As a teen growing up in Owensboro, Caasi Gray struggled finding her place in the world. She often felt othered and unable to express herself as a transgender person in an environment with few opportunities for queer connection and creative expression. She never imagined she would one day be seen as the “Mother Tree” of a budding, Louisville-based political activist organization. Now, she and her team connect queer people and the community at large to music, education, and— most importantly—one another.

Inspired by the Louisville music scene’s “do it yourself” attitude, as Gray calls it—evident in events like No Comply 502’s unorthodox, and all-ages punk shows in skate bowls, Gray and her friend Malcolm Taylor co-founded Wandering Treehouse through a queer-inclusive lens in early 2024.  

Wandering Treehouse Shirt and Zine.

Armed with a classical saxophone training, a music business degree and a desire to help others, Gray and her Wandering Treehouse team began creating small community and music-centered events. The gatherings were designed to spark connection, creativity, and belonging while giving back to marginalized communities.

“We’ve been able to raise over $8,000 for charity within the last year, provide gender-affirming care through our clothing swaps, and we’ve gathered thousands of people over 20 events,” she said.

The volunteer-led organization, made up of queer and queer-adjacent artists, musicians and creatives, values people over profit by donating every dollar raised through its events and fundraisers to groups including the Kentucky Health Justice Network, Out Loud Louisville, and to organizations supporting Palestinians, including The Peace Dove. 

Currently, Wandering Treehouse organizers are working on events to raise money for immigrants who might be facing deportation due to ICE raids.

“It wasn’t the goal to get involved with politics when we first started,” she said. “We were mainly just wanting to connect through music, but we saw what was going on in Palestine and noticed what people have raised for similar causes and we knew that we could make a heavy impact to raise awareness and money if we threw a live music show.”

And for Gray and her team, their work is both political and personal. Gray said their events are designed to provide a third space for queer and minority people to gather and experience joy during an increasingly violent political climate towards marginalized communities. 

“A lot of the spaces here in Louisville are led by white straight cis men—even in the punk scene,” she said. “Now it’s important more than ever to reach into spaces that straight people can’t reach into.” 

No one knows this better than Gray herself as a trans woman navigating life in Kentucky. But as a trans woman in a leadership role, she said she hopes to inspire other trans people to step outside their homes and get involved in politics.

“We know that trans people in America are very much a target right now whether a bitch is clocky or not,” she said. “I think being able to lead an organization, especially one that has such local power and popularity is empowering not only to me, but other trans people.”

Taylor, a co-founder who manages much of the organization’s behind-the-scenes event work, said leadership by queer, transgender and people of color is more important than ever.

“…The only actual way to get real change is for us to be in positions of leadership and to form communities for ourselves where we cater to the needs and wants of our community,” they said. “Seeing older queer leadership in the city, like Pharmacy Girl doing events, really ingrained that idea in my head.”

Wandering Treehouse community members sit at the lobby at Hotel Genevieve.

Gray’s passionate leadership and nurturing nature such as making sure her team is fed at internal meetings and providing everything they need at events has earned her the nickname “Mother Tree” among the Wandering Treehouse community.

“I didn’t come up with it,” she laughed. “Someone on my team started calling me that and it stuck instantly. I think it comes to me naturally—being a mother figure to the people around me.”

Wandering Treehouse member Mikhail Bocharov grew up as a queer immigrant in Louisville and like Gray growing up, felt very alienated. They note that the organization has provided them a community “where everyone feels welcome to be themselves” and that Gray’s motherly gestures not only foster the open-arm atmosphere of Wandering Treehouse, but is also evident through her actions towards her team. 

“There was a period of my life a couple months ago where I didn’t have a permanent place to live,” they said. “Caasi offered me to live with her and supported me the entire time I did so. It was genuinely one of the kindest things anyone has ever done for me and I’ll forever be thankful for that.”

Caasi Gray celebrating Wandering Treehouse’s one-year anniversary.

And just as Gray reaches an offering hand to her community, they reach right back out to her in times of need. In March, Gray lost her apartment and all of her belongings to a fire and the community she normally rallies behind began rallying for her. They raised thousands of dollars to get her back on her feet.

“Seeing the community support me extensively really helped put into perspective just how much of an impact I’ve had on hundreds of lives here in Louisville, and it really helped motivate me through the toughest time in my life,” she said.

Now brought back to life financially and emotionally through the work of her community, Gray can continue leading the organization into a new chapter by forming their DIY organization into a structured 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

“As we’ve developed the impact we’ve had on our local community and how we’re perceived and able to provide, I think we will be able to provide so much more through grant funding,” Gray said. “The main development is taking this more seriously and making it all that it can be.”

With so much in store for Wandering Treehouse and so much at stake for marginalized communities, Gray said that  nothing will stop her work providing for those in need.

“Even though the current administration and Kentucky politics hate to see me going to the women’s restroom and seeing me live happily, I’m still able to provide for my community, I’m not going to let it stop me,” she said.

To learn more about Wandering Treehouse, check out their Instagram.