Across the Commonwealth
Our regions
Kentucky is not one place, and queer Kentucky is not one story. We cover LGBTQ+ life in every corner of the Commonwealth, from Pikeville to Paducah, and we are growing our reporting beyond the big cities on purpose.
Think of this page as a map of that work. Each region shows our three newest stories from there. Click into a region to read its latest ten stories and what we are building in that part of the state. Everything here updates on its own as new stories publish.
Louisville
Where Queer Kentucky was born, and still home to a whole lot of our reporting.
- Time Slip Theatre Opens 13th Year of ‘Rocky Horror’ With a Witchy TwistLouisville’s resident “Rocky Horror” troupe returns to PLAY Louisville Oct. 16-31 with a witch-inspired 13th annual production, starring…By Community News · Oct 9, 2026
- Louisville Pride Put Mental Health Front and Center. The Need Doesn’t End When the Tents Come Down.Organizations offering mental health care had some of the busiest tables at Louisville Pride. Queer Kentucky’s 2025 Community…By Jay Wells · Oct 9, 2026
- Federal Cuts “Handcuffed” BIPOC Harm Reduction in Kentucky. Communities Are Stepping Up.SAMHSA's shift away from harm reduction cost the Kentucky Harm Reduction Coalition a $400,000 grant and cut off…By Nick Fulton · Oct 2, 2026
Eastern Kentucky
Mountain towns, river towns and the queer folks state media keeps forgetting.
- Lexington Herald-Leader Layoffs Put Kentucky Local News at RiskMcClatchy's latest round of layoffs cut the Lexington Herald-Leader's newsroom by 52 percent, eliminating entire beats and raising…By Alejandra O'Connell-Domenech · Sep 18, 2026
- From Appalachia to Western Kentucky, Drag Artists Are Building Queer Community Across the CommonwealthFrom eastern Kentucky's Appalachian hills to the bars of Louisville and the small-town pride festivals of the Bluegrass,…By Jules Crawley · Sep 11, 2026
- Lavender to Watermelons: Safe Signaling in KentuckyFrom 1980s hankie codes to today's watermelon stickers, queer Kentuckians have long relied on safe signaling to find…By Antheia Deaton · Jul 30, 2026
Western Kentucky
Paducah, Murray, Mayfield, Henderson and the rest of the western Commonwealth.
- Lexington Herald-Leader Layoffs Put Kentucky Local News at RiskMcClatchy's latest round of layoffs cut the Lexington Herald-Leader's newsroom by 52 percent, eliminating entire beats and raising…By Alejandra O'Connell-Domenech · Sep 18, 2026
- Western Kentucky’s LGBTQ+ Crisis: The Most Harm, the Least ProtectionWestern Kentucky LGBTQ+ violence rates top the state average. Most of the region has no fairness ordinance and…By Sarah Wheatley · Sep 9, 2026
- No Doctor, No Test, Refused at the Door: What the Data Shows About LGBTQ+ Health Care in Western KentuckyNew data from the 2025 Queer Kentucky Community Health Survey paints a stark picture: more than half of…By Nick Fulton · Aug 26, 2026
Northern Kentucky
Covington, Newport, Boone County and the river cities across from Cincinnati.
- How Missy Spears’ Humor and Advocacy Evolved Into Powerful Local LeadershipThe National LGBTQ Task Force profiles Queer Kentucky executive director Missy Spears on satire as organizing, building a…By Amber D. Dodd · Oct 7, 2026
- Roebling Bridge protester arrested in court on felony riot chargeTaylor Marshall, the final protester still facing charges from the July 17, 2025 Roebling Bridge protest, was indicted…By Community News · Oct 5, 2026
- Boone County KY Pride Festival Returns During LGBTQ+ History MonthThe 3rd Annual Boone County KY Pride Festival runs noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 4 at Y'Alls…By Missy Spears · Sep 26, 2026
Central Kentucky
Lexington, Frankfort and the small towns of the Bluegrass.
- Kentucky Black Pride Turns 10 in the Park That Sheltered Queer LexingtonKentucky Black Pride marked its 10th anniversary with four days in Lexington, centered on the Woodland Park that…By CE Courtney Reynolds · Oct 10, 2026
- At Black Soil KY’s Farmacy Markets, Narcan Sits Beside the ProduceBlack Soil KY trained 30 Kentucky farms to be harm reduction first responders, then opened two Lexington “farmacy…By Nick Fulton · Oct 8, 2026
- Federal Cuts “Handcuffed” BIPOC Harm Reduction in Kentucky. Communities Are Stepping Up.SAMHSA's shift away from harm reduction cost the Kentucky Harm Reduction Coalition a $400,000 grant and cut off…By Nick Fulton · Oct 2, 2026
Appalachia
Queer life, art and survival in Kentucky’s Appalachian counties.
- From Appalachia to Western Kentucky, Drag Artists Are Building Queer Community Across the CommonwealthFrom eastern Kentucky's Appalachian hills to the bars of Louisville and the small-town pride festivals of the Bluegrass,…By Jules Crawley · Sep 11, 2026
- Appalachian Poet Samantha Ratcliffe Uses Words to Reclaim Queer Identity in KentuckyPikeville native Samantha Ratcliffe draws on her Appalachian roots, the punk scene, and the literary community to write…By Kelsey House · Jul 16, 2026
- Appalachian Poet Melissa Helton on Queerness, Rage, and Finding Home in KentuckyPoet Melissa Helton found her queerness, her voice, and her found home in Appalachia, and she's using all…By Kelsey House · Jul 1, 2026
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