Richmond Pride celebrated its fifth annual celebration last weekend complete with vendors, politicians, advocates, drag queens, and of course, protesters. The yearly event began in 2019 as a small gathering at Dreaming Creek Brewery, a local craft brewery. Within a few years, Pride expanded to Irvine McDowell Park, and this year, to a huge section of East Water Street. 

Anthony Looney, a democratic candidate for the 81st Kentucky House District, was out spreading his message at the festival. As a nurse practitioner, his main platform is providing equitable healthcare to Kentuckians. In the current political environment, Kentucky has  a vast majority of Republican representatives in the House. 

Attendees at Richmond Pride. Photo by Jules Crawley.

“To be honest with you, we’re going to be on defense. We’re going to be up there telling our constituents how those Republican Bills are going to hurt our constituents in our districts,” Looney said.

Political issues are important to be educated on for the LGBTQ+ community, as these policies affect the everyday lives of queer individuals. Healthcare continues to be a priority when discussing these policies, due to issues like HIV and drug crises within the queer community.  Many educational booths and providers of healthcare stood proud at this year’s festivities. 

The White House Clinics Organization was present, providing informational materials on HIV care, harm reduction, and free materials for safer sex such as condoms and lube. Several stations from other providers, such as Planned Parenthood and All Access EKY, were offering free birth control, as well as harm reduction materials like Narcan and Fentanyl test strips, which save lives every day. 

Among the Richmond Pride crowd, the diverse collection of experiences that make up queer culture, ranging from Appalachian rural stories to drag performances, couldn’t be ignored.

One vendor, selling jewelry and copies of her own book, Katherine Hale Stringfield, who grew up in a shotgun holler in Appalachia, said she was raised on superstition, playing in the graveyards, and evening ghost stories. She wrote her own book, “The Mary Luck Tales: Witch’s Curse“, where she discusses a true event from her adolescence, and stories she heard growing up.

Katherine Hale Stringfield holding her book, “The Mary Luck Tales: Witch’s Curse.” Photo by Jules Crawley.

“I played in the mountains my whole life…as a woman from Eastern Kentucky, my options growing up were to graduate high school, get married, and have babies,” she said. “Now, I’ve written my own book.” 

Stringfield’s life as an Appalachian woman eventually led to her success, and her ability to share Appalachian experiences with others. As we were discussing the events she’s undergone, she told me, “I love being from there, I wouldn’t want to have grown up anywhere else,” she said. 

In Kentucky, rural identities are core to the formation of the culture, but are rarely spoken of, particularly for queer individuals. This aspect of Kentucky life is worth exploring, and discussing with each other on a broader scale. 

On the other hand, a widely-discussed subject in queer history was present as well. There was not only one, but two drag shows at Richmond Pride. These were transformative events, as festival-goers were entranced by the routines and messages from the present drag queens and kings. 

While there was so much joy in the atmosphere, a few protesters were at the scene, as to be expected. While they chanted and shouted anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric, festival-goers stood in front of them, holding a tarp in front of the signs together, and playing music popular within the queer community over their voices. Many people danced and sang in front of the protesters, including drag queens and kids with happiness and freedom clear in their expressions. 

Queer people never fail to come together and carry one another through adversity. These celebrations of LGBTQ+ pride, particularly in rural areas like Richmond, are so important. They bring people together, and remind everyone that there is always community nearby, and it is ready to uphold the values of pride, and prepared to generate societal change for the queer community.