badu, a non-binary Photographer, Drag Queen, Model, & Sex Worker. Where were you born and where do you consider home these days? I was born in Jeffersonville and raised in New Albany, Indiana, but home has always been Louisville. Even more […]
Kentucky Wesleyan College is a private Methodist university located in Owensboro, Kentucky. The city has made recent headlines in the LGBTQ+ world over the past few years because it keeps failing to enact a fairness ordnance. They consistently also score very low on the Human Rights Campaign’s equality index. In 2017, they received 18 out […]
If you’ve ventured down to Feast BBQ in the NuLu District of Louisville in recent years, you’ve almost certainly encountered Dee. Starting in a kitchen position in 2017, Dee now works up front, greeting and serving guests with a face full of freckles and the kind of warm demeanor you’d expect from a bbq restaurant […]
By America Medious (they/them/theirs) I’m never more irritated than when I have to beg for my own existence to be respected by my own community. I remember fighting with my own family about whether or not I was ashamed to be Black because I spoke differently and was into “white people shit.” At one point […]
Sarah Janine, McKinney, 64, passed away unexpectedly on Thursday, May 5, 2022, in Elizabethtown, Kentucky. She was born on July 30, 1957, to the late Robert Gillenwater and Nora McKinney in Jeffersonville, Indiana. Sarah was an advocate and pillar of the Trans Community and kept many of the community organizations in Louisville, Kentucky communicating with […]
For many in the queer community, it can feel like a constant struggle to be seen and heard—to even exist. Seemingly, the more a queer identity intersects with the identities represented within other marginalized communities, the greater the magnitude of that struggle. This dynamic is almost certainly no truer than it is with queer […]
When Zach Meiners got a call from his mom about about a childhood friend who had just come out as gay, shock and surprise followed… only because he found out they were about to go see his former conversion therapist. The upset increased as Zach realized even though ten years had passed since his […]
Future Ancestors 502 is asking you to meet them at the intersection of justice, love and compassion. Run, march, walk or dance forward at the ‘Race for Justice’ on June 18th, 2022. Participants are encouraged to embark on a creative path through Louisville. The unique race route highlights historical sites that show the city’s progress […]
by Sara Havens Anna Giangrande passed away unexpectedly on the morning of April 26, a week before she was to be married to her fiancée Amber. She is survived by family, an abundance of friends around the globe and a handful of cats. Anna was a loud and proud member of Louisville’s LGBTQ community. She […]
When Big Bar opened up on May 1, 2012, Kevin Bryan and Jim Lunger never imagined it would become one of the most popular watering holes in the region. Some incredibly dramatic and traumatic (in a good way) things have gone down in the little 800 square foot building over the past 10 years. Big […]
In a blur of rainbow colors, thunderous noise, and a lot of shouting – there’s extreme significance in the sport that is known around the world as roller derby. It’s a room full of people who are 100% unapologetically themselves in every aspect of the way. It’s blood, sweat, mascara, and tears as they’re knocking […]
Join Drag Daddy Productions for an evening of solo performance by two of Louisville, KY’s premier drag entertainers!IT’S A HARD DOT LIFE Starring Dusty Ray Bottoms (RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 10) will make its World Premiere as Dusty explores the things that have lead him from Kentucky to NYC to Drag Race and back to […]
Whether it be jelly sandals, Animal Crossing, or mushrooms, everything you once loved comes back around. Gen Z has been no stranger to the resurgence of trends of the past. Though we’ve seen it the most up close and personal in the form of fashion, one of the greatest resurgences taking place is vinyl records. […]
If you expect consistency in my articles, you won’t be getting that from me. Not only am I a master of confusion, but also a master of confusing myself (and inflicting humiliation onto myself for years to come each time). In order to avoid the pitfall of expectation, I simply expect nothing. It’s like manifestation, […]
By Alixandria Thomason Cemetery Boys is a YA novel that beautifully combines slow-burn romance with supernatural goodness. The main character, Yadriel, is a queer Latinx boy who happens to be trans. He lives with his close-knit family and the spirits who wander around the cemetery on the edge of his home. His family is full […]
Lookout Bowling Green, there’s now competition for the best local pride! Glasgow, known for its annual Scottish-inspired Highland Games, now has a new festival making its way to the historic downtown square. In June 2022, Glasgow-Barren County will host its first-ever pride festival! Yes, we’re just as shook as you are, and even more excited. […]
Registration is now open for the third annual Pride Run Lexington! The race takes place on October 8, 2022 along the scenic trails of Coldstream Park. Participants are encouraged to run, walk, skip, or stroll across the chip timed finish line. The race features three gender categories including Male, Female, and Non-Binary. There are also 13 […]
Originally, I thought tranny 9/11 was when Caitlyn Jenner won Woman of the Year — a seemingly out of nowhere tragedy celebrating perhaps one of the worst of our kind, marred by devastation, the sounds of old white men yelling, and internet outrage. But here we are, sitting at our various internet devices, staring stone […]
If you’ve always been curious about what a nomadic lifestyle looks like, here’s your chance to be about that van life for a weekend. Queers in the Country: A community centric meet-up for LGBTQ+ nomads is coming to Richmond, Kentucky April 22-25, 2022. Bring your van for the weekend or just visit for a […]
After months of protesting, debating, and political games, The Kentucky General Assembly has now passed anti-trans Senate Bill 83. Now, Kentucky Governor, Andy Beshear will have the option to veto the anti-trans legislation. The bill sought to ban transgender girls from playing on sports teams in Kentucky schools that match their gender identities from sixth […]
feature photo by Jon Cherry Where were you born and where do you consider home these days? I was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, but I was a baby so I don’t even remember it really. I live in Lexington, KY, but Bowling Green will always truly be home to me. When and where did you […]
With so much happening in the world, it feels difficult to process anything. The environment blazes and melts, Europe bursts into conflict, The United States are less stately and united everyday, and for some reason, conservative politicians work tirelessly to throw Queer rights back into the Nixon Era. Sometimes it feels like global chaos erupted […]
Navigating the world of healthcare proves difficult for many Queer people throughout Kentucky, especially the transgender community. There’s worry of deadnaming, harassment, body dysphoria and much more. Luckily, the Trans Wellness Summit takes place every year in Louisville, offering healthcare resources and education for the trans community. EXHIBITORS VEND FOR FREE The third annual Transgender […]
You’re maybe wondering with a title like this, what to expect of the upcoming Reely Queer: An LGBTQ+ Movie Night. It’s so vague, right? Well, this is a movie about a deadly jungle that is the home to some of the best avocados in the world. A jungle of death, if you will, named so […]
After months of bitching about “autonomy” and how I am not a doll, but rather a living functional human capable of my own decisions, I made a little oopsie. Completely derailing my life in less than a week, it occurred to me that, perhaps, I should not be responsible for myself. Shocker! Britney was freed, […]
As most Kentuckians agree, Evangelical Christian backed and/or owned coffee shops pop up constantly around Louisville and the Bluegrass…especially in Louisville. These establishments cause a weary feeling within the LGBTQ+ community because of the homophobic tension in the air and lack of LGBTQ+ literature laying around. The coffee shop choices are limited and the only […]
Where were you born and where do you consider home these days? I was born in a small little town in Louisiana called Lafayette and I’ve been in Louisville for nine years now, so this is home. When and where did you first discover drag and how long have you been performing? When I was […]
On Friday, February 25, 2022 Recovery Cafe Lexington, Inc. will host “Drag Me to the Cafe; an evening of drag extravaganza!” Seven o’clock until 10PM at 1109 Versailles Road, Suite 200, Lexington, KY. Recovery Cafe’ Lexington Presents a fabulous evening of Drag Extravaganza! Join us for this sober social event as we celebrate Black and […]
Review by Alixandria Thomason, author of Reading (the) Rainbow Goblet of Fire meets Gilmore Girls meets John Tucker Must Die, but make it sapphic. This may be my favorite book of all time right now. It’s cute, it’s sweet, there is conflict but not enough to raise your blood pressure (though other parts of this […]
There’s a time and a place for having fun. That time and that place is when the overture starts at your local drag bar. There’s music, dancing lights and probably a drag queen performing something from the Dua Lipa catalog of certified BOPS. It’s easy to get lost in it all. BUT WAIT – You […]
submitted by Sammy Taborspecial to Queer Kentucky You probably didn’t know the National Gay Basketball Association even existed. Well… it does. We’re here, we’re queer, and we run like deer! Founded in 2003, the NGBA has grown to over one thousand members and upwards of one hundred teams. It’s mission is to provide the LGBTQ […]
The pandemic has gone on so long that just about the full spectrum of possible feelings towards it have been experienced by now. Paralyzing anxiety has led to vocal unrest and calls for change, which have in turn led to sheer apathy. Rinse and repeat and/or feel it all at once. One could argue that […]
Confession: I’ve woken up out of a cold dead sleep to suck dick within ten minutes notice. And despite my dedication to sucking the pink off many a white dick (perhaps *too* many – Are my ancestors upset? Did I really enter both the lunar new year and Black history month talking about white men?) […]
Series introduction “Kak nón:we ken tsi niionhwéntses aó:nakte ne nahòten io’táksen? Íhsehre ken ahsa’wéntho akwé:kon nahò:ten tesa’nikónhrhare’? Nahò:ten nòn:wa ka’nikonhrí:io entkáhawe?” — nè:’e thotí:iens wakiesenhón:we tahontá:ti. “Where then is the place for balance for the evil things in this world? Do you wish to do away with everything that bothers you? What then will bring […]
Mykul Jay Valentine is a born performer. From gymnastics at age five, to cheerleading at fourteen, he has spent his whole life in preparation to be a multinational title holder. Raised in the small town of Shepherdsville, KY, Mykul spent his childhood surrounded by nature and the thrill of competition. He attended high school in […]
feature photo by Eli Johnson At my first Forecastle Festival, I cried so hard that a stranger near me asked if I was okay. I was standing six feet from the edge of the stage as Brandi Carlile began to sing her 5th song of her set, “The Eye,” and I lost my whole small […]
image source: ash-murdocks-art.tumblr.com I can still remember with frightening accuracy staying up well into the hours of the morning as a closeted teenager to watch Inara bring a woman to her bed aboard the spaceship Serenity, or Tara sing to her fellow witch the not-at-all subtle lyrics of being “lost in ecstasy, spread beneath my […]
By Alixandria Thomason While “Drag Daddy Productions” might be a racy name for a theater company, the way it came about is beyond wholesome. The company was started by Tony Lewis, whose goal was to produce shows that highlight the resilience of the human spirit with a focus on diversity. According to Tony, “Over my […]
During the four years of Queer Kentucky, we have never had a successful intern. Just being honest here. Several have come out way from solid references, but they somehow seemed to stop showing up. The glorification of working for a Queer media company is not real, I can tell you that much, but we do […]
In early January 2020, Christopher McKinney died after an altercation with a bouncer at Nowhere Bar Louisville. Since then, McKinney’s widower, Nick Clark has sought justice. The most recent of these attempts has been the creation of a new bill to establish minimum training requirements for security at bars and other retail establishments licensed to […]
Rating: 4.9/5 stars The Ethical Slut, Third Edition by Dossie Easton and Janet Hardy, is a nuts and bolts guide to ethical non-monogamy. It walks readers through everything from what ethical non-monogamy is, to how to safely navigate “the practice of sluthood,” to consent and communication. I loved the original Ethical Slut, but the latest […]
The simple truth that gender and sex are not intrinsically linked has gained substantial footing in the last two decades, in queer and non-queer spaces alike. In an era where trans and gender abundant people fight for the right to urinate in the same public spaces that host gender reveal parties, the conception of gender […]
What power do we truly have over our own persona? In her latest stand up show, 2 Sweet 2 Salty, Fortune Feimster takes this question and puts it through a philosophical gay wringer powered by Fireball shots and Instagram trolls. The show is a follow up to her first one hour stand up special, Sweet […]
Historically, drag queens stepped up when shit got tough. Queens, along with our trans community members, were just not the demographic to f**k with. Whether we’re talking about Bob the Drag Queen getting arrested during a marriage equality rally, Pepper LaBeija sashaying the runways of balls, or pushing the boundaries of social and gender norms […]
By Joshua Brown Logan Lee’s travel-journal-turned-memoir recounts the author’s formative years as a queer Kentuckian. Lee’s authorial voice reads smooth and warm, like an afternoon visit from a good friend. This personal tone serves his twofold goal for the book: offering a “guidebook” for young people on similar journeys of discovery, and to “serve as […]
Story first featured on LouisvilleKY.gov For the seventh year in a row, Louisville has earned a perfect 100 on the Human Rights Campaign’s Municipal Equality Index for the city’s support of the LGBTQ+ community and its work to make Louisville welcoming and inclusive. Louisville was the first city in the state to receive a perfect […]
By Alixandria Thomason My partner and I spend a lot of time smiling at each other over rows of bookshelves. The small section of pagan books that faces the back of the store somehow contains more titles than his Judaism section. These are, of course, separated by an absolute sea of Christian books, Bibles, and […]
The following list of recourses was organized by Kentucky Civic Engagement Table and Hood to the Holler. These resources may be updated as this crisis unfolds. Click here for MOST UPDATED list. Check on your neighbors if it’s safe, stay off the roadways if at all possible Mutual aid form for Bowling Green https://linktr.ee/riseandshinebgky Sign up […]
I’ve had a lot of sex, with a lot of different people. I thought it was a quick way to get attention or validation, or some kind of cheat code for making people love me. I felt validated through sex, a confirmation that even with the body I felt was so twisted and disgusting, I […]
by Violet Lhant • December 1, 2021 This story appeared on HRC’s website. Cris Blehar, a 65-year-old white transgender woman and U.S. Air Force veteran, was tragically killed at her home in the Flaherty area of Meade County, Kentucky, on May 19, 2021. According to local news, a suspect has been charged with her murder […]
Queer lingo of the day: I use the word“werq” a lot. My best friends are drag queens and we all started hanging out about 10 years ago, and ever since then that word has creeped into my every day vocabulary. And it can be used as a lot of different meanings. Verb, noun, adjective etc. […]
Western Kentucky University is striving to make its campus a welcoming place for all queer students, faculty, and alumni. In addition to raising their score on the Campus Pride Index – a national standard for LGBTQ+-inclusivity – the university is actively building its on-campus support for the queer community. Their effort is paying off: students […]
by Josh Brown (he/they) Sigourney Beaver will be stopping in the Bluegrass state next week, December 2nd, at Play Louisville for a Hard Candy event. Beaver, who often describes herself as a “female impersonator impersonator,” is one of the first cisgender woman to compete on Boulet Brothers’ alternative competition show, Dragula. Grab tickets here! Sigourney […]
Press Release from Lexington Pride Center Pride Community Services Organization, the nonprofit that runs Lexington’s LGBTQIA+ Community Center and the annual Lexington Pride Festival has announced the organization’s name has been changed to the Lexington Pride Center. The name was changed to more accurately reflect the organization’s role in the community and to simplify communication […]
By Maekin McClark Historically the topic of trans youth playing sports is something that I have been acutely interested in. Presently I can’t bring myself to read the current events. I just don’t have the spoons to deal with the facts. Each piece of legislation causes me to relive the trauma of being a queer […]
So, there was going to be a Part 3 to my existential crisis, which had definitely run its course, and it was a really healthy piece about self reflection and growth; but you know what? Nobody cares about that. And if you do, you deserve all the kindness and to find someone’s wallet, which you […]
In just a few days, October 23 and 24, Drag Queen Story Time will present the third annual HalloQueen Fest in Louisville. This event is one of kind in that it welcomes people of all ages, supports local businesses and non-profits, and is the only LGBTQIA+ Halloween festival in Kentucky! This year it is being […]
Southern Kentucky better start getting ready now for Bowling Green’s Pride on October 23 at Circus Square Park! Celebrations will begin on Friday evening with the Official BG Pride Pre-Party at Donna’s Bar. This pre-party will feature prime entertainment by the Primadonnas and all the glamour that goes along with that group. On Saturday, October […]
It’s no secret that the Kentuckiana area is home to several Queens from RuPaul’s Drag Race. Many of these Queens perform for their home crowds between gigs across the United States. One such Queen and Ban Conversion Therapy Kentucky advocate, Dusty Ray Bottoms, will perform alongside Alexis Michelle (RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 9) for their […]
In the wake of a universally tumultuous couple of years, many of LGBTQ+ people turned to simple pleasures to cope: knitting, baking, or comforting media. In Jackie Cox’s case, her refuge was television. JackieVision is a love letter not just to TV but to the idea that we have these things in our lives that […]
Several fall LGBTQ+ organizations canceled their fall Pride festivals, but Kentuckiana Pride lives on as an in person event with strict COVID precautions. KPF announced today that all attendees entering the festival are required to present either proof of a full COVID-19 vaccination or proof of a negative COVID-19 test from a medical facility taken […]
Now that further aging myself is off the table, I’ll share a tip: Don’t begin your day with introspection. I find that the best in preventing a mass of crippling anxiety by noon, is to just completely ignore any active problem in your life, until it (often literally) hits you in the eye, much like […]
The Lexington Pride Festival, produced by Pride Community Services Organization, fell in line with other organizations and canceled their 2021 event due to the rising numbers of COVID-19. “It is with a sad heart that I am contacting you ‘this time.’ Despite the community outcry for Pride following more than a year of isolation, loneliness […]
Bowling Green, Kentucky is of the largest cities in our state. This city houses the National Corvette Museum, Lost River Cave, Western Kentucky University, and an abundance of queer life fighting for a fairness ordinance. An ordinary night out on the town here could include listening to live music at some of the bars downtown […]
A tweet from Kentucky’s sweetheart, Silas House, appeared on my feed the other night stating what most of us LGBTQ+ people have been feeling and saying for quite some time: “Shame on Kentucky’s @DanielCameronAG and the other 19 attorney generals for signing onto this discriminatory BS. I am so fed up with bigotry,” the tweet […]
The Lexington Pride Festival is moving forward with plans for an in-person event on Saturday September 25th 2021 from 11 am to 10 pm at the Robert F. Stephens Courthouse Plaza in Lexington. This 14th annual community event produced by Pride Community Services Organization (PCSO) offers music, vendors, activities, connection, and a general public celebration […]
The Louisville Pride Foundation announced today in a press release to Queer Kentucky that their annual Pride festival is canceled for the second year in a row due to the COVID-19 virus. With the Delta variant ravishing communities around the Untied States, and 115 Kentucky counties being in the ‘red zone,’ LPF said they cannot […]
Louisville is host to the very first convention celebrating Pride within the haunter and horror fandoms. Haunts Against Hate: The Event will be taking over the Crown Plaza Hotel from Today through August 1st for a weekend of scares in a safe and inclusive environment. Founder Paul Lanner has high hopes for the event, in […]
[TW: boarding/residential schools; violence against Indigenous peoples/children] Note on terminology: “Indigenous” is used throughout this piece to encompass First Nations, Native American, Black Native, Métis and Inuit communities My grief is a mountain I must chisel into a molehill in order to write these words. There are others of my kin whose grief is even […]
I love sex positivity. I love talking about sex. Sex health, sex practices. One might say I have a psychological complex probably given to me in childhood — but i’m not here to draw those conclusions. I’m here to tell you about the time I got gonorrhea. This involved a lot of waiting, because you […]
My parent, who was an ordained minister in the United Methodist church, was an advocate of praise and worship style contemporary church services, where jeans and guitars took the place of suits and organs. I know this sartorial maneuver, these significations of the casual, hip, and inclusive, were meant to make the space of the […]
Featured photo by Jill Marie Schierbaum: (left to right) Derek Guy as Sam, Jessica Tanselle as Melanie, Kasen Meek as Jackson, Charlotte Hayden as Carly Louisville’s only theater company dedicated to telling LGBTQ+ stories is opening a musical that tells the true story of a group of transgender friends living life on their own terms […]
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 […]
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, […]
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, […]
“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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Louisville-based arts organization artThrust is offering virtual art and poetry workshops for parents and LGBTQ youth aged 13-18 beginning today, September 14, with participants welcome to join after the start date. Youth and their parents are not required to sign up together, and can participate individually. Presented as two concurrent programs, these eight-week workshops are […]
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 free items, breakfast wraps, and […]
When she first sat down to write, Sis Got Tea owner Arielle Clark‘s (she/her/hers) mind kept circling back to one central issue: the underrepresentation of voices like her’s on bookshelves across America. As a Black, queer, polyamorous woman from Kentucky, her story isn’t the sort typically chosen for book club meetings or “Ladies Wine and […]
Editor’s Note: Spencer Jenkins contributed to this story. Queer Kentucky spoke to Dr. Bernadette Barton (she/her), board secretary for JustFundKY and a Professor of Sociology and Gender Studies at Morehead State. JustFundKY was founded in 2006 and funds educational projects that promote equality and visibility for the LGBTQ community in Kentucky. This last grant cycle, […]
by Laura Patterson/Spencer Jenkins Since the inception of Queer Kentucky in 2018, we have believed that creating sober spaces for LGBTQ+ people to gather is crucial in creating community. We have been thrilled to create a space for queer people to come together and experience the power of yoga. SIGN UP TODAY Due to COVID-19, […]
Queer Kentucky chatted via email with Oliver Hall, (They/Them), Trans Health Director for Kentucky Health Justice Network about the new KHJN Trans Health Surgical Grant Application. The Trans Health Advocacy Program, a part of Kentucky Health Justice Network, is accepting applications to support Trans Kentuckians seeking gender affirming surgeries. Each grantee will receive $1,000 towards their surgery. The first […]
by Sarah Gardiner On July 1, bars in Kentucky reopened. I went out to Chill, and I don’t regret a second. I wasn’t going to go out. I’m still terrified of Covid-19, and after 3 months of falling into my full Grey Gardens best life, bars and restaurants scare the fuck out of me. But […]
by Allie Fireel In the midst of the historic upheaval and protesting that has followed the killing of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, Louisville based poet Hannah Drake has been speaking and protesting all over town. Then just last week Actors Theatre of Louisville announced Fix it Black Girl, a new theatrical work created by […]
LGBTQ organization is supporting racial justice through Digital Pride In less than one week, through an amazing outpouring of support for Black lives from the Pride community, the Louisville Pride Foundation raised $50,000 for The Bail Project. “This funding will support our revolving bail fund and also our expanded community support for individuals released during […]
by Lucia Burton June! Pride month! While June is a time for us to celebrate our identities and experiences, I cannot give this list of organizations to donate to without acknowledging the state that our country is in, and the racial significance that comes with Pride. The entire reason that June is Pride month is […]
by Mike Broihier I spent several years as the editor of a rural weekly newspaper trying to decipher the intent of letters I received, so I’ll cut right to the chase. My name is Mike Broihier, I am a Democratic candidate for US Senate, and I would like your support. As I’ve campaigned across Kentucky […]
Queer Kentucky is excited to announce that we have received a grant from the Tegan and Sara Foundation to help our Trans-Inclusive Workplace Workshops continue through the COVID-19 pandemic. The Tegan and Sara Foundation has always focused on grassroots action, and their first priority is meeting the immediate needs of the community (while they fight […]
by Lucia Burton What is the point of representation if some are left out of the narrative? What about those who came before us? This question is exactly what drives SAGE, an organization satisfying the need for services and community for LGBTQ+ older adults. With 30 smaller affiliates across the country, Kentucky is proudly home […]
by Allie Fireel Before COVID-19 hit Possibility City, The Louisville Youth Group was undergoing a transformation that would help the 30 year old group expand their staff, budget and most importantly their mission; giving LGBTQ+ youths and young adults a safe, encouraging atmosphere to understand and explore their queer identity. The group’s transformation ground to […]
As of May 8th 2020 The Paducah LGBT Welcome Center has rebranded to be Heartland Equality. This is done to better reach our clients in our entire service area, and to position ourselves to be able to handle the inflex of services, and programs that we currently offer, and new programs rolling out. Heartland equality […]
by Allie Fireel In the 2010’s the drag scene in Louisville Kentucky flowered and grew. From large venues like Play, to pop up drag and burlesque shows at The Limbo, all way to queens appearing in broad daylight -Gasp!!- at one of the multiple Drag Brunches available in Louisville. Queens even read stories to kids […]
Collins Black What does the word queer mean to you? How do you identify? The word queer to me honestly comes with a negative connotation.. I grew up in a small country town an experienced this word in a derogatory manner repeatedly. I never refer to myself as queer bc of this and that the […]
by Lucia Burton To be queer means to be together. To hold each other’s struggles. To celebrate and reflect on the lived experience. How can an organization such as the Louisville Pride Foundation — one where community building is at its epicenter — create a collective when today’s physical interaction is exactly what is causing […]
by Allie Fireel When theatres shut down to combat the spread of Covid-19, Actors Theatre of Louisville’s Humana Festival of New American Plays was cut short, just two weeks into its six week run. Two of the five plays originally set to premiere are available for streaming, Are You There? by Vivian Barnes, Jonathan Norton, […]
Cassie Bilyeu What do you identify as? Why? Or why don’t you identify as anything?I’m a mostly probably binary trans woman. “Identify as…” is sometimes a troublesome term. There’s the feeling that one doesn’t identify as anything, rather, you simply are a thing. But it’s just semantics. What does the word Queer mean to you?It’s […]
by Allie Fireel On January first of this year, Parker James went down to the probate office and changed his name. Though he’d first told his partner that he was trans nearly five years ago, it wasn’t until the last year or so that Parker got serious about transitioning, and a big piece of that […]
The Kentuckiana Pride Foundation has postponed the annual Kentuckiana Pride Festival and Parade that was scheduled to take place on Friday June 19 and Saturday June 20 at Waterfront Park. New dates for the 20th anniversary of the annual festival and parade will be announced mid May. After much consideration and closely monitoring the COVID-19 […]
by Vinny O’Hara Hey straight people (and some queer folx), stop using the term “Breeder” because you think it makes you look like an ally or “woke.” Spoiler alert: it doesn’t. A couple of weeks ago, a well intentioned but misguided straight person pointed out a group of fellow heterosexuals to me and scoffed about […]
by Joseph Hubrich Editors note: Here at Queer Kentucky, we acknowledge that many LGBTQ+ folx struggle with alcohol and substance abuse. Being cooped up in quarantine can make this struggle a little bit more real for a lot of us. If you are struggling, please reach out. There are tons of organizations here to help […]
Evan Stoner What do you identify as? Why? Or why don’t you identify as anything?This is a question that requires at a lot of openness and vulnerability. In my 22 years on this planet, I have noticed that society loves placing labels on human beings and groups of people. I suppose it is somewhat easier […]
The large Northern Kentucky city of Covington, population 40,455, became the first in the state to ban the harmful practice of anti-LGBTQ “Conversion Therapy” on youth under the age of 18 with a unanimous vote of 5-0 tonight. The Children’s Home of Northern Kentucky spoke in favor of the ordinance at the meeting, which was […]
by Allie Fireel UPDATE: The Food and Drug Administration revised its blood donor guidelines on Thursday, significantly easing the restrictions on men who have sex with men. The new guidelines reduce the donation deferral period for sexually active gay and bisexual men from 12 months to three, meaning these otherwise healthy men will now have […]
Dennis Cornell What does the word queer mean to you? I grew up in a time when “queer” and “fag” was used in a derogatory way. But I like how the LGBTQ+ community has taken hurtful words of the past and turned them into positive connotations for the community such as the pink triangle from […]
by Georgia Connally Editor’s note: This is an account of an actual experience. Names have been changed for confidentiality. Domestic violence also transcends gender and all people are vulnerable to it. A few years ago, I met a woman (we will call her Karen) who was trapped in an unhealthy marriage with her partner—we will […]
by Sarah Gardiner With much of the country now shutting down due to Coronavirus, Queer Kentucky is dedicated to making sure the community has the most up to date information on resources and news. We will be releasing a weekly update with the latest outlooks and assistance options. If you have any resources you would […]
Courtesy of the Fairness Campaign At the Fairness Campaign, we recognize how difficult this time is for our whole community, but especially for marginalized groups, who have disproportionately higher vulnerable populations. We will share on this page some community services/resources and volunteer needs as we are made aware of them. Please share additional resources with […]
Conrad De Chabert What Does the word queer mean to you? The word queer… man that was a real struggle hearing it growing up. It was tied to some very deep rooted self hate issues for me. Where I grew up, it was a majority white town and homosexuality wasn’t in the forefront of anyone’s […]
Feature photo: Louisville Pride Team poses with Todrick Hall in shirts procured by Custom LogoWare Business owners across Kentucky are excited to become certified as LGBTQ+ businesses by the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC). The first business certified in Lexington was recognized in January 2020. Jesse Caylor, owner of Custom LogoWare, said […]
Jace Stovall What does the word queer mean to you? The word queer, to me, means I guess anything that isn’t heteronormative. It relates to gender, sexuality, identity, presentation, really everything. How do you identify? I identify as non-binary (using they/them pronouns) and as asexual and pan-romantic. Why? Or why don’t you identify as anything […]
What do you identify as? Why? Or why don’t you identify as anything? I had to really give this some thought because I never really identified myself as anything. At least not openly. I was always just Hannah. I have dated men and women although when I look back over my life, I believe had […]
by Ada Jones The first time I went into a sex shop, I was mesmerized. At 18-years-old, I was a college freshman and a baby queer, desperate for an unknown community and slowly coming into the realization that I was not as heterosexual as I had once claimed. The bulk of my sexual history at […]
What do you identify as? Why? Or why don’t you identify as anything?A genderfluid, polyamorous, pansexual, pagan drag queen! I identify as such partly because it’s cheeky to have such an amazing alliteration when describing yourself but, more seriously, because I have encompassed multiple truths at once throughout my entire life. I am a man […]
Jaison Gardner continues to push our community to face the divides that exist, from race to socio-economic, and to spur public dialogue to support moving the LGBTQ+ community forward – both through social media, in person, and through the Strange Fruit podcast. He is part of the leadership for Sweet Evening Breeze, which is currently being […]
He helped organize the first pride event in Paducah, Ky. He also started a local 501(c)(3) organization welcome center in the area with educational programs and support groups for trans people. He fought in Paducah for the passage of the fairness ordinance. He has literally showed me what could be done to help the people […]
Two bills have been filed that will harm transgender Kentuckians, particularly transgender kids, said officials with Ban Conversion Therapy Kentucky HB321, introduced by Rep. Savannah Maddox, would prohibit parents from making medical decisions about their kids and use government force regarding the medical care of their children by banning parents from raising their children based […]
Desi has worked her ass off by creating Queer Black pride celebrations like The Pride Games. Over the years she has created a community of prideful black folx that get together and celebrate who they are. Desi loves everyone and works to have everyone included — always. She deserves recognition for her hard work in […]
by Dustin Havens Western Kentucky Pride Festival is back in full force planning. The festival is set to take place at Carson Park in Paducah from May 29th – 31st. Opening Ceremonies will take place at 12pm on Friday the 29th and closing Ceremonies Sunday the 31st at 2pm. This years event was moved from […]
As an open transman, Kasen spends his time assisting numerous organizations in the Kentuckiana community in becoming more inclusive. Currently, Kasen sits on the Leadership Committee for Louisville Trans Men, running many of their social media groups, volunteering to help with the Transgender Wellness Summit, recreating the LTM website, organizing their participation in the Louisville […]
Anne Miller is the owner of Suspend, an aerial and circus gym in Louisville, KY. She has created the definition of a safe space; every single person that walks into the room at Suspend feel valued, welcomed, and accepted for who they are. As an instructor, Anne takes great care to make sure that students’ bodies are being […]
by Ben Gierhart The University of Louisville is certainly one of the best schools in the state, but it may surprise many to know that according to Campus Pride – a national nonprofit organization that rates colleges and universities according to their support of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues – it is the best […]
RaeShanda Lias-Lockhart, founder of All is Fair in Love and Fashion, is being featured on TLC’s say yes to the dress this Saturday. “After I got engaged in July of 2018, one of my bridesmaids suggested I apply to ‘Say Yes To The Dress,’” Johnson told The Courier Journal. “I almost didn’t bother because I thought they’d never […]
Katlyn McGraw is cofounder of Gayborhood Events, an organization that focuses on creating events for Louisville’s Queer community with a focus on providing inclusive spaces for LGBTQ+ women, nonbinary and trans folx. What do you identify as? Why? Or why don’t you identify as anything?I currently identify as lesbian. The reason I say currently, is […]
A 15-year-old freshman was expelled from a private Louisville Christian school for a “lifestyle violation.” Whitefield Academy Student Kayla Kenney, celebrating her 15th birthday with family while wearing a rainbow top and a birthday cake. Her mother Kimberly Alford later shared photos of the celebration on social media. The post was shared with staff at […]
(Fort Thomas, KY) With a unanimous vote of 5-0 by the city council tonight, the Campbell County town of Fort Thomas, population 16,263, became the seventeenth city in the Commonwealth and fifth in Northern Kentucky to approve a Fairness Ordinance prohibiting LGBTQ discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations. “This is a proud moment for […]
A man died after an altercation with security outside Nowhere Bar Louisville early Sunday morning. Nowhere has been a staple bar for the LGBTQ+ community in Louisville for years. Social media posts have confirmed the victim was Christopher McKinney. WDRB reported that Metrosafe supervisors confirm there was a call for a “man down” at 1133 […]
Queer Kentucky Interview with Prince Crittenden What is BO$$? BO$$ is a creative cooperative designed to level the playing field by empowering minorities with business related resources, create a network of likeminded peers and encourage diversity within our local creative and entrepreneurial communities. What inspired you to create this event? Well I’ve always been pretty […]
Carrie Radshaw – a Kentucky lesbian on a journey through dating in the Bluegrass. Less Manolo Blahnik, more Birkenstock. Dating as a queer lady can be really difficult. Without a womxn-focused place left in Louisville, apps have become the means of connection. So, let’s rank the apps how queer womxn meet. Lex The Lex app […]
by Sarah Gardiner After an incredible year for Women’s Soccer, the news just keeps getting better with the announcement of an upcoming National Women’s Soccer League expansion to Louisville in 2021. Women’s Soccer is a really queer sport. Like, really queer. Within the US National Team alone, there are four openly out players, including World […]
Nick Yeast, Harrodsburg What does the word queer mean to you? How do you identify? Queer is such a liberating meaning. It means we as queer people don’t fall into societal norms that require us to fit in a box. The freedom to be your true authentic self is a gift that needs to be […]
Diikahnéhi Akwirá’es Delaronde, Lexington Within Native American communities, our relations to one another have always been the foundational force in how we find meaning in our identities. Our beloved relations extend through and past us, connecting a singular individual to both the living and the dead, to the ancient past, the sprawling present and the […]
By Ben Gierhart It’s almost 2020, so it may seem to be a foregone conclusion that most if not all communities are accepting of LGBTQ+ people by now. The truth is that unfortunately many rural communities in the country are still not as progressive as one might want. Kentucky has a reputation for being a […]
by Sarah Gardiner On December 8th, the L Word is back with a whole new series and a fresh look at what queerness looks like 10 years on from the last season. Like so many queer shows and media from the early 2000’s, the first L Word series had its issues. Rewatching it today can […]
by Vinny O’Hara The holidays can really suck for some of us. For the longest time, I couldn’t figure out why I felt so different from my family. I had so much in common with these people—and I actually like them!—but I couldn’t shake my awkwardness and unease at holiday gatherings. I was labeled as […]
Jordan, Leitchfield What does the word queer mean to you? How do you identify? The word queer to me has always had such a gender bending vibe to it. Even though my pronouns are he/him/his and I’m gay I wouldn’t be offended if someone called me a queer… it’s not as threatening as it has […]
Jake Bray Queer to me simply means living in your own boundaries despite ones laid before you. Could be interpreted as “not normal” but what is normal? For labeling sake. I identify as a gay male. I comfortably identify as that because I am confident in my sexuality. The rest of what makes me, me […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
“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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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.
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 […]
Using critical reflection and lived experience to crack open concepts of gender, sexuality, identity, community, and more. Is it wrong to fetishize trans people? The short (and obvious) answer to this question is “yes.” Fetishizing trans people, or any group of people for that matter, is problematic because, much like discrimination, the fetishization of a […]
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. […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Originally published in Bodega Magazine I came out as trans while working at an Irish pub in Lexington, Kentucky. The pub, Laney’s, was something of a legend in the minds of the locals. By the time I got there, however, its golden years were long over, and its legacy lived on only in the slurred […]
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. […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Interview by Sam Osborne, Fringe Zine What does the word queer mean to you? How do you identify? The word Queer brings me peace. By definition it basically means weird or different and there’s always been a piece of me that never felt a part of the status quo. I’ve always felt a little on […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
JP Davis, Ashland, Kentucky What does the word queer mean to you? How do you identify? For me, the term Queer signifies Freedom. Freedom to be oneself without fear of bias, discrimination, persecution, or hate. For someone who proudly identifies as Queer is making a statement of strength, empowerment, and leadership. For me, I identify […]
FEVA and FilthyGorgeous present… Science Friction, an innovative fundraiser and high art exploration of science fiction through music, light design, projections, costumes, drag, body painting and aerial arts, benefitting FEVA (fairvendors.org). Featuring… a stellar dj team including the best House and EDM djs in the mainstream and underground Louisville scenes; Rhythm Science Sound, Trevor Lamont, […]
photo by Rainer Hosch I was drawn to Kentucky because it is the epicenter for the Saddlebred horse show world. The dream was to always go to Kentucky and compete. Kentucky has the best horses, best horse shows and the world championships in August at the Kentucky State Fair. It’s always been a magical Place. […]
Matheus Rezende-McCubbins What does the word queer mean to you? How do you identify? Queer to me means to embrace all parts of who you are, and being proud to be a part of a community that fights everyday for nothing but acceptance and recognition of our rights. To be queer is also a part […]
Sanjay Saverimuttu, Louisville Photo by Sam English (Headshot for Choreographers Showcase 2019) What does the word queer mean to you? How do you identify? Why? The word “queer” to me means expressing your gender or your sexuality in a manner that risks being disadvantaged by society. This world hasn’t been designed for our success, and yet […]
To me, the word “queer” means weird, different, and misunderstood. I myself can identify with this idea because I often feel weird, different, or misunderstood. As a man who works in an industry that is dominated by the masculine archetype, but doesn’t always think and feel in this way, it can sometimes be difficult to […]
Sarah Brown Lussi Brown Coffee Bar, owner Lexington, KY What does the word queer mean to you? How do you identify? Why? Or if you don’t identify as anything (say, with any particular label), why don’t you? The word “queer” is one of the most powerful words we claim. There are so many types of […]
Elliot, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky What does the word Queer mean to you? I think to me, queer means unique, not limited to the rules of mainstream society. it’s the freedom to be different from what’s expected. What do you identify as, or do you identify at all? I’m a fat, white, atheist, pansexual, agender spoonie. (The […]
Explain what Get Read Wednesday is? Get Read Wednesday Tarot is an online tarot reading that happens on Wednesday of each week. Get Read Wednesday was initially a way to evolve my understanding of tarot, and to receive feedback on my interpretations. But Get Read Wednesday has a life of its own now and has […]
Wesley Vaughn, Clay, Kentucky Being gay has given me a more liberated attitude. I don’t concern myself with behaving in a way that is traditionally masculine, nor traditionally feminine. I feel that I can behave and express myself the way I want without any concern of violating some sort of rule about how I have […]
What does the word queer mean to you? How do you identify? Queer means I am brave enough to try, it means freedom, it means the ability to imagine a world without racism, without sexism, without transphobia, and homophobia and brave enough to practice unlearning to see it come to past. It means that I […]
Adrian Sibernagel The label with which I most identify is “queer.” I also identify as trans (because I transitioned), bisexual (because I am attracted to more than one gender), and male (because that’s how I see and experience my own gender). But what draws me to the label “queer” is that it implies a fluidity, […]
My parents have been separated my entire life. I was primarily raised with my mother (along with 5 other siblings) in Poughkeepsie, NY. I spent the Summers with my father in the Elizabethtown, KY area and eventually lived with him permanently during my High School years. I have been a Louisville resident since 2011 and […]
Since 2016, Tanner has worked incredibly hard to pass legislation to ban conversion therapy in Kentucky. Though in grad school AND working, he tirelessly devotes any extra time on BCTK. This year he went above and beyond, with the help of the board and volunteers, BCTK got record breaking co-sponsors and had a bill in […]
What does the word Queer mean to you? How do you identify? I choose to identify as Queer because I find it to be the least restrictive label. For me, no matter who you are or what you do, we are called to be creative. One of my least favorite words is normal. I want […]
I would’ve loved the word “Queer” over the other words used to describe me when I was growing up. It was not an acceptable thing in the 90’s to be gay in Louisville, Ky. I was sick, depressed, and full of fear my whole life. I knew I was attracted to men as far as […]
Queer Kentucky sent two youth mentors from the Louisville, Kentucky community to the Baptiste Foundation’s #unstoppable program. This is a training for anyone who works with youth – school teachers, school counselors, aides, coaches, community center employees, police officers, etc. Our participants learned through personal experience, a set of tools to teach basic yoga poses, breathing, […]
Jerika Jones, Kentucky What does the word Queer mean to you? I think Queer means living a life that is otherwise considered different from mainstream and also heteronormative lifestyle. I choose words carefully because gay lifestyles are becoming more “mainstream,” but often tend to fall into heteronormative ideas and I’m reluctant to call all gay […]
Austin Norrid, Hopkinsville The word queer to me is about chosen family. For many queer folks, relationships with our given families can be strained at times, but we have the opportunity to create families of our own within the queer community. What the word queer offers that LGBTQ* doesn’t, is one word for our entire […]
Sarah Gardiner – Gay/Lesbian, She/Her/Hers Owner of Nanny Goat Books, writer, editor, and small-press publisher Queer is a word I’ve only recently adopted. When I came out at 19, Gay was the umbrella term used for anyone in my LGBTQ+ circle. I was living in DC at the time, and though the community was incredibly […]
Kenyatta, 24, Louisville What does the word queer mean to you? The work Queer to me means someone who’s not afraid to be themselves and live free without a care in the world. How do you identify? I identify myself as a non-binary pansexual. I’ve came to a point in my life where where you […]
Pronouns matter. Apart from name, they are the main way we address other humans in conversation, thought, and identity. So understanding them and getting them right is vital. Let’s start by defining the concept. Pronouns are the words we use when referring to another person. The three sets you will hear most often are: The […]
Kaleb McCane, Lewis County I’m from Vanceburg, KY. I love it in Lewis County, but moving to Louisville was a great decision for me because getting out of the small town environment allowed me to grow as my own person and learn who I truly am. It also taught me how to think independently in […]
Queer? To be completely honest, the meaning of the word Queer has been a bit of a conundrum. The definition, personally, changes daily. When I was initially introduced to the concept of what I think Queer is today, which I think is something quite radical, I didn’t think I was radical enough. What I’ve come […]
By Pablo Archila HIV is 100% preventable. We aren’t just limited to condoms and hand jobs anymore, there’s medicine that can prevent HIV infection called PrEP. PrEP, or Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis, is a once daily pill taken to prevent HIV infection. Think of it as the birth control for HIV. Meaning, it only works if you […]
My first experience with the word queer was that it meant weird. I remember driving home and my mom asked my friend how his day at school was. He sighed and said, “queer”, and then he explained to me that queer meant odd, or weird. Years later, I found out it was a gay slur, […]
Lindsey Norris, Louisville, Kentucky What does the word queer mean to you? To me, it’s an umbrella for anyone who does not identify as heterosexual. How do you identify? Why? Or why don’t you identify as anything at all? I identify as gay, just because that describes that I am interested in people of the […]
Amelia Pantalos, Louisville, Kentucky What does the word queer mean to you? I like the word queer, it’s expansive to me. It describes the attitude of being indifferent to, dismissive of, or in direct opposition to mainstream expectations of beliefs and behaviors. And “queer” doesn’t have the word “sex” in it, which I like, because […]
By Wesley Whistle, QKY Contributor Governor Matt Bevin is at it again. After calling Kim Davis “an inspiration to American Children” and filing a brief arguing a company shouldn’t have to make Pride shirts, Bevin is attacking LGBT rights again. Now, Governor Bevin is arguing that companies are allowed to fire someone based on […]
Jon Tenholder, Louisville Kentucky What does the word Queer mean to you? Queer for me is knowing, existing, embracing that I am part of a minority, outside of the heteronormative stories we have been told year after year about human life, survival, purpose. Being queer is my heart saying my journey is different, more […]
Daniel Bond, Kentucky The word queer to me means a lot, but if I had to put it down to a word it’s “power.” Some of the best people I know and love are queer. I identify as pansexual and male. I don’t necessarily care for the gender of the person, just as long […]
Andy Aliaga-Mendoza, Kentucky by way of MN What does the word queer mean to you? It’s the welcoming rainbow umbrella. How do you identify? Why? Or why don’t you identify as anything at all? I like to identify as both bisexual and queer and I use the two interchangeably. I tend to use bisexual […]
I am thrilled to be a writer for Queer Kentucky, and excited to share my story here. This is the first time I’ve shared parts of this publicly, and I am excited to have the space and support to do so. Queer-ness to me is about how I see, experience and interact with the […]
The word “queer” wasn’t something I heard a lot of growing up. I remember watching “Queer As Folk” at my uncle’s place while he “watched” me after school, and I watched “Undressed” really late on MTV, and those were the first times I had seen anything gay on TV. The men on those shows […]
What does the word queer mean to you? What I love about the word “queer” is that it can mean anything you want it to; it can be as much or as little of a label as you need for your identity, and its fluidity and freedom I think are really beautiful. When I […]
Chris Hartman, Louisville, Kentucky Queer, while still steeped in a complicated history, and hurtful to many, has overall become what I feel is among the most inclusive terms—an umbrella that works to leave no one out. I definitely identify as a member of our inclusive queer community. Where are you originally from and explain […]
Jaremii, Louisville, Kentucky What does the word queer mean to you? I used to see the word queer as an insult, and in most cases it was used for that purpose. These days there’s a warmth, familiarity, and pride that I never expected with the word. How do you identify? I suppose I’m gay. […]
How do you identify? I identify as a gay man. What does the word queer mean to you? I think queer is a word that is used to describe a community that is hard to fit into one label. People are used to saying, “the gay community,” but “the gay community” is exclusive because gender […]
Tyler, Edmonton, Kentucky Queer kind of just means I can do whatever I want. If I want to be butch one day I can butch it up. If I want to be femme I can. It contains no boundaries. It’s a word that means freedom. You can do whatever you want I kind of […]
Amanda, Madisonville, Ky To me the word queer means that there is fluidity to my life and to my sexual attractions. I identify as queer or pansexual because I am attracted to who I am attracted to and their gender identification is not a factor in that attraction. I am originally from a rural […]
Liv Coffman, Kentucky I spent a lot of time resenting my sexuality and being unkind to my spirit. I learned, however that accepting this part of myself demands vulnerability within. It is so vital and beautiful to be able to love the way that you love people and to be able to identify […]
Gearing up for Forecastle Festival here at the Queer Kentucky office! We are grateful to have such an inclusive event filled with art, love, sustainability and music in our state. If you’re searching for the Queerest area of the festival, check out Party Cove, founded by Mo McKnight Howe, owner of Revelry Boutique Gallery. Howe said, “Party Cove […]
Deantre, 20, Cave City, Kentucky To me, Queer is a more intellectual term. It’s more to describe a broad range of sexualities. I identify as a femme non-binary person. I don’t really have a certain pull towards a gender of sorts. I consider myself more femme because I feel like I take after my […]
Michael Crawford, 21, Fern Creek, Kentucky I couldn’t define Queer for anyone but myself. I think queer in its singular form is a blanket term, that it is a word that falls outside of normalized identity. Queer is any contrast to how we’ve enculturated people to define, as a society, what is normal. I hate […]
Breson Morelos, So. Indiana and Kentucky Queer, to me, is a term that used to give me so much fear. See, in my experience, it was a term that was used to demean or harm a person who is not attracted to only the opposite sex or perhaps feel romantically inclined into pursuing. Now, […]
J.C. Phelps, Russell County, Kentucky I was raised in a small, rural lake community in Southern Kentucky. Growing up in Russell County, being gay, queer, a part of the LGBTQ community, is a foreign concept to many. Due to this reality, I, a gay man, incessantly try to live my life as freely, boldly, […]
Bob German, Kentucky Pride – 1995! I’ve posted this picture before. It’s from the Pride march back in 1995. Yes 1995!! Shut up. I’m marching this evening as a guest of one of our largest corporations in town. A friend works their. I believe the company is a sponsor. Back in 1995 there was NO […]
Arsini, 24, Kentucky I have a lot of songs about it which I would love to share with you later, but aren’t ready and won’t be for a while. Check out Arsini Music, here! I’d say queer means being anything other than cis and/or heterosexual. I identify as gender fluid, but the label isn’t that […]
Morgan Frierson, Kentucky Queer to me encompasses bits and pieces of all identities/genders/attractions. It is a term that illustrates purposeful ambiguity in the spectrum of love. This ambiguity brings confidence and comfort. It is freeing. When first coming out eleven years ago, I felt I had to identify as “one” sexuality, “one” gender, and […]
Ken, 23, Barren County, Kentucky Pray for the Prodigal Daughter That returned home a Son. Praise for the Boy who journeyed into Manhood without the guidance of a Father. Blessed is he, with a new name. Pray for the loss of a Sister, Fleeting dreams of children that would not be born Praise for the birth […]
Owen McClintic, 31, Kentucky by way of Indiana I don’t get “clocked” as queer too often and I used to struggle with that. Am I queer enough? Do I suppress my queerness because of internalized homophobia? I don’t like makeup, I don’t like leather, I don’t have a diva, Im not into pups, I […]
Joy Wilson, 39, Lexington, Kentucky Queer is a personally affirming identity that encompasses a larger umbrella of an LGBT scope. I identify as queer and use the pronouns she, her, they and them. I identify as dyke as well, so I can say the word casually. It’s a confident self-affirming female and I think it’s […]
Jess, Crestwood, Kentucky To me, the word queer is like a safe space to define one’s gender and/or sexuality. It’s taken me a long time to figure out where I fit on the queer spectrum. I’m honestly still trying to figure it out, but at this time I identify as genderqueer (person who feels […]
Timmy Singer, Oldham County, Kentucky, 24 “When a flower doesn’t bloom, you fix the environment in which it grows, not the flower.” – Alexander Den Heijer Queer to me is inclusion & pride, but Google will tell you otherwise. Like most marginalized groups taking back a word with negative connotations gives us power and takes […]
After the 1,000 condoms are dispensed out into the Kentucky community, we will start planning our NEXT condom giveaway. Any business can partner with us on this program. We love community and we love partnership. We are advocates for health here at Queer Kentucky, and we realize that not everyone has access to safe […]
John Brooks, Frankfort, Kentucky On the word “queer” I turned 40 in early March, so I grew up mostly in the 1980s. When I was a kid, I never heard the word queer unless it was a slur hurled by people usually my parents’ age or older. In my memory, queer was usually plural and […]
Simon Spark, Mt. Washington, Kentucky Growing up (mostly) in Bullitt County, I was thankfully introduced to transgressive artists like David Bowie, Lydia Lunch, Marilyn Manson, and Courtney Love at a young age. Even though most of them weren’t gay, they expressed and carried themselves in a way that inspired me. They confused my family […]
David J. Welker, Louisville, Kentucky by way of New Orleans, Minnesota and Ohio I have this sad obsession with fur coats. But they’re so cheap at Goodwill sometimes. One of them was real, but it was four dollars. It’s the one thing I feel I can pull off that I don’t see a lot of […]
The Limbo is Louisville’s newest and only tiki lounge and the home of Titty Tiki Tuesdays. Ethel Loveless hosts and produces this show every Tuesday with different performers each week. Many forms of burlesque, boylesque, drag, and other varieties are included in the night’s festivities. You never know what you’re going to get! The […]
Syimone, DJ from Louisville, Kentucky Queer means independent to me. It means that you are standing up and claiming who you are and who you can be. I identify as trans, and as history has taught us, trans women were the movers and shakers of this movement. Trans women of color don’t get the respect […]
Zach, 24, Kentucky Placing my sexuality and identity on a scale for me has gotten to be wrong. I’ve found that my best self is the one who dresses how I want to dress, saying what I want to say, and doing what I want to do. I spent way too long trying to […]
Kelsie, 25, Bardstown I didn’t know I was a lesbian when I was growing up in Bardstown. It was one of those battles I fought in my head; I had convinced myself I was straight. Being straight was the norm and none of my friends were gay; they were all stright. When I moved […]
We are magical. Do you have something you’d like to say? Some art you would like to display? A poem if you may? We’ve run out of rhymes, okay? Submit anything you want. Snap a Polaroid or we will snap one for you! Email us at [email protected]
“We have to become a united queer community. We are the most magical people there are and we have to remember to tap into that power once we find that magic within ourselves.” -Jaison Gardner, Activist, Entrepreneur, Kentucky
Tessa, 24, Kentucky This poem gave me a voice for my family to hear. The first time I spit that piece they had never heard it. Me being gay was a taboo issue. It was a way to force my family to listen. They couldn’t scream at me from the audience and my struggle was […]
José, Louisville/Lexington, Kentucky I moved here a month before the 2016 presidential election…and moved back to Portland, Ore. for six months after the election before returning. I think everybody felt very devastated, my partner and I felt devastated and we didn’t have a community to fall back on because we didn’t know anyone in […]
Eric Logan Bates, Kentucky, by way of everywhere else “I’m glad to have met you. I like cuddling with you and shit.” “It’s gonna happen again boy. I like chillin with you. Because I love the picture tbh.” “I’m surprisingly a fan too. Normally it’s the opposite.” “It’s because I made you happy. Duh” […]
Pablo, Lexington, Kentucky I feel like the word gay is kind of like a white man’s term. Because when I was growing up watching shows like Queer Eye and other media about gay men, it was never about men who looked like me or my friends. All my friends growing up were black or […]
Rebekah Frank, Louisville, Kentucky Queer? I love it. It’s a celebration. It’s open. It’s ambiguous. It’s comfortable. It represents infinite possibilities of what it means to be not straight and I love that. You could be anything you want. Originally, I came out as bisexual when I was 12…to my parents, not just my […]
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 […]
Ty Francis, Louisville, Kentucky I am a man of color and gay. I’m open with it. I like to wear nice clothes and be fashionable. I like to change up my appearance based on where I’m going and how I’m feeling and I love it. Fuck, everybody loves queer people right now. I feel like […]
