Feeling Home in Louisville: Emmet Stevens
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 much more. In this issue, you will find stories of Queer Kentuckians telling tales of their beloved safe spaces, paying tribute to the loved ones who uplifted them when no one else would, laughing about their coming out stories, and so much more. Kentucky, and Louisville, have a lot of work left to do when it comes to embracing the queer community. But hey, it’s not as bad as people think it is. Read on, you’ll see. You can purchase the print version of this issue here.
Besides your own house — or the house of family or friends — what Louisville place makes you feel at home?
I came to Louisville from Minnesota to solidify my relationship with my fiancé.We met online and had a long-LONG-distance relationship, and we were both sick of the miles in between.We were both madly in love right off the bat, just two opposites colliding. I hadn’t lived in a big city like Louisville and thought I wouldn’t grow as attached to the place as much as the person who hails from here.
Who was there for you when it felt like nobody else was?
Back when I was still closeted and in the worst fog ever, some of my favorite teachers noticed and kept me going. I couldn’t explain to them everything that was going on in my life, but hav- ing an adult outside the family tell me things are gonna be OK, and that I wasn’t totally messed up, helped beyond words.
Who was the person you chose to come out to?
First person I came out to was my friend Bobby, who at the time was the only queer kid I knew. Being his friend was like knowing a mythical leg- end, as being queer was an ‘adult only’ kind of label at the time, especially in our environment. I had struggled finding the words to label myself, but he saw that and swept me into a hug. I didn’t have the language to say I was a trans guy, but Bobby would look at me and I would feel my whole brain and heart exposed.
What piece of art — a book, a painting, a movie, a TV show, etc. — means the most to you?
A.I. Artificial Intelligence, directed by Steven Spielberg, is a sci-fi remix of Pinocchio. It follows David, a robot boy placed into a family’s home who awkwardly and earnestly navigates his new world and then is abandoned to wander the country. Pushed by his desire for familial love, he searches for the Blue Fairy. He is told constantly that his status as an android bars him from ‘real’ love. Do I have to belt out a several-hours-long video documentary on why that makes my queer heart ache? I first watched this movie as a kid, not fully understanding David’s circumstances, wondering: Why would anyone let a normal boy be thrust into increasingly scary situations? Watching it again as an adult, I wept.
What’s the biggest issue facing Louisville’s LGBTQ+ communities? What do you think would help solve that issue?
A lot of us are broke, or living in crappy apartments, or working odd hours, or just trying to survive. Having a meet-up that not only fits with our schedules but also tackles the political cli- mate is tough.We gotta meet more in multiple places, across the city, and have the reach be plausible for people who otherwise wouldn’t show up.
Anything about how you identify that you’d like to share?
I don’t always say I’m queer, although sometimes it’s easier to say that than to get into specifics. I’m queer, but I’m a trans man who’s also bi, and it took a long time to say it. I’m taking this opportunity to say: This one goes out to all the lesbians in my life who looked me right in my eyes and told me to just: ‘Transition already!’ I was in bad denial about my gender troubles, more so than my sexuality, and it took a couple gentle, but firm, conversations that I needed to face myself and be honest about what I was feel- ing. It was a long, awkward, painful, tear-filled but rewarding road. I salute you, my sisters.