The-Artist-Formerly-Known-As-Monkeypox: A Review of Mpox and its Variants

December 3, 2024 Health

Mpox is on the rise in Kentucky. Let’s learn more.

California Reports First U.S. Case of Severe Mpox Strain; Public Risk Deemed Low

November 18, 2024 Health, Sex

California health officials have confirmed the first U.S. case of a more severe mpox strain, clade 1b, in a traveler returning from Eastern Africa, according to the CDC. The individual was treated shortly after arriving in the U.S., and officials are working to identify anyone who may have been exposed. Despite this development, the CDC […]

Put Some (Doxy)PEP in Your Step: Can DoxyPEP Protect You From Mpox?

November 13, 2024 Sex, Health

Queer men have been using DoxyPEP to combat STIs. Can it help with Mpox, too?

Let’s Breathe: Queer Kentucky offering FREE “Mindful Movement” Class

November 6, 2024 Mental Health, Health

Queer Kentucky’s Mindful Movement class at Suspend offers a safe, LGBTQ+ affirming space for trauma-informed breath and bodywork.

My HIV is 20: A Lexington Man’s Journey Living with HIV

October 21, 2024 Health

My HIV is 20 this year. I tested positive in September 2004. It was my habit to get tested during my birth month, and start my new year with a clean bill of health. The day I tested positive was a work day. At the time, the AIDS Volunteers of Lexington (AVOL) was in downtown […]

J.D. Vance Is Spreading HIV Misinformation As Haitians Grapple With Fallout of False Trump Claims

October 8, 2024 Sex, Health

When Kyle Scott heard former President Donald Trump mention his town during the first and likely only debate against Vice President Kamala Harris, the feeling was not the joy of being acknowledged on a platform being watched by a reported 67 million viewers. He feared how the fallout would impact his neighbors and friends. I […]

How you can help women, children and LGBTQ+ people impacted by Hurricane Helene

October 1, 2024 Culture, Health, Horoscopes, Sponsored Content, Thinking Queerly

Originally published by The 19th Your trusted source for contextualizing the news. Sign up for our daily newsletter. The destruction of Hurricane Helene, which made landfall in Florida on Thursday as a Category 4 storm, is coming sharply into focus as the death toll has continued to climb in North and South Carolina, Florida and […]

Addressing Food Insecurity for Kentucky’s Queer Community: A New Approach

September 30, 2024 Health

One in eight Americans are food insecure, according to the USDA. That means they have little or inconsistent access to an adequate amount of food. In Kentucky, a state with growing income inequality, one in seven people are food insecure. In the queer community, the rate of food insecurity grows significantly. According to a report […]

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 […]

Personalized Recovery: Gay SOKY men share their ongoing paths to recovery

September 25, 2024 Substance Use, Health, Issue 6

art by Ceirra Evans The path of addiction and recovery is not linear. That is something that Lucas Blackburn and Josh Shaw can attest to in their recovery journeys. Currently, Blackburn has been sober for nearly four years, and Shaw has been sober for six and a half years. Despite this, it wasn’t always this […]

Overdose alert in Lexington

September 21, 2024 Substance Use, Health

by Lantern staff, Kentucky Lantern September 20, 2024 The Lexington-Fayette County Health Department has issued an overdose alert for Lexington. The health department reports a spike in suspected nonfatal drug overdoses with 24 reported in four days, Sept 17-20, according to information from the Overdose Detection Mapping Application System (ODMAP). “This is an important time […]

Garnished with Glitter: The Rise of the Mocktail

September 17, 2024 Issue 6, Business, Substance Use

photos by Milkman Photography The booze beginning I did not grow up with queer people around me in rural Kentucky. But, I did have a fabulous, good country woman as a grandmother. She taught me how to cook, how to be myself no matter what anyone thought, and how to fight to survive in a […]

Would you trust AI to scan your genitals for STIs?

September 5, 2024 Sex

Originally published by The 19th Your trusted source for contextualizing the news. Sign up for our daily newsletter. In March, health technology startup HeHealth debuted Calmara AI, an app proclaiming to be “your intimacy bestie for safer sex.” The app was heavily marketed to women, who were told they could upload a picture of their […]

Feeling at Home in Louisville: PLAY with Bee Harmon

August 16, 2024 Issue 4, Culture, Health, Horoscopes, Sponsored Content, Thinking Queerly

photos by Jon Cherry 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 […]

Mpox declared global health emergency, Kentucky totaling 111 cases

Health, Sex

Louisville Vaccine Signups Kentucky Vaccine Locations The World Health Organization said on Wednesday that the mpox outbreak in Africa has become a global health emergency. A deadlier strain of the virus, clade Ib, is spreading quickly in the Democratic Republic of Congo and has reached at least four previously unaffected countries in Africa. The risk […]

IUD insertion is painful. For the first time, the CDC issued guidance for physicians

August 14, 2024 Health

Originally published by The 19th Your trusted source for contextualizing health news. Sign up for our daily newsletter. People on social media have described the procedure as “the worst pain imaginable” and like a “hot knife” is slowly stabbing them. The number of people opting for intrauterine devices — T-shaped birth control devices inserted into […]

Stories of Hope: I Was a Teenage Zombie

August 12, 2024 Substance Use

I got addicted to drugs because I wanted to be cool. The cool kids in high school, the ones who listened to Dead Kennedys and Current Joys and wore their pants cuffed and talked about communism all smoked cigarettes. So I started to smoke cigarettes. I still remember the smugness on my face and sense […]

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 […]

Pornhub alerted users this week that Kentuckians will lose access to the site due to age verification requirements on July 10

June 26, 2024 Sex

This story was first published by Louisville Public Media When Kentuckians opened up the pornography video-sharing website Thursday, they were hit with a pop up. In all caps underneath a picture of the Kentucky flag, it read, “You will lose access to pornhub in 26 days.” Earlier this year, Kentucky lawmakers passed a bill — following in […]

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 […]

Sweet Evening Breeze: Honoring the legacy, paving a path and sending a message

June 6, 2024 Health, Business

“As long as you live in this house, you’re going to act a certain way. I don’t want you embarrassing me.” The words change as they echo from parents’ mouths but the feeling is universal for children who hear them: you are not welcome. Children like Robyn, who was fourteen years old when she came […]

Bringing up Boyslut: Discovering a shameless role model as a bi boi in the Bluegrass

April 29, 2024 Health, Sex

a review & manifesto I remember the first time I encountered Zachary Zane‘s bawdy reporting on the internet. I was searching for something that could help me make sense of my sexual identity. His shameless approach to writing about sex horrified me at first. One such story graced my Instagram feed during a distracted moment […]

Stories of Hope: ‘my sexuality had everything to do with my drug use’

March 21, 2024 Health, 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 […]

Stories of Hope: trans man finds recovery through art and community

March 1, 2024 Health, Substance Use

by Kri Van Sloun My name is Kri and I’ve been many things in this life. Who I am now is vastly different from those I’ve once been and I try to give thanks to the past for the person I am in the present. I was once a young girl who wrote poetry, a […]

Stories of Hope: A gay man’s journey into recovery from drugs and alcohol

February 21, 2024 Health, Substance Use

by Richard Addison He/Him/His 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 […]

Groups, goo and La Grange: A Kentucky Sniffies Download

January 3, 2024 Health, Sex

2023 was a mild-to-wild year for me. If I summarized my experience with hook-up apps in 2023, spotify-wrapped-style, my top artists would be … well let’s not overshare TOO much, but my playtime would be uhm… several dozens of hours. Seeking out fixes and fucks in the digital space takes a lot of time and […]

Why Won’t My Healthcare Provider Use My Chosen Name?

December 8, 2023 Health

Why won’t my doctor’s office respect my chosen name or pronouns? While many healthcare practitioners are striving to be more inclusive in their forms and documentation, many patients still run into problems with being misgendered or dead-named during healthcare appointments. This can be a very triggering experience for many patients, but there is often more […]

Poppers: Queer Cultural Norm or a Harmful Chemical Enhancement Not Worth the Rush?

October 9, 2023 Health

If someone told you that there was a drug that could completely enhance your sexual experience, would you try it? Would you even think twice or would you dive right in? Most people would probably take a step back and consider the factors here. What is it exactly? What does it do? How long does […]

The Big Stomp Returns to Louisville August 18-19, 2023

August 16, 2023 Health

The Big Stomp Returns to Louisville August 18-19, 2023 Two-day festival to feature Lettuce, Bahamas and The Heartless Bastards and 30+ acts, plus full slate activities that support mental health and wellbeing Louisville, Ky. (May 16, 2023) – The Big Stomp, the nation’s first music festival to focus on mental health, will return August 18 […]

Queer Kentucky Expanding Resources with $300K to Improve LGBTQ+ Mental Health and Prevent Suicide

August 15, 2023 Health

Queer Kentucky is a diverse LGBTQ+ run non-proﬁt based in Louisville, Kentucky working to bolster and enhance Queer culture and health through storytelling, education and action. Through our storytelling approach, we give visibility and celebrate the lives of LGBTQ+ people in the great Bluegrass State. LOUISVILLE, Ky. Aug 15, 2023 [email protected] Queer Kentucky is launching […]

Crucial Conversations: A Panel discussion on LGBTQ+ suicide awareness and prevention

May 17, 2023 Health

By Leah Bomar Crucial Conversations: A Panel Discussion and Forum on LGBTQ+ Suicide Awareness and Prevention brought community leaders and mental healthcare experts together on March 23, 2023, at Story Louisville to assess the problem and the risks within the Louisville Community. Problems highlighted in Kentucky include high suicide rates, too many people without health […]

Ambiguity and Access: Louisville non-profit calls for legislation to clarify HIV self-testing regulation in Kentucky

February 27, 2023 Health

Inequity increases the likelihood of worse health outcomes and steals agency from us all. Out-of-date restrictions on In-Home HIV test kits have created inequity in access to these tests for Kentuckians that can’t afford to buy them at the store or face stigma in their communities. The Social Practice Lab, along with researchers at Norton […]

HEALTH EQUITY: Tegan and Sara Foundation, GLMA bring LGBTQ+ Healthcare Directory to Americans and Canadians

January 26, 2023 Health

When we think about healthcare, we often think about the doctors and nurses that care for us in times of need. However, we rarely think about all the environmental components that go into acquiring and producing a genuine medical care experience. Does my doctor understand the importance of my pronouns? Can they prescribe hormone replacement […]

Monkeypox vaccines available at North Central District Health Department

August 24, 2022 Health

The North Central District Health Department will be accepting walk-ins and scheduled appointments for monkeypox vaccinations at the Shelby County Health Department, 615 11th Street in Shelbyville, until 4 p.m. today, Aug. 24. You do not need to reside in the county to receive a vaccine. Due to a lack of interest in available appointments, […]

Monkeypox vaccine to be available at Norton Healthcare this weekend

August 23, 2022 Health

Norton Healthcare is offering the monkeypox vaccine to those with certain risk factors at a pop-up clinic on Saturday, Aug. 27. Before scheduling, please ensure that you are available for second dose on Saturday, Sept. 24. Click here to schedule. Currently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is not encouraging mass vaccination for […]

UPDATE: Jefferson County monkeypox vaccines available at Specialty Clinic, Shawnee Christian Healthcare Center

August 17, 2022 Health

As of August 17, 2022, Kentucky has had a total of 15 cases of monkeypox. Louisville Metro Public Health emailed Queer Kentucky this morning and said, “We have expanded the Specialty Clinic’s ability to offer monkeypox vaccines to anyone who falls in the PEP++ criteria. We still have a limited supply, but as it trickles in, […]

United States declares monkeypox as a national health emergency

August 4, 2022 Health

The United States declared a public health emergency for monkeypox today to quicken the federal response and increase vaccine availability. Monkeypox has infected more than 6,600 Americans thus far with Kentucky having eight confirmed cases. Nearly all cases are among men who have sex with men. “We are prepared to take our response to the […]

Monkeypox vaccines available to very select ‘high risk’ group in Jefferson County due to limited doses

August 3, 2022 Health

Editor’s Note: Monkeypox is not specific to the LGBTQ+ community. It is affecting us the most because it came into contact with our community first. We are a close-knit community that usually stays within our safe social circles, leading to transmission among our community. This article will be updated once more information is available. Monkeypox […]

Life on the margins of medicine: Trans men more likely to develop disease through avoiding dysphoric health screenings

July 22, 2022 Health, Thinking Queerly

This story is the result of collaboration between Queer Kentucky and Cervical Cancer Awareness & Prevention (CCAP) CCAP Across The Map, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that works to decrease the global rate of cervical cancer through providing cervical health education and increasing access to HPV vaccines and diagnostic screening measures in under-resourced areas around […]

Sex Work and the City: Follow the ‘rules’ and avoid the common narrative of getting strung out

July 15, 2022 Health

Every time the elevator doors opened at The New School dorm building on 15th St & 1st Ave, my olfactory nerves were hit with the scent of dozens of strains of weed. Always a reliable source of debauchery, the 12-story Stuy building served as temporary home for a bunch of art school kids whose Northern […]

GAYS THEYS AND BAES: Monkeypox Virus hits Kentucky, know the facts

July 11, 2022 Health

by Tyler Goodlet and Spencer [email protected] Editor’s note: This Story will be updated as new facts, anecdotes and more arise. When John Doe (name kept anonymous) noticed his swollen lymph nodes, fever and headache, he suspected that he contracted a sexually transmitted infection (STI). He decided to head to the Speciality Clinic in Jefferson County […]

Finding home through the fog of gogo boys and disco balls

June 16, 2022 Health

It’s go-go boy night at the local bar and as I enter, I suddenly feel like an anxious little kid again. Swarms of men crowd the space and rub up against each other (and me) as they shimmy toward the bartenders. Shy and unnerved, I cling to my good friend, Paris, who came with me. […]

Anti-LGBTQ+ legislation is body policing, detrimental to community

June 8, 2022 Gov & Politics, Health

featured article art by Juniper Moon Folk Art If breaking the law meant that you could better someone’s life and potentially save their life entirely, would you do it? This is the moral dilemma we as a Queer community and allies are facing. In 2021 alone, over 250 anti-LGBTQ+ bills were introduced. A large portion […]

Why queers experience increased risk of substance abuse, regional resources that can help

May 26, 2022 Health

Being queer is a liberatory experience. We reject norms handed down to us through our power to construct our own lives, selves, bodies, families and communities. Such flagrant displays of freedom threaten power structures that depend on the status quo. Driven by fear of dismantlement, those in power move to silence disruptors at any cost. […]

The Vampire Shot Glass: because not just cis women have periods

April 26, 2022 Health

The Vampire Shot Glass is an all-gender inclusive menstrual cup for anyone who menstruates. It is similar to the menstrual cups you’ve seen before, manufactured and tested in the US and created out of medical grade silicone. The two biggest differences lie in who the CEO is and who they are made for. Madeline, the […]

Center for Women and Families to hold event to honor queer survivors on Earth Day, Friday April 22

April 21, 2022 Health

Register Here Friday April 22, 2022. 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM EDT960 South 2nd Street, Louisville, KY 40203 This Friday, April 22, from 4-6pm, the Center for Women and Families will hold an event to honor the growth and healing of survivors, queer survivors in particular. Attendees will paint their own pot and plant seeds, […]

Rural Kentuckian, adult entertainer Lane V. Rogers adds UK Wildcat to résumé

March 7, 2022 Sex

When googling the name “Lane V. Rogers,” an abundance of media and information swarms the page. Twitter, Instagram, Youtube, Twitch, Onlyfans, and more. Click on a google image, and you’ll see the most precious human. Sweet face, greek god build, and that astrological Leo tattoo? Phenomenal. Lane V Rogers, aka Mr. Blake Mitchell, is a […]

OnlyFans to ban sexually explicit content this fall, impacting Queer livelihoods

August 19, 2021 Business, Health

During the 2020 pandemic fall months, Queer Kentucky reported on how OnlyFans and other forms of sex work were saving the wallets of Queer people all over. Business was booming for some because people were home more…and looking at porn more. Sex work is still criminalized and people in the profession couldn’t receive unemployment. Now, […]

Word vomit, no…actual vomit; a sucky spring love story

April 7, 2021 Health

Editor’s Note: The below is considered explicit content to many people. We have always stood by our stance of sex positivity in all facets and we normalize human sexuality within our organization. And let’s face it, we’ve all had interesting sexual experiences and you don’t want to feel alone in that, do you? Anyways…enjoy! Long […]

HIV, navigating relationships and disclosure

April 1, 2021 Health

by Kelsey Westbrook When Alee Alleman went to disclose her HIV positive status to her now husband, she made a plan on when and where it would happen, so that he could be in a position to leave if that’s what he wanted. She sat in her car for forty-five minutes, agonizing over her words, […]

HIV testing in 2021: Quick, simple and inspired by friends

March 26, 2021 Gov & Politics, Health, Sponsored Content

photo: Gay ACT UP members carrying huge banner that reads THE AIDS CRISIS IS NOT OVER as they walk down the street during Gay & Lesbian Pride march. MICHAEL ABRAMSON/THE LIFE IMAGES COLLECTION VIA GETTY IMAGES Queer Kentucky and VOA FIT continue HIV education partnership by Kelsey Westbrook A stark, fluorescent-lit hallway, hospital-issued outdated chairs […]

COVID-19 and HIV/AIDS: The Accessibility of Harm Reduction at VOAFIT

March 15, 2021 Health

by Lucia Burton “We are living in a time of two intersecting global pandemics — HIV and COVID.” — Valerie Farsetti, VOAFIT Program Manager HIV/AIDS has deeply affected millions of people for decades. The stigmas associated with the disease have further marginalized communities, targeted education of sexual health, and created countless barriers to basic healthcare. […]

HIV, Drug Usage and Queerness: Finding Happiness through Stigma

October 21, 2020 Health

This piece is the first in a series produced by Queer Kentucky that covers the intersectionality of queer identity, HIV status and drug/alcohol dependency in the city of Louisville. Other pieces will cover the rest of the state. Local luminary Amirage Saling was interviewed as part of the research for this piece, and in keeping […]

Sex work is work: Queer sex workers shed light on an industry changed by a pandemic

October 12, 2020 Health

The following story was written by Josh Riley, a sex worker that wanted to shed light on an industry struggling due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The highlighted sex workers have either remained anonymous or allowed us to use their name they use as a sex worker. All of the workers were compensated from non-Queer Kentucky […]

Queer Kentucky receives Community Foundation of Louisville grant to report on HIV, meth epidemic

May 5, 2020 Gov & Politics, Health

Queer Kentucky is proud to announce that we have received a $2,300 grant from the Community Foundation of Louisville to report on a topic we are very passionate about. We requested the “Field of Interest Grant: AIDS Project Fund” in order to demonstrate awareness regarding the connection between HIV/AIDS and the LGBTQ+ community in Kentucky. […]

OPINION: Queer people create community amidst Coronavirus pandemic

March 14, 2020 Gov & Politics, Health

by Sarah Gardiner, Queer Kentucky Board Member Illness isn’t a foreign concept to queer people. The HIV epidemic of the 1980’s showed us just how quickly a community can be torn apart, how easily a government can turn a blind eye to the suffering of its citizens, and how vital it is for those affected […]

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