Culture Archives - Queer Kentucky

PRISM: Bare Bones of a Trailer

October 30, 2024 PRISM

PRISM is a storytelling series amplifying the experiences, creativity, and imagination of Black, Brown, and Indigenous storytellers based in Kentucky.

Louisville’s other derby: an inclusive community on wheels

October 29, 2024 Culture

In the heart of Louisville, echoed cheers and excitement bounce throughout the arena as blurs of speed zoom around an oval track. No, it’s not the Kentucky Derby; it’s the Roller Derby. For nearly two decades, Louisville Roller Derby (LRD) has been an empowering haven for a gender expansive community of people in Kentucky and […]

Northern Kentucky, Cincinnati BLINK with big gay lights

October 25, 2024 Art, In-State Travel

BLINK Cincinnati brings lights and queerness to the Northern Kentucky region.

No Regrets: Kristin Smith’s journey from Williamsburg to wanderlust to home in Wrigley’s Taproom

October 9, 2024 Issue 6, Hospitality, Rural/Appalachia

photos by Jon Cherry Along Main Street in downtown Corbin, across the street from White Rabbit Records and bookended between the pinball museum and a local coffee shop called Folktales, Wrigley’s Taproom & Eatery celebrated its ninth birthday earlier this year. That party was, in some ways, the culmination of star chef Kristin Smith’s return […]

We can’t forget about the people of Whitesburg

October 8, 2024 Hospitality, Issue 6, Rural/Appalachia

photos by Samuel Greenhill The spirit, fight, and resilience of Michele Hobbs. Nothing that I describe to you, from her nonstop energy to her multiple successful businesses to the Bourbon that we initially intended to speak about, sums Michele Hobbs up better than her insistence on turning all conversations to the people of Whitesburg, Kentucky. […]

At the Forefront of Queer Inclusive Bourbon: Old Forester

October 4, 2024 Issue 6, Hospitality

For generations Bourbon whiskey has ebbed and flowed in and out of popularity and prestige, but as a uniquely American product, it’s long been part of the national beverage alcohol conversation. Over the past 20 years, however, Kentucky’s passion for the craft spirit has gained reverence from all over the world and with the institution […]

“The Kentucky Gent” Serves the Bluegrass and Bourbon with Spirited Love

October 3, 2024 Hospitality, Issue 6

photos by Milkman Photography Josh Johnson is a Kentucky gentleman. That’s how he put it to fashion industry leaders from New York to Los Angeles while working as a clothing buyer more than a decade ago. Folks followed the phrase with confused looks and questioning glances at Johnson’s long hair and tattooed skin. “You’re not […]

Small Batches of Love and Life Can be Found at Beam Suntory

October 2, 2024 Issue 6, Hospitality

photos by Beth Burrows April Elston was at work two years ago when she received an email that would change her life. Test results from an April 2022 biopsy revealed that she had cancer in her right breast, and a series of follow-up calls with her medical team presented a narrow range of treatment options. […]

Florals for spring? Groundbreaking. Kentucky’s newest sweetheart yassifies a Derby tradition

October 1, 2024 Issue 6, Hospitality

Contrary to popular belief, The Kentucky Derby has always been queer. Big, boisterous hats and flashy fascinators paired with dresses in bright pastels, deep rosy reds and Kentucky blues fill Churchill Downs from the infield to Millionaires row. Let’s face it: it’s one big drag show. For the Derby’s 150th anniversary, Churchill Downs and Woodford […]

1 Million Strong is giving sober spaces a VIP upgrade

September 27, 2024 Music, Substance Use

Attending Louder Than Life this weekend? Check out the 1 Million Strong tent. The music industry, a hub of entertainment and creativity, is also a sector riddled with substance abuse, much like our own queer community. With 56 percent of industry professionals grappling with addiction, there has been a push to address the severe […]

PRISM: What Collage Means to Me

September 23, 2024 PRISM

PRISM is a storytelling series amplifying the experiences, creativity, and imagination of Black, Brown, and Indigenous storytellers based in Kentucky. by Jas Turk “Grounded” by Jas Turk Current Inspirations: Dust Tracks on a Road | Zora Neale Hurston When You’re Ready, This Is How You Heal | Brianna Wiest Frybread Face and Me | Billy […]

The Male “Gaze” in Homoerotic Bourbon History

September 12, 2024 History, ISSUE 06

Queer folks have often taken advantage of ambiguity as a way to get their images and fantasies before a wider audience. Advertisements, especially, have long served as a public-facing format to create such imagery. For instance, young men reading Time Magazine around the 1950s would have been greeted by ads like this one. Though meant […]

PRISM: The Velvet Phase

September 7, 2024 PRISM

PRISM is a storytelling series amplifying the experiences, creativity, and imagination of Black, Brown, and Indigenous storytellers based in Kentucky. I heard it first, in the dark: an otherworldly squealing, high-pitched and sometimes close to sweet. Was it some kind of alien insect screeching, sending transmissions to listeners off-planet? UFOs love New Mexico, I was […]

Letter from the Editor: Spencer Jenkins

September 1, 2024 Letter from the Editor, Issue 6

Dear reader, Recently, a few Bourbon tasters and tour guides educated me on the aging process of Kentucky’s state sprit, and I couldn’t help but notice its parallels with Queer Kentucky. At minimum, Bourbon must age for two years, during which time it develops taste and character through each of Kentucky’s distinct seasons. But, it […]

Brown-Forman, University of Kentucky gut DEI initiatives

August 26, 2024 Hospitality, Business

After the murders of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd in 2020, something shifted in the world — at least for a little bit. Conversations surrounding race and LGBTQ+ equality infiltrated family dinner tables and corporate boardrooms across the United States. Four years later, the once touted DEI initiatives are being cut. Last week, Bourbon powerhouse […]

GRLwood shared their new album BLOOD as the first part of a new trilogy

August 22, 2024 Music

Louisville Public Media | By Otis Junior Published August 21, 2024 at 10:22 AM EDT Louisville rock band GRLwood has shared a brand new album titled BLOOD. The new release is the first of a trilogy of albums, with SWEAT and TEARS to complete the collection later this year. It is a deeply personal project, one that GRLwood founder Rej Forester wrote and recorded […]

For LGBTQ+ people of faith, religion and political activism are often entwined

August 19, 2024 Culture

Originally published by The 19th The effects of personal religious belief are everywhere in politics, from the rallying sermons of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. to Christian nationalists citing biblical justice when Roe v. Wade was overturned. For queer people, R. G. Cravens argues, faith is more than a motivating factor — it can be […]

The Crown Jewel of Lexington: An Interview With Uma Jewels

August 8, 2024 Drag

If you have seen a drag show in Lexington, you almost certainly know about Uma Jewels. She has cemented herself as a staple of Lexington’s drag community. I sat down with her to chat about her incredible resume as a drag performer and to share her dreams for the future of local drag. So let’s […]

PRISM: Wedded To The Land

August 4, 2024 PRISM

by Chaney Williams At the grotto beneath the statue of Mary, I spent several weeks writing and reading every day at the Loretto Community in Nerinx, Kentucky. I was there as an Artist in Residence through the Kentucky Foundation for Women. I sat on the stone bench and prayed for the collective liberation for all. […]

“The Book of Saris” community art project to encourage conversation between transgender, religious communities

August 3, 2024 Culture

Saris – from an unused root meaning to castrate; a eunuch; by implication, valet (especially of the female apartments), thus, a minister of state: chamberlain, eunuch, officer. On August 10, the First Unitarian Church in Louisville will temporarily become a transformative community art project that will encourage intentional conversation between the trans community and religious […]

Masculinities in Art: Considering the ‘other’

August 1, 2024 Art

This story is part of ISSUE 05: Reimagining Masculinity. The magazine is available for purchase here.I struggle with understanding my own masculinity. Constantly, I am reminded in passing of my physical “unmanliness” whether it be in regards to my style of choice or how my attention to more feminine beauty regimens. I am not ashamed […]

“Monster” themed season will grace Pandora Productions 2024-25 season

July 28, 2024 Art

Tickets and season subscriptions to Pandora Productions fifth show season celebrating queerness, relationships, and love are now live. Gil Reyes, producing artistic director for Pandora audiences are in for a fun and meaningful season. The stellar “MONSTER 2024-2025” themed season presented itself naturally and organically. “We had our calendar slots set before the selection of […]

Not in My Name: Netanyahu, Make a Deal and Stop the Genocide

July 26, 2024 Culture

A recent Jewish Heritage Fund survey found that 7% of respondents identified as LGBTQ+. Queer Kentucky has partnered with the Jewish Heritage Fund to uplift queer Jewish people. With anti-Semitism spreading in the United States and abroad, it is important to uplift our Jewish community members. Queer is an identity that crosses racial, geographic, ethnic, class, and cultural […]

Emboldening the Queer Community: Lexington’s Gay Hot Dog Stand

July 25, 2024 Hospitality

Marcus Randolph and Brad Love bought Sam’s Hot Dog Stand in downtown Lexington three years ago. Sam’s has been in operation for 30 years, and the business has never shied away from queer allyship. The hot dog stand has a history of opening later at night to make food for the clientele next door at […]

Gay Polo League to transform Kentucky Horse Park into Pink Pony Club

July 23, 2024 Culture

Two very distinct worlds will trot side by side into Lexington the first week of August — the prestigious sport of polo and gay people. The International Gay Polo League Tournament, which produces events globally, will take place Aug. 3 at Lexington’s famous Kentucky Horse Park. Chip McKenney, founder of GPL, said his horse loving […]

Speed Art Museum brings sense of wonder, reflection with Japanese artist’s immersive experience

July 21, 2024 Art

Yayoi Kusama takes self-reflection literally. Her immersive experience, “LET’S SURVIVE FOREVER,” offers Kentuckians 90 seconds of unbridled introspection. The room, filled with angular and spherical mirrors, also reflects the unique lens with which Kusama engages the world. Born in Nagano Prefecture, Japan, Kusama moved to New York in 1957, where she lived and supported the […]

Stories of Hope: Dicks, Dollars, Drag and Drugs

July 19, 2024 Drag, Substance Use

Queer Kentucky was built on a foundation of community. And as an organization that lives and breathes community, we are acutely aware of when our members are hurting. LGBTQ+ people are succumbing to substance use disorder at an alarming rate and Queer Kentucky is determined to loudly discuss this topic through a series of stories […]

The Punchline Paradox: Embracing My Jewish-Queer Identity

Culture

A recent Jewish Heritage Fund survey found that 7% of respondents identified as LGBTQ+. Queer Kentucky has partnered with the Jewish Heritage Fund to uplift queer Jewish people. With anti-Semitism spreading in the United States and abroad, it is important to uplift our Jewish community members. Queer is an identity that crosses racial, geographic, ethnic, class, and cultural […]

From the Archives: A Brief Butch History

July 18, 2024 History

The term “butch,” commonly associated with LGBTQ+ women, originated from a robust Lesbian subculture in the mid-1900s. While its cultural meaning has shifted and is more widely used amongst many different genders and sexualities, it is still predominantly used to describe more masculine-presenting women. In our collections at Faulkner Morgan Archive, we have a wide […]

A Dusted Decade with Dusty Ray Bottoms

July 14, 2024 Drag

I first got to know Dusty Ray Bottoms during Lousiville Pride last year. I was a backup dancer for Drag Daddy Production’s mainstage Wizard of Oz set, and Dusty played Elphaba in all her witchy glory. Soon we worked again for Snow White and the Seven Drag Queens, and upon seeing me at a Halloween […]

Painting Chappell Roan with Andrew Dahling

July 9, 2024 Drag

Hear how this Kentuckian catapulted himself from a gay kid in Boone County to a big fuckin’ deal across the globe

Roving queer happy hour Outpost creates community in Northern Kentucky, Cincinnati

July 6, 2024 Hospitality

Every month, a queer happy hour blesses a different bar in the Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati region, and in addition to the regulars that usually haunt the place, one can expect to see a gaggle of queers. Responsible for this queer takeover is Outpost, a monthly queer happy hour with a rotating venue. The idea […]

Queer Kentucky Horoscopes: StarGazing for July

July 2, 2024 Horoscopes

7/2- Mercury enters Leo 7/2- Neptune Retrograde in Pisces 7/5- New Moon in 14° Cancer 7/10- Pluto trine Lilith 7/11- Venus enters Leo 7/12 Jupiter sextile North Node 7/20- Mars enters Gemini 7/21- Full Moon in 29° Capricorn 7/22- Sun enters Leo 7/25- Mercury enters Virgo On the 2nd, Mercury will roam into Leo’s […]

Trans-led “The Daddy Sisters” release powerful debut album

June 24, 2024 Music

by Will Whaley With their empowering lyrics, energetic stage presence and fashion styles harkening back to glamorous rock icons, The Daddy Sisters, Bowling Green’s very own transgender led punk rock band, is hitting a milestone in 2024. With the release of their 10-track debut album, “Beast With Two Backs” set for June 29, the rock […]

PRISM: ACQUIESCE

PRISM

PRISM is a storytelling series amplifying the experiences, creativity, and imagination of Black, Brown, and Indigenous storytellers based in Kentucky. by Kenresa Jones Waxing Gibbous Moon March 22, 2024 11:04pm Jefferson County, Kentucky, USA PLAYLIST: Galimatias – “Wonder” Aches – “Her” Maxwell – “Silently” Marzz – “In The Morning” Emeli Sandé/Jay Electronica/Áine Zion – “Garden” […]

Lee Initiative Lunch Break: The door is always open at Lesbian-owned bar, Birdie & Vi’s

Hospitality

photos by Milkman Photography (Feature photo: Dani DeVincentis serves up drinks to Birdi & Vi’s customers) 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 […]

Chappell Roan gives “Swan Lake” in dress designed by Kentuckiana native Gunnar Deatherage

June 21, 2024 Art

After selling out Kentuckiana Pride last week, pop sensation Chappell Roan has dipped her pink pony toes back into the Kentuckiana community, however this time she worked with regional native Gunnar Deatherage on the perfect dress for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. The Project Runway alum took some time to chat with Queer Kentucky […]

Reimagining Masculinity: Black, Queer and Free

June 19, 2024 Culture

Photos by Sarah Davis In our societies, there is an expectation on how we are supposed to act while expressing ourselves as men. This includes how we present ourselves to others. As a Black queer man I have had to “be what it is expected” of me in many situations. Knowing who I am, as […]

Bowling Green born artist curates sexy, uncensored magazine for queer creatives

June 18, 2024 Art, Culture, Issue 5, Sex

photos by Brett Loudermilk I Will Follow You to BG ‘Cause That’s What Us Boys Are For In 2022, I stumbled upon an Instagram post of a sun-kissed bronze, tatted, and otteresque artist, Zain Curtis. He had recently gained notoriety from screen printing T-shirts with blood infused paint to raise awareness of the homophobic blood […]

A Deeper Dive into Kentucky’s Gay Liberation Front with the LGBTQ History Project

June 12, 2024 History

The LGBTQ History Project At the heart of our work is the extensive archive of August Bernadicou, who began recording conversations and interviews with these pioneers when he was 13 years old. With thousands of hours of recorded audio and video materials, we aim to capture the LGBTQ+ community’s struggles, losses, and triumphs. We are committed to […]

Kentucky Historical Highway Marker honors the road to LGBTQ liberation

History

The intersection of Saint James Court and Belgravia Court in Old Louisville just got a little bit gayer. The Fairness Campaign joined dozens of queer people, young and old, to unveil a new historical highway marker this pride month. The bronze gilded sign honors trailblazing troublemakers who pushed Louisville to be a more inclusive space […]

Calvary Episcopal Church’s Second Annual Drag Me to Church: A Gospel Drag Show

June 7, 2024 Drag

Calvary Episcopal Church invites all to celebrate the end of Pride Month with their second annual Drag Me to Church: A Gospel Drag Show. The event follows the success of the inaugural Drag Me to Church last year, which raised roughly $9,000 and gathered hundreds of food item donations. Drag Me to Church will be held […]

Masculinity Through a Queer [Camera] Lens

June 5, 2024 Art

It’s a complex question that traverses the realms of politics, media, and personal identity. In today’s world, where male lawmakers legislate against women’s bodies and entire American cities are banning queerness in public, masculinity can feel overwhelmingly like an oppressive force. However, amidst this narrative, masculinity can sometimes also symbolize rebellion, strength, and provide a […]

Stargazing with Tigresse Bleu: June Horoscopes

June 3, 2024 Horoscopes

Photo: Lolita Loveless/Summer Deringer 6/3- Mercury Enters Gemini 6/6- New Moon in 16° Gemini 6/9- Mars Enters Taurus 6/17- Mercury + Venus Enter Cancer 6/20- Sun Enters Cancer (Summer Solstice) 6/22- Full moon in 1° Capricorn On the 3rd, Mercury settles into the sign of Gemini where it cosmically blossoms. This is a placement […]

Reimagining Masculinity: Transmission

May 30, 2024 Art

This story is part of ISSUE 05: Reimagining Masculinity. The magazine is available for purchase here. As a trans man, I’ve been asking myself for years what it means to be a man and to be masculine. This is one of the things that led me to creating this piece, which originated from the time […]

Lavender Country: A vibe that’s worth the drive

May 29, 2024 Hospitality, Business, Issue 5, Travel

At Little Mount Lavender, about a mile off the outlet mall exit in Simpsonville, Kentucky, both owners, both named Jason, own what they say is the largest year-round lavender store on the Eastern seaboard. Both Jasons are also in love: Jason Woodlief married Jason Walker, who subsequently became Walker-Woodlief, in 2014, with an officiant and […]

The Agony of the Leaves: Reflections on Tea

May 17, 2024 PRISM

As early as I can remember, I’ve been a student and lover of tea, Camellia sinensis. Green tea was my preferred beverage growing up, and if given a choice between tea, juice, and soda, I would choose green tea–preferably with honey and fresh lemon.

Letter from the Editor: Let’s Reimagine Masculinity

May 15, 2024 Letter from the Editor

“I love being gay. I love spending twenty minutes moisturizing. I love carrying my phone in my hand like a little coin purse. I love poppers. I love incense. I love drama. I love starting phone calls with GIRL and biiiiiiiitch. I love songs that are just one command, like DANCE, spoken over and over […]

Noah J. Ricketts Brings the Bluegrass to Hollywood and Broadway

May 13, 2024 Culture

Noah J. Ricketts, Louisville, masterfully donned 1950s drag and 1980s swag as Frankie Hines in the Showtime political romance miniseries, Fellow Travelers. The show follows a group of men, led by Matt Bomer and Jonathan Bailey, through the Lavender Scare, the Vietnam War, and the AIDS Crisis.

Meet your genderqueer, Jewish uncle with “amazing tits!”

Culture

A recent Jewish Heritage Fund survey found that 7% of respondents identified as LGBTQ+. Queer Kentucky has partnered with the Jewish Heritage Fund to uplift queer Jewish people. With anti-Semitism spreading in the United States and abroad, it is important to uplift our Jewish community members. Queer is an identity that crosses racial, geographic, ethnic, class, and cultural […]

Covington’s Carnegie Theater Director offers passion and community through queer performances

May 9, 2024 Culture, Art

In case you didn’t know, Covington is bursting with queerness. From their downtown rainbow crosswalks, ever-growing queer-owned businesses sprinkled on Main Street, and flamboyant theater productions, the Northern Kentucky city is an underrated queer-friendly mecca. No one knows this better than Carnegie Theater Director and queer culture leader, Tyler Gabbard. “People are friendly here,” the […]

Queer Kentucky Horoscopes: StarGazing for May

May 6, 2024 Culture, Horoscopes

5/2- Pluto Retrograde in Aquarius 5/8- New Moon in 18° Taurus 5/15- Mercury enters Taurus 5/20- Sun enters Gemini 5/23 Full Moon in 2° Sagittarius + Venus enters Gemini 5/25- Jupiter enters Gemini In the wake of the eclipse season, we have been left open, vulnerable, and exposed. There have been some hard endings that […]

Slipknot Made Me Gay: How metal music broke down my closet door

Culture

Now, I know what you’re thinking: Slipknot? Not Britney Spears or Lady Gaga or any number of queer icons? And to that, I say: Yes. Of course. Before Britney, Madonna, or Beyonce existed in my little spot in the universe…there was Slipknot. Growing up in Shepherdsville, Kentucky with a Southern Baptist family during the age […]

Blending identities as a trans, Jewish boy in Kentucky

May 1, 2024 Culture

A recent Jewish Heritage Fund survey found that 7% of respondents identified as LGBTQ+. Queer Kentucky has partnered with the Jewish Heritage Fund to uplift queer Jewish people. With anti-Semitism spreading in the United States and abroad, it is important to uplift our Jewish community members. Queer is an identity that crosses racial, geographic, ethnic, class, and cultural […]

Lee Initiative Lunch Break: “Why do you have to act like a guy all the time?”

April 22, 2024 Culture, Hospitality

by Ashlee Martinez photos by Jon Cherry 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 […]

Bourbon and Belonging: Kentucky’s Queer Bourbon Week

April 18, 2024 Hospitality

Dear Queer Kentucky, I am thrilled to announce Bourbon and Belonging: Kentucky’s Queer Bourbon Week. After working behind the scenes on this project since late last summer, I couldn’t be more thrilled to introduce Bourbon and Belonging to you. Over five days and across eight cities in October, participants will partake in dozens of curated […]

Queer Kentucky x Louisville Magazine: Connor Holloway

April 16, 2024 Culture

Grew up in St. Matthews, now living in Brooklyn, they/them photos by Clifton Mooney, he/him Queer Kentucky has partnered with Louisville Magazine for our fourth print issue. We asked Louisvillians and Kentuckians at large about their queerness and its relationship to the city, where they feel at home, who was there for them when it felt like […]

Queer Kentucky x Louisville Magazine: Finding asexual self-love with Ami C

April 2, 2024 Culture

by Ami C. she/her photos by Clifton Mooney New York City Queer Kentucky has partnered with Louisville Magazine for our fourth print issue. We asked Louisvillians and Kentuckians at large about their queerness and its relationship to the city, where they feel at home, who was there for them when it felt like nobody else was, the […]

‘Pretending to be a princess and feeling pretty’ with Tana Boots

Culture

Queer Kentucky has partnered with Louisville Magazine for our fourth print issue. We asked Louisvillians and Kentuckians at large about their queerness and its relationship to the city, where they feel at home, who was there for them when it felt like nobody else was, the biggest issues facing Louisville’s queer communities, and much more. We would […]

Feeling home in Louisville’s recovery rooms: Dave Conrad

Culture

Photo by Sarah Davis Queer Kentucky has partnered with Louisville Magazine for our fourth print issue. We asked Louisvillians and Kentuckians at large about their queerness and its relationship to the city, where they feel at home, who was there for them when it felt like nobody else was, the biggest issues facing Louisville’s queer communities, and […]

Finding home in Louisville’s Germantown: Bearykah Shaw

Culture

Queer Kentucky has partnered with Louisville Magazine for our fourth print issue. We asked Louisvillians and Kentuckians at large about their queerness and its relationship to the city, where they feel at home, who was there for them when it felt like nobody else was, the biggest issues facing Louisville’s queer communities, and much more. We would […]

Finding a queer home in Louisville’s NuLu: Patience Fields

Culture

Queer Kentucky has partnered with Louisville Magazine for our fourth print issue. We asked Louisvillians and Kentuckians at large about their queerness and its relationship to the city, where they feel at home, who was there for them when it felt like nobody else was, the biggest issues facing Louisville’s queer communities, and much more. We would […]

Feeling safe while trans in Kentuckiana: Luci Lyle

Culture

Luci Lyle Jeffersonville, she/her Queer Kentucky has partnered with Louisville Magazine for our fourth print issue. We asked Louisvillians and Kentuckians at large about their queerness and its relationship to the city, where they feel at home, who was there for them when it felt like nobody else was, the biggest issues facing Louisville’s queer communities, and […]

Hold Me Closer Teeny Tiny Dancer: A Conversation with Salem Vytch Tryells

Culture

The queer community has long admired drag performers and are only recently (with the arrival of shows like RuPaul’s Drag Race or POSE) coming to widespread appreciation. Although the audience’s appetite for drag has grown, it remains a niche art form, often looked as being to0 flamboyant to be a serious art form. Covering amateur […]

Queer Kentucky Horoscopes: StarGazing for April

March 19, 2024 Horoscopes

photo by Bearykah Shaw 4/1- Mercury in Retrograde in Aries 4/5- Venus Enters Aries 4/8- New Moon in 19° Aries 4/19- Sun Enters Taurus 4/23- Full Moon in 4° Scorpio 4/29- Venus Enters Taurus 4/30- Mars Enters Aries Go ahead and let out your groans because this month begins with the dreaded Mercury in retrograde […]

Actors Theatre of Louisville Celebrates Drag and Theatre with Dusty Ray Bottoms and May O’Nays

March 15, 2024 Culture, Sponsored Content

Already enjoyed an evening of theatre at Actors Theatre of Louisville or somewhere else in town? The fun doesn’t have to stop there! Prepare for a night that’s more thrilling than an 11 o’clock number and as memorable as a classic show tune by sashaying your way to The After Show Show—a late-night offering where […]

PRISM: The Call for Home

March 13, 2024 PRISM

PRISM is a storytelling series amplifying the experiences, creativity, and imagination of Black, Brown, and Indigenous storytellers based in Kentucky. by Persephanie Chiddick The country of my origin celebrated her 42nd year of independence from Great Britain the same month that I turned 32, November 2023. I stood over my latest attempt at our national […]

Actors Theatre of Louisville, Dallas Theater Center present the queer comedy I AM DELIVERED’T

March 6, 2024 Culture, Sponsored Content

PURCHASE TICKETS HERE Good Friday. The New Jerusalem Missionary Baptist Church’s Seven Last Words service is in full swing. But outside—in the church parking lot—another resurrection story is taking shape. Sis, the Vice President of Usher Board Number One, and her protégé Pickles find themselves in a battle royale of romantic quagmires. This joyful new […]

Gold Dusted Woman: A Conversation with Stevie Dicks

February 29, 2024 Culture

The queer community has long admired drag performers and are only recently (with the arrival of shows like RuPaul’s Drag Race or POSE) coming to widespread appreciation. Although the audience’s appetite for drag has grown, it remains a niche art form, often looked as being too flamboyant to be a serious art form. Covering amateur […]

Queer superstar Omar Apollo among Jack Harlow’s Gazebo Festival Lineup

February 28, 2024 Culture

Jack Harlow is bringing big gay talent to the Bluegrass for his newly announced Gazebo Festival happening May 25 and 26. Omar Apollo will grace the stage on Louisville’s Waterfront Park during the two-day festival headlined by SZA and Harlow himself. Special fan presales will take place beginning March 6, 2024 at 10 a.m. EST. […]

Horoscopes: StarGazing with Tigresse Bleu

Horoscopes, News

March Horoscopes March 10th: Mercury enters Aries + New Moon in Pisces 20° March 11th: Venus enters Pisces March 20th: Sun enters Aries (Spring Equinox) March 22nd: Mars enters Pisces March 25th: Full Moon in Libra 5° Our energy could feel more buzzy and uplifted as we shift into March, the ~energetic~ new year motivating […]

COVER STORY: Skate park punk shows with Shitfire’s lead singer Hannah Blakeman

February 27, 2024 Culture

Queer Kentucky has partnered with Louisville Magazine for our fourth print issue. We asked Louisvillians and Kentuckians at large about their queerness and its relationship to the city, where they feel at home, who was there for them when it felt like nobody else was, the biggest issues facing Louisville’s queer communities, and much more. We would […]

A Queer Kentucky Safe Space: Trouble Bar

February 26, 2024 Culture

Queer Kentucky has partnered with Louisville Magazine for our fourth print issue. We asked Louisvillians and Kentuckians at large about their queerness and its relationship to the city, where they feel at home, who was there for them when it felt like nobody else was, the biggest issues facing Louisville’s queer communities, and much more. We would […]

A Queer Kentucky Safe Space: Cherokee and Cox Park

February 23, 2024 Culture

Queer Kentucky has partnered with Louisville Magazine for our fourth print issue. We asked Louisvillians and Kentuckians at large about their queerness and its relationship to the city, where they feel at home, who was there for them when it felt like nobody else was, the biggest issues facing Louisville’s queer communities, and much more. We would […]

We Been Here: Honoring Black Queer Kentuckian Ancestors

February 16, 2024 PRISM

Austen Smith is a spirit-forward visionary artist, writer, social researcher, and founder of Our Lunar Intelligence, a black-centered organization focusing on housing justice and arts/culture. Austen uses ancestral reverence and black philosophies of space/time to restore the imaginations of systemically disempowered peoples. The PRISM storytelling series is back, and it’s Black History Month. I am […]

A Queer Kentucky Safe Space: Kentucky Shakespeare in Central Park

February 13, 2024 Culture

Queer Kentucky has partnered with Louisville Magazine for our fourth print issue. We asked Louisvillians and Kentuckians at large about their queerness and its relationship to the city, where they feel at home, who was there for them when it felt like nobody else was, the biggest issues facing Louisville’s queer communities, and much more. We would […]

A Queer Kentucky Safe Space: The Merryweather

February 6, 2024 Culture

Queer Kentucky has partnered with Louisville Magazine for our fourth print issue. We asked Louisvillians and Kentuckians at large about their queerness and its relationship to the city, where they feel at home, who was there for them when it felt like nobody else was, the biggest issues facing Louisville’s queer communities, and much more. We would […]

A Queer Kentucky safe space: Old Louisville Coffee Co-op

February 2, 2024 Culture

Queer Kentucky has partnered with Louisville Magazine for our fourth print issue. We asked Louisvillians and Kentuckians at large about their queerness and its relationship to the city, where they feel at home, who was there for them when it felt like nobody else was, the biggest issues facing Louisville’s queer communities, and much more. […]

Jewish & Queer: one closet, several hidden identities

January 29, 2024 Culture

by Lar Pearl she/they When I sat down to think deeply about the intersection of my Jewish, Queer, and Kentuckian identities, I realized they all had the same obstructed, hidden-in-plain-sight start: dark, with just a glimmer of light. This is also how many seeds germinate and start their growth. Hiding, just out of sight, with […]

Louisville native, Fellow Travelers star heads into awards season with high hopes

January 5, 2024 Culture

As gaggles of gays make plans to cozy up around their TV’s dressed in their Saltburn-themed attire to watch the glitzy and glamorous award shows, one queer Kentuckian is heading to the ceremonies with nominations in hand. Noah Ricketts, from Louisville, blessed screens donning his best elegant 1950s drag attire and 1980s swag in 2023 […]

January StarGazing With Tigresse Bleu

January 1, 2024 Horoscopes

Planetary Placements for Jan: Jan. 4th- Mars enters Capricorn Jan. 11th- New Moon in 20° Capricorn Jan. 14th- Mercury enters Capricorn Jan. 20th- Sun enters Aquarius Jan. 22nd- Pluto enters Aquarius Jan. 23rd- Venus enter Capricorn Jan. 25th- Full Moon in 5° Leo Congrats! You made it to another calendar year and if no one […]

The Yee-Haw Outlaw: A One-way Conversation with Sydni Hampton

December 14, 2023 Culture

The queer community has long admired drag performers and are only recently (with the arrival of shows like RuPaul’s Drag Race or POSE) coming to widespread appreciation. Although the audience’s appetite for drag has grown, it remains a niche art form, often looked as being to0 flamboyant to be a serious art form. Covering amateur […]

StarGazing with Tigresse Bleu

December 1, 2023 Horoscopes

Planetary Placements for Dec: Dec. 1st -Mercury enters Capricorn Dec. 4th- Venus enters Scorpio Dec. 12th- New Moon in 20° Sagittarius Dec. 13th- Mercury Retrogrades within Capricorn Dec. 22nd- Sun enters Capricorn Dec. 23rd- Mercury Retrogrades into Sagittarius Dec. 27th- Full Moon in 4° Cancer Dec. 29th- Venus enters Sagittarius After a period of needing […]

A figure in a flowing white dress and black brimmed hat running through a field of grass.

StarGazing with Tigresse Bleu

November 11, 2023 Horoscopes

Planetary Placements for Nov: Nov. 8th – Venus enters Libra Nov 10th- Mercury enters Sagittarius Nov. 13th- New Moon in 20° Scorpio Nov. 22nd- Sun enters Sagittarius Nov. 24th- Mars enters Sagittarius Nov. 27th- Full Moon in 4° Gemini Summary This is an ocean we don’t mind sinking into. Our emotions have swelled and there […]

The Lasting Legacy of the House of Sweet Evening Breeze

October 9, 2023 History, Rural/Appalachia

As caretakers of Kentucky’s LGBTQ+ history, we at Faulkner Morgan Archive find it imperative that we continually remind ourselves and our communities of the long-lasting legacy of queer people in the Commonwealth. One of the most prominent ways to do that is by sharing stories of our queer ancestors who paved the path for us […]

The Iconic DJ Syimone: A Louisville Legend

Music, Culture

How does one become an ICON? There are many extremely talented DJs, drag performers, and emcees. However, there is only one Syimone. Over the years, the self-made local superstar has earned herself many titles, accolades, and accomplishments in almost every facet of the trade. She was recently crowned overall Best DJ in the city by […]

The Life of a Quiet Activist

History, Gov & Politics

Beyond the small entryway, on the dance floor and at the meat racks across from the bar, was where Louisville’s gay congregation met to whore-ship, and David’s first few weeks at that bar were a “real revelation.” “I found Jesus. Except he was sitting at the end of the bar having a drink,” Williams said. […]

Queen of the Rodeo: Entrepreneur Opens Custom Clothing Shop — Velvet Outlaw

Business, Culture

Miranda Deaton started Velvet Outlaw out of her natural-born desire to defy the odds and test the limits. The local clothing brand made its official debut in late April 2022 and Deaton’s Nudie inspired suits have been popping up all around the city ever since. Whether featured in local magazines or TikTok fashion trends, Velvet […]

Eric King On Visibility, Diversity, and Drive

Rural/Appalachia, History

Eric King, a Murrow and Emmy award-winning journalist, has 20 years of on air experience. He is from Bardstown, Kentucky, and he is a graduate of the University of Louisville. A journalist and broadcaster with a love for traveling and storytelling, King uses his perspective in news to challenge and educate. On the topic […]

Coming Home: Lesbian Connection and Representation in Kentucky

October 8, 2023 Culture, Gov & Politics, History

story by Jessica Carner she/her photo by Quinton Thomas he/him I’m what you might call a late bloomer; a “later-in-life” lesbian. It’s a thing, y’all. Even though my first romantic relationship was with a woman, when that young love died on the vine I pushed those feelings aside and conformed to what was expected of […]

Lessons from the Orange Juice Queen

October 5, 2023 History, Culture, News

I first encountered Anita Bryant in a grad school gender and women’s studies course called “History of Feminist Thought.” One week, our content area was conservative activists of the mid-twentieth century. These women spent their lives pushing back on the contemporary feminist movement, advocating for traditional [read: white, middle class, American] ideas of womanhood. That’s […]

Three Generations of Tennessee Pride-ful Drag

Culture, Gov & Politics

Kentucky is one of many states that are working to pass anti-drag-performance bills, which by no coincidence negatively impacts transgender people and may lead to further oppression of entire LGBTQ+ communities. Kentucky’s Senate Bill 115 describes drag as a “live performance involving male or female impersonators […] that appeals to a prurient interest in sexual […]

StarGazing: Lunar Eclipse in 5° Taurus

October 4, 2023 Horoscopes

October 28th, 2023 By the end of October, we find the grim reaper knocking on our door asking for our dead. It is the death of bad habits, the death of things that threaten our sense of safety, or security, or a past value or stance. This is the last breath of a past identity, […]

StarGazing: Solar Eclipse in 21°Libra

Horoscopes

October 14th, 2023 A recentering of the heart and energy. This is where we take our time and try to delve into pleasures as the moon crosses over the sun, casting a shadow on us. This period of darkness does not dampen our need for a new beginning or fresh start but in exchange we […]

StarGazing with Tigresse Bleu

Horoscopes

Planetary Placements For October Oct. 3rd- Lilith enters Virgo Oct. 5th- Mercury enters Libra Oct. 9th- Venus enters Virgo Oct. 12th- Mars enters Scorpio Oct. 14th- New Moon in Libra (Solar Eclipse) Oct. 22nd- Mercury enters Scorpio Oct. 23rd- Sun enters Scorpio Oct. 28th- Full Moon in Taurus (Lunar Eclipse) October Overview Profound, penetrative, and […]

Communing with the Divine: Trans Folk Artist Larah Helayne to Headline 2023 Queer Kentucky x Mile Wide Pride Kick-Off Party

Culture, Rural/Appalachia

Story by Sydni Hampton she/they Photos by Ash When I first met Larah Helayne (they/he) at a bar during a show I was performing in, I was just drinking up the compliments and praise a drag queen receives throughout the night. I had no idea this random introduction would lead to me ending up being […]

bell hooks and My Black Queer Southern Politics

September 17, 2023 History

by Charles Stephens photo: bell hooks in 1995. Photograph by Monica Almeida/The New York Times/Redux I am a Black gay man from the South. I grew up in a working-class community in Southwest Atlanta that shaped my politics as much as my identity. bell hooks was an accomplished scholar, academic, and public intellectual from Kentucky, […]

Tyler Childers’ newest single depicts gay love in rural Appalachia

July 28, 2023 Culture

PRESS RELEASE July 27, 2023—Rustin’ In The Rain, the new album from renowned singer, songwriter and musician Tyler Childers, will be released September 8 on Hickman Holler Records/RCA Records (pre-order/pre-save). Of the album, Childers shares, “This is a collection of songs I playfully pieced together as if I was pitching a group of songs to […]

Queers Say No to War! Demonstration March 18th on the 20th Anniversary of the Invasion of Iraq

March 15, 2023 Gov & Politics, History, News

By Christian Brawner and Sunny Cobb With the 20th anniversary of the Iraq invasion approaching, and while facing a seemingly insurmountable upsurge in state repression against our trans community, I want to honor the legacy of our queer and gay ancestors by reminding you of our revolutionary struggle. It’s absolutely no coincidence that when the […]

LA based dancer frequents home to teach others his movement art

February 21, 2023 Culture

When asked why he keeps coming back to the art form of dance, Ryan Green said that he has been dancing since middle school and is always coming back for different reasons. Green, Louisville community member turned Los Angeles professional dancer, expanded on his evolution of loving to dance and teach dancing. He shared the […]

Bodies After Dark: a Black, queer variety show to enhance community within a safe space

January 24, 2023 Business, Culture, News

Ready to see the most random, queer, gender roles fucking variety show you’ve ever experienced? Drag and boylesque artist Blaque Diamond, The Trans God, and founder of Love Thy Belly, LLC, Fairen Kia, joined forces to curate a safe space event for people to express themselves and learn what feels comfortable and free for them. […]

Great Meadows Foundation uplifts Queer artists alongside Queer Kentucky: J. Cletus Wilcox

December 6, 2022 Culture, News

Visual artists are a vital part of Kentucky’s Queer community. Thanks to the Great Meadows Foundation, which was launched in 2016 by contemporary art collector and philanthropist Al Shands (1928-2021) in order to critically strengthen and support visual art in Kentucky, Queer Kentucky will be featuring interviews with a number of these artists. In order to […]

Twink, bear, Otter Creek, OH MY! Let’s talk about the first Kentucky Pride

November 21, 2022 History, News

*Had to sign a Copy Service Agreement and Permission to Publish forms with U of L Special Archives to use the first pride flyer and Lavender Letter images* From my younger days, to when we moved to Meade County when I was in sixth grade and now into adulthood, Otter Creek Park has been in […]

Big wigs and big dreams from Bowling Green: Chatting with Eldar Gorak

November 16, 2022 Culture, News

When visiting your favorite local venue to be entertained by some of the badass queens that grace the stage, what snags your attention first? The flawless faces, the snatched body, or the hair that has everyone wishing they had THAT on their head? The hair can transform an outfit and performance from “Okaaaay” to “YAS […]

Stomping out stigma: mental health awareness music festival back for 6th year

October 7, 2022 Culture, News

The Big Stomp (formerly known as PeteFest), the nation’s first music festival to focus on mental health, will return October 14 – 15, 2022. The expanded event will feature more than 30 acts across three stages including electronic jam band Lotus, indie alternative rock band Moon Taxi and electro-funk outfit The Floozies. The festival will […]

Great Meadows Foundation uplifts Queer artists alongside Queer Kentucky: Brennen Cabrera

September 6, 2022 Culture, News, Rural/Appalachia

Visual artists are a vital part of Kentucky’s Queer community. Thanks to the Great Meadows Foundation, which was launched in 2016 by contemporary art collector and philanthropist Al Shands (1928-2021) in order to critically strengthen and support visual art in Kentucky, Queer Kentucky will be featuring interviews with a number of these artists. Brennen Cabrera […]

Actors Theatre adopts feminist script of ‘Dracula’ and it’s giving Queer femme realness

September 2, 2022 Culture, News

Dracula has been a staple of Actors Theatre of Louisville’s fall lineup since 1995, but this September, Dracula’s evolution is taking a leap forward with the implementation of Kate Hamill’s new feminist script, first performed in New York in February of 2020. GRAB TICKETS HERE! I hopped on a zoom call with three queer artists who […]

‘Don’t Ask Don’t Tell’ era veteran wants to people to know that life does get better

July 27, 2022 History, News

Jeleena Hall (Ja-lee-na) took to the skies to make history and become part of the first all women Honor Flight in Kentucky, back in June. An all-expense paid one day trip to D.C. was provided to the female veterans to see memorials and visit museums that honored the women who’ve served. She signed up because […]

Great Meadows Foundation uplifts Queer artists alongside Queer Kentucky: Ceirra Evans

July 26, 2022 Culture, News, Rural/Appalachia

Visual artists are a vital part of Kentucky’s Queer community. Thanks to the Great Meadows Foundation, which was launched in 2016 by contemporary art collector and philanthropist Al Shands (1928-2021) in order to critically strengthen and support visual art in Kentucky, Queer Kentucky will be featuring interviews with a number of these artists. It is the […]

Silas House awarded Duggins Prize for LGBTQ+ writers during Pride Month

July 21, 2022 Culture, News, Rural/Appalachia

Make no mistake, Kentucky’s Silas House has influenced our work at Queer Kentucky since writer and publisher, Sarah Gardiner, introduced his work to QKY founder, Spencer Jenkins in 2018. We are beyond proud to congratulate House on receiving the Duggins Prize for Outstanding Mid-Career Novelist, the largest prize given to an LGBTQ writer in the […]

Getting Glitzed with the Gays: Biodegradable centered startup launches holographic product line tomorrow at Darling’s Bar

July 6, 2022 Business, Culture, News

Need more looks to kill for this raging festival season? Well theys, gays, and baes, I sure do have a newly improved, and environmentally sustainable accessory for you. Every year at Forecastle Music Festival, there is one table that shines a little brighter than others. Probably due to the immense amounts of glitter wafting through […]

Filson Society to host The History of Gay Press in Kentucky this Friday

History, News

We all know the story of Stonewall and historic Queer figures like Marsha P. Johnson, Harvey Milk and Matthew Shepherd, but have you heard the tales of David Williams, Henry Faulkner and lesbian feminist-led publication the Lavender Letter? Most likely, not, but you can learn about all of these Queer Kentucky gems from history this […]

Great Meadows Foundation uplifts Queer artists alongside Queer Kentucky: Vinhay Keo

June 10, 2022 Culture, News

Visual artists are a vital part of Kentucky’s Queer community. Thanks to the Great Meadows Foundation, which was launched in 2016 by contemporary art collector and philanthropist Al Shands (1928-2021) in order to critically strengthen and support visual art in Kentucky, Queer Kentucky will be featuring interviews with a number of these artists. Vinhay Keo […]

Grab your ticket to Pandora Productions: ‘A Very Sordid Wedding’ runs through May 22

May 11, 2022 Culture, News, Sponsored Content

Still Sordid After All These Years: A reflection on the show It’s 2015, and seventeen years later, the sordid saga continues with all the same crazy characters we love. After a chance meeting with a dangerous criminal, Brother Boy, who has added Loretta and Dolly to his repertoire, is forced out on the run. Ty […]

Kentucky fashion designer plans Derby homecoming, reflects on Bluegrass roots

April 19, 2022 Culture, News

If you’re from Kentucky, you recognize those curtains. The same intricate lace patterns that hung over the window in your Grandma’s front room or the kitchen window where she cooked the kind of comfort food you can only get in one place… home. Fashion designer and Project Runway alum Gunnar Deatherage, whose videos have almost 48 […]

Young Queer playwright tackles backwards notions from his hometown

April 14, 2022 Culture, News

When one thinks about plays, they often think about full-length pieces. These plays often clock in at just around 90 minutes, which is a substantial enough amount of time to deter some audiences. What may be a welcome meditation on a theme or issue for some, may cause another to balk. The task is also […]

Lussi Brown Coffee Bar: serving a safe, unapologetic space for Lexington queers

April 6, 2022 Business, Culture, News

By Alixandria Thomason Lussi Brown Coffee Bar is a queer friendly safe space in the downtown area of Lexington, Kentucky. From the pride flags in the window to the diversity of everyone inside, you feel welcomed the second you walk in the door. The coffee shop and bar opened in June of 2017 following a […]

Queer history recovered: ‘The Lexington Six: Lesbian and Gay Resistance in 1970s America’ by Josephine Donovan

March 28, 2022 History, News

By Alixandria Thomason, author of Reading (the) Rainbow: The Lexington Six is the story of six queer people in the 1970s standing up for each other and for LGBTQIA+ community. But more than that it is a cultural examination of the time–a time when homosexuality was criminalized, and when queer peoples’ lives were regularly disrupted […]

Lexington theater group brings HIV/AIDS story to the stage

March 16, 2022 Culture, News

A local production of The Normal Heart brings the critically acclaimed “searing,” “passionate” and “controversial” play to Lexington, making its debut at the Pam Miller Downtown Arts Center April 1-10, 2022. Produced by ActOut Theatre Group, who’s mission is to promote thought provoking LGBTQ+ themed theatre in and around Central Kentucky, the semi-autobiographical play written […]

History: Celebrating Eastern Kentucky’s gay rights pioneer Lige Clarke

February 26, 2022 History

This February marks the 80th birthday of an icon in Kentucky LGBTQ history: Lige Clarke! Lige Clarke was born Elijah Haydn “Lige” Clarke on February 22nd, 1942, right outside the town of Hindman, in Knott County, Eastern Kentucky. He graduated from Eastern Kentucky University, then later served in the U.S. army, and began his activism […]

We Got The Beat! Rock it out with Pandora’s production of HEAD OVER HEELS featuring the music of the Go-Go’s

February 15, 2022 Culture

Pandora Productions, Louisville’s only theatre company dedicated and most trusted to tell the stories of the LGBTQ+ community, proudly continues their 2021-2022 Season with HEAD OVER HEELS, conceived by and original book by Jeff Whitty, adapted by James Magruder, music + lyrics by the Go-Go’s. A plot containing usurped kingship, unlikely lovers, and gender-fluid disguises […]

Theater Review: Bellarmine University’s rendition of ‘Angry Fa*s’

January 31, 2022 Culture, News

“It’s only terrorism if it doesn’t work. When it works, we call it a revolution.” An out lesbian state senator is up for re-election. Her female opponent is a moderate conservative who’s aligned herself with right-wing extremists. They’re locked in a tight race in which each side dog-whistles to its base and any event can […]

Northern Kentucky artist leaves mark with murals all over the Bluegrass

January 19, 2022 Culture, News

Kentucky is full of amazing artists. We have so many amazing LGBTQ+ artists all over the Bluegrass. One in particular has made headlines in other publications and has gone viral on TikTok for his detailed murals painted across the state, including his the Devil Wears Prada themed “Cerulean” mural. We had a Q & A […]

So you think you’re Two-Spirit? (You’re wrong)

November 5, 2021 History, News

Header Image Source: Matador Network Although I truly wish it came as a surprise, the trend of Non-Natives referring to themselves as Two-Spirit remains a festering sore on the underbelly of the queer community. We live in an era where it’s uncouth to police another queer person’s identity, to tell them that the way they […]

Rituals of A Sex Worker

September 27, 2021 PRISM

[cw: sexually explicit language, images, and descriptions] 4:45 AM The numbers flash in big red marquee bulbs behind my eyelids. The scorching brightness of the movie projector in my mind’s eye flickers, jolting me into consciousness: […]

The Earth Will Know Me Again

September 13, 2021 PRISM

Somewhere among the waters of childhood, maybe even sooner memories tucked into the folds of rolling hills sung by the birds in the trees, I can’t quite remember. Upon our very first entrance into this world, it is the touch of the one who gave birth to us that weaves together the emergent threads of […]

Death of a Body – A Call to Dance

August 18, 2021 PRISM

{content warning: alcoholism, death, disassociation, self-pity, self-deprecation, and some things related; religion, obituaries, and generational trauma} When I stopped dancing, my body tensed for forfeit. It forgot where it was going. It edged me – herded energy to its unknown parts. Important cavities forced havoc; shimmered down in the absence of self-understanding. A kind of […]

Reclaiming My Divinity

July 25, 2021 PRISM

Cave City is a small town off of 1-65 south. Most people know it as the huge ass dinosaur exit. But it’s more than that. It is home to a rich history and culture of Black Americans⸺most of which have been here since emancipation. I even lived across the street from the first school for […]

PRISM Letter from the Editor

July 20, 2021 PRISM

When Queer Kentucky reached out to me to create this series, I admittedly felt hesitant about accepting the task. On the surface, the task was simple: find five writers across the state who identified as Black, Brown, Indigenous or person of color, and curate the platform for them to tell their stories. It sounded easy, […]

Remembering PULSE: Kentucky philanthropist works to bring healing to Orlando and beyond

June 12, 2021 Business, History, News, Rural/Appalachia

Five years have passed since a gunman walked into a gay club in Orlando, FL and changed the lives of queer people and allies around the world forever. Pain, mourning and fear has filled the LGBTQ+ community since June 2016, but one Kentucky man is working to bring healing energy into the still raw wound. […]

A brief history of Kentucky anti-LGBTQ police harassment

July 13, 2020 History, News

by Kathryn de la Rosa New York’s second annual Queer Liberation March, a protest march against NYC Pride organized by the Reclaim Pride Coalition, came to an early end last month when NYPD officers started making arrests and brutalizing protesters with pepper spray and blunt force. This year’s march specified liberation for trans and queer […]

Merging the Rainbow Fashion Show puts youth front and center with a focus on pride and self-acceptance

March 5, 2020 History, News

Louisville, KY – On Saturday, March 28, 2020, join the young people of Louisville Youth Group (LYG) and artists from IDEAS xLab’s Our Emotional Wellbeing for Merging the Rainbow, a Fashion Show at Unity of Louisville at 2pm. The Fashion Show was created through a collaboration between the artists and young people starting in 2019, designed to embody self-acceptance, confidence, pride, originality, and […]

Versailles is 14th KY City to Approve LGBTQ Fairness Ordinance

October 1, 2019 Gov & Politics, History, News

VERSAILLES — With a vote of 3-2 tonight, the Woodford County, Kentucky town of Versailles, population 8,568, became the fourteenth city in the commonwealth with a Fairness Ordinance prohibiting LGBTQ discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations. By becoming the fourth city to adopt the measure this year, Versailles makes 2019 a record-breaking year for […]

The origin of the word ‘Gay’ in its Homosexual context

August 15, 2019 History, News

by N. David Williams Williams-Nichols Collection Department of Archives & Special Collections University of Louisville Use of the word “gay” in a homosexual context may date to as long ago as Paris in the late 16th century, when homosexuals were reportedly called ‘gai,” but there are a couple of other intriguing and perhaps more provable […]

Queer Kentucky TBT

August 1, 2019 History, News

“In general, bars appear to be seasonal phenomena among the gay population. Grand openings occur only to be followed by not-so-grand closings. In Louisville, two bars have managed to survive the inconsistent nature of the clientele they serve, thereby maintaining long and continuous runs.”

Western Kentucky town approves LGBTQ+ Fairness Ordinance…Again!

June 25, 2019 History, News

HENDERSON — With a vote of three to two tonight, the Western Kentucky town of Henderson, population 28,657, became the eleventh city in the state to protect LGBTQ people from discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations. , A press release from the Fairness Campaign said that tonight’s Fairness Ordinance vote comes 20 years after […]

Black, Queer and Powerful

April 25, 2019 History, News

Kaila Adia Story, PhD What does the word queer mean to you? To me, Queer means not letting society, institutions, friends or loved ones define who you are, or you hope to be. It means defining yourself, for yourself. It means living freely, unapologetically and boldly. It means feeling so emboldened within your queer self […]

Pushing children off the ledge, Conversion therapy

March 25, 2019 Gov & Politics, History, News

By Chuck Leach, former pastor and counselor Photo by Adam Creech We must stop folks from pushing children off the ledge. Conversion therapy (sometimes called “Reparative Therapy”) does exactly that; it pushes children off the ledge by unraveling the underpinnings of self-understanding, acceptance, and personhood. Conversion therapy was concocted by well-intended but misguided people to […]

Feminist Friday: The Appalshop Part 1

December 7, 2018 History, News, Rural/Appalachia

by Jordan Roach Tucked back in Whitesburg, Ky., there is a large unassuming, wood clad, building holding a treasure trove of resources, history and culture. The Appalshop, while it’s been a constant staple of Eastern Kentucky’s culture for nearly 50 years, there is a big chance many people haven’t heard about it. If you are […]

I Remember Doing the Time Warp

September 17, 2018 History, News

By Remy Sisk In the spring of 1973 at the Royal Court’s Theatre Upstairs, an eclectic bunch of actors and designers were preparing to open an extraordinarily unconventional musical called, “They Came from Denton High.” At the insistence of director Jim Sharman, creator Richard O’Brien’s mashup of glam rock, Steve Reeves muscleman flicks,1950s early rock […]

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