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by Emily Schubert

Northern Kentucky is nestled in the Greater Cincinnati Region, a quick 15-30 minute drive from the city of Cincinnati and an hour or two away from Lexington and Louisville. Like other densely populated regions in the state of Kentucky, Northern Kentucky is a melting pot of opportunity and diversity, an eclectic pocket of communities that people of various demographics and identities call home and find safety within. That’s why in July 2025, citizens of Covington (Northern Kentucky’s largest city) were shaken to their core when the Covington Police Department used excessive force to detain protestors holding a peaceful demonstration on the Roebling Bridge. While these community members were protesting against the unlawful arrest and kidnapping of civilians conducted by ICE, the department’s actions revealed a deeper issue at the heart of the burgeoning volatility in our sociopolitical climate: politically motivated division and violence. 

Consequently, this growing hostility has challenged communities such as the Northern Kentucky area to remain accepting, tolerant, and non-combative towards their immigrant, BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and other minority/marginalized community members. The unfortunate reality of this community violence is captured by the Human Rights Campaign. The campaign’s data collection indicated that, since 2022, there have been nearly 2000 incidents of anti-LGBTQ+ violence nationwide. In 2023, over 2800 hate crimes were recorded against LGBTQ+ people (accounting for 23% of all hate crimes that year). Additionally, 2024 data collected over a ten-year time period indicated anti-LGBTQ+ extremists were responsible for the murders of nearly 400 LGBTQ+ identifying people. While these numbers are disheartening and problematic enough in their own right, they grotesquely underrepresent the true number of violent incidences experienced by the LGBTQ+ population, as not all jurisdictions report hate crimes into the FBI database tracking these numbers. Keeping that in mind, consider what the data would indicate if it were to include violence perpetuated on other minority groups within our community. Now consider if that data was expanded to include violence perpetuated on non-minority groups who were actively helping/supporting minority members of their communities, practicing community advocacy, or peacefully protesting in accordance with their First Amendment rights. Though some may refuse to admit it, one can’t help but argue that this data seems to highlight America’s position as land of the suppressed, but home for the violent and intolerant.

What does this mean for the Covington I stroll through? The one that flourishes with quirky, unique, and diverse people of all walks of life? The zip code that’s home to the career, the community, the loved ones, the best tacos this side of the Ohio River, the friendliest bookstore and coffee shop, the little carved out corner of peace and belonging I call mine and, as such, ours? It means we adapt, pooling together our tangible and intangible resources along with our intellectual, emotional, and human capital. We connect, communicate, educate, and empower. We invest in what strengthens our community and, serendipitously, what also strengthens us. We commit to maintaining our personal safety by maintaining everyone’s safety, whether that be physically, verbally, emotionally, or relationally. We prepare, both in mind and body–by being aware of warning signs of power-based violence, by effectively setting boundaries/limits, and by learning to use our voices and posture to move through the world safely and with confidence. We prevent division, silence, and violence. We resist capitulation and resignation that hostility and volatility beg of us. We heal ourselves and each other. Like our community depends on it. Because it does. 

In Covington, arguably the northernmost point of Kentucky and a stone’s throw away from Cincinnati, the city has boasted nearly 5 consecutive years of earning a 100% rating by the Municipal Equality Index spearheaded by the Human Rights Campaign. As a result, Covington has established itself as a hub for businesses and non-profits owned and operated by LGBTQ+ individuals and allies alike. This indicates, now more than ever, the important power a community retains when it protects, advocates for, and promotes the safety and acceptance of all its members–especially the most at-risk and marginalized. Coincidentally, creating these safe spaces for all members of the community to express themselves and gather together (regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, etc.) can have positive economical and equitable outcomes. As all its members flourish within safe and inclusive spaces, so too does the community itself. 

At the heart of all power-based violence is the desire to suppress and silence. We regain this power when we think, yell, run, or fight–for ourselves, for others, for our morals and values, for human rights, for democracy, for our communities. But most importantly, we tell. And we never stop telling. A voice is a verse; a community is a chorus. So, here’s what I want to tell you: 

As I often do when free time allows, I was strolling through Covington’s city sidewalks on my lunchbreak the other day. On my way to the Roebling Bridge, the site of that July protest gone sour, I passed the following: a pride center, a community center, a multicultural resource center, a career center, a homeless shelter, a number of non-profits, several telephone poles crowded with past and future community happenings, an art center, two breweries–both hosting LGBTQ+ specific events over the next few weeks, and so many homes and businesses waving pride flags that I eventually lost count. I also passed Covington City Hall. One sign on the window boasted about the record-breaking success of small businesses in the city, numbers far surpassing that of other cities nationwide. And another sign. Right there. In plain view: “Y’all really means all.”

Author Bio:

 Emily Schubert (she/her) is a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Kentucky and Ohio, specializing in mood disorders, personality disorders, trauma, and gender-affirming care. She facilitates both individual therapy and support/reconnection groups at Thrive Empowerment Center–a trauma-informed, female-led community center located in Covington, KY. 

Reference Links

https://www.covingtonky.gov/news/2024/11/22/3-peat-covington-earns-top-lgbtq-score

https://hrc-prod-requests.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Research/Trans-Violence-2025.pdf