Celebrating the incredible work of David Williams, an LGBTQ+ historian from Kentucky who shines a light on the untold stories of our community. 🌈📖 His contributions to preserving queer history, including his work with the Williams-Nichols Archive at UofL, inspire us all.
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Dawn Wilson is a world-class fencer, church elder, and LGBTQ+ advocate and has worked with the Fairness Campaign for 30 years. She is a powerful voice for the Black trans community in Kentucky.
Silas House, Kentucky Poet Laureate, is a celebrated author and advocate known for his novels like Southernmost and Clay’s Quilt. Through his storytelling, House explores Appalachia, queer identity, and social justice, making him a vital voice in both literature and activism.
Tyler Gabbard, based in Covington, KY, is a key team member at The Carnegie Theater, contributing to its vibrant arts programming. Passionate about creativity and inclusion, he champions local artistic expression.
Patti Minter has been a vocal ally of the LGBTQ+ community, advocating for fairness ordinances, inclusive policies, and protections against discrimination in Kentucky. She has consistently supported equality and LGBTQ+ rights throughout her career.
Queer Kentucky’s limited print run of “25 Faces of Fairness” on SALE NOW! Lisa Gunterman of UofL’s LGBTQ+ Center and Fairness Campaign Co-founder, a trailblazer for inclusion and equity in higher education. A passionate advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, they create welcoming spaces and fosters programs that uplift queer and trans students across Kentucky. Magazine available to purchase online or ships free to monthly subscribers of any amount.
Chris Hartman he/him, director of Kentucky’s Fairness Campaign, leads statewide LGBTQ+ advocacy, focusing on fairness laws, public education, and coalition-building to advance equality and combat discrimination.
Carla F. Wallace is one of our 25 Faces!
Keturah Herron is one of Queer Kentucky’s 25 Faces of Fairness.
Queer Kentucky ISSUE 07: 25 Faces of Fairness is available now in select stores and on our website.
In honor of World AIDS Day, Queer Kentucky and the Faulkner Morgan Archive remember the history of HIV/AIDS in Kentucky.
Let’s have a word from the coolest dyke in Kentucky, Missy Spears. Queer Kentucky ISSUE 07: 25 Faces of Fairness is available now in select stores and on our website.
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 […]
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. […]
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 […]
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 […]
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. […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
photos by Reed Sampley Read about how this rising CEO’s booking platform revolutionizes the Bourbon Trail, paving the way for inclusive experiences in Kentucky. Eddie Fieldhouse dunks a tea bag into hot water as he sits across from me in a Louisville coffee house. We’re both a bit windswept and wet from the rain, and […]
Photos by Samuel Greenhill After swearing that she would never return to Kentucky, it was a handshake in a dog park that brought Hannah Lowen back. Lowen was born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky, surrounded by horses, Bourbon culture, and friends who didn’t look like her. Both of her parents were New Yorkers who had […]
photos by Frankie Fiore Adairville is a small Kentucky town located in Logan County, about a mile and a half from the Tennessee border. About 800 folks call this farming community home, and most families have resided there for generations. Shawn McCormick is one such resident, and while he wasn’t born in Adairville, his family’s […]
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 […]
After over a year of working behind the scenes on this project, our team couldn’t be more excited to bring you Bourbon and Belonging: Kentucky’s Queer Bourbon Week. Over five days and across eight cities in October, participants will partake in dozens of curated experiences across Kentucky including rare tastings and tours, upscale dinners, pool […]
Teresa Willis Highlands, she/her Why’d you pick that photo? This is me and my mom, my sister posing us in front of the tree by the garage back when photography was a precious process. I’m about 12, so my mom would’ve been 52. This photo encapsulates so much. A warm fall day in Valley Station. […]
Queer Kentucky has partnered with Louisville Magazine for our fourth print issue. We asked Louisvillians and Kentuckians at large about their queerness and its relationship to the city, where they feel at home, who was there for them when it felt like nobody else was, the biggest issues facing Louisville’s queer communities, and much more. In this issue, […]
Queer Kentucky has partnered with Louisville Magazine for our fourth print issue. We asked Louisvillians and Kentuckians at large about their queerness and its relationship to the city, where they feel at home, who was there for them when it felt like nobody else was, the biggest issues facing Louisville’s queer communities, and much more. In this issue, […]
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 […]
Queer Kentucky has partnered with Louisville Magazine for our fourth print issue. We asked Louisvillians and Kentuckians at large about their queerness and its relationship to the city, where they feel at home, who was there for them when it felt like nobody else was, the biggest issues facing Louisville’s queer communities, and much more. In this issue, […]
Queer Kentucky has partnered with Louisville Magazine for our fourth print issue. We asked Louisvillians and Kentuckians at large about their queerness and its relationship to the city, where they feel at home, who was there for them when it felt like nobody else was, the biggest issues facing Louisville’s queer communities, and much more. In this issue, […]
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 […]
Oftentimes in queer art, cutting and stitching are used as symbols of oppression and violence. Stitching myself together is not an act of destruction, but rather one of radical self-love. I mend my body with warmth and fondness and allow myself comfort in my own skin—in my own identity. My masculinity is not a suit […]
My name is Simone Jackson, I am a 19 year old artist from Louisville Kentucky. This drawing is 9 x 12 inches. It is made from alcohol markers, gen pens, and pen liner on watercolor paper. It depicts a person having a gender identity crisis on their kitchen floor, and they’re trying to do their […]
Queer Kentucky has partnered with Louisville Magazine for our fourth print issue. We asked Louisvillians and Kentuckians at large about their queerness and its relationship to the city, where they feel at home, who was there for them when it felt like nobody else was, the biggest issues facing Louisville’s queer communities, and much more. In this issue, […]
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 […]
I grew up homeschooled in an Evangelical household — a notoriously supportive environment for a deeply queer future-artist. While my parents were and continue to be very supportive, the ideology I was exposed to was less so. I also grew up in the mid-’90s, and this meant my understanding of binary gender was dictated by […]
by Lane Levitch This story is part of ISSUE 05: Reimagining Masculinity. The magazine is available for purchase here. Shooting film since 2012, Lane Levitch finally steps in front of his own camera. Before, he didn’t like seeing how the world perceived him. His face so permanent on negative strips. After receiving a gender affirming […]
What’s that saying–– “our parents did the best they could with the tools they were given”? Try telling that to the 12-year-old boy whose mother had just beat him with the Barbie he was playing with, just for playing with it. “It’s gonna be okay; she’s only got pliers for that loose screw. Eventually, she’ll […]
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 […]
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 […]
Queer Kentucky’s New Executive Director to Lead Organization’s Future This story is part of ISSUE 05: Reimagining Masculinity. The magazine is available for purchase here. Before I understood queerness, I understood masculinity. When I was a child I emulated masculine stereotypes at every turn, grabbing a hammer I could barely hold to help on a […]
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 […]
To Mary, Alli, Shaye, Kristen and Kami: I love you to the moon and back. When I came out as gay in my junior year at Eastern High School, I was very dramatic. Not only was I aggressively leaning into teenage angst by slamming doors and arguing about the color of the sky — being […]
![LINK IN BIO Curtis Galloway, founder of Conversion Therapy Survivor Network, says because of this nuance, the laws don’t have much impact. “Ninety-five percent of people [in the network] would not fall under the protections of the laws that are in place.”
Almost 80 survivors in Galloway’s network have reported going through conversion therapy and many of them by religious leaders. In Nebraska, one survivor reported experiencing conversion therapy at Parkview Baptist Church. In Charleston, at Christ Temple Church. And in California, at Living Waters. All three churches did not respond to requests for comment.
Galloway’s organization hosts Survivor Sundays online with 15-20 people showing and more and more people joining. “We have to add another weekly meeting,” he says.](https://queerkentucky.com/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed/img/placeholder.png)
