Kelsie, 25, Bardstown

I didn’t know I was a lesbian when I was growing up in Bardstown. It was one of those battles I fought in my head; I had convinced myself I was straight.

Being straight was the norm and none of my friends were gay; they were all stright.

When I moved away to Lexington I met a girl and she was already out as gay. We started hanging out and I realized I liked her more than a friend.

“First time we kissed I was like ohhhhhh it all makes sense.”

In Kentucky, you get a lot of close-minded people. But, I walk around and I don’t give a fuck. I don’t care to hold someone’s hand in public. I have a really supportive family and as long as the people I like and care for love me, I don’t care what a stranger thinks.

I will say that Louisville is very different than Bardstown. I can be myself more here than I can in Bardstown.

Even the looks I get in the grocery store in Bardstown can be shitty. I feel like I look gay because I dress kind of gay. But I do have long hair and don’t fit the stereotype of a “lesbian.” When my lesbian friend and I went to the store together when she lived with me, people would look at us disgusted.

As a barber, I don’t necessarily like gender roles. Now it’s way more common to have female barbers. I knew I didn’t want to be a cosmotologist, I didn’t care to learn about nails, I like doing shorter haircuts too. That’s why I lean toward the barber life. And I fell in love with it.

You’ve got to stay true to yourself and don’t let other peoples opinions get you down.

You get can out of a small town; do it the first chance you can if that’s what’s going to make you happy. Make yourself a number one priority for sure.