Across Kentucky and Appalachia, advocates and organizations are working to make LGBTQ community members feel welcomed and seen.

That is especially true for organizations making a particular effort to celebrate the Black LGBTQ experience, through art, entertainment and advocacy.

Queer Kentucky has compiled a list of six groups across the region that are uplifting Black queer voices and fostering community for Appalachia’s Black LGBTQ residents.

Kentucky Black Pride Inc.

Based in Lexington,, Kentucky Black Pride brings both advocacy and entertainment to Kentucky’s Black queer community. In recent months, the group has participated in educational events on PrEP and sexual health, hosted a masquerade gala and brought community members together for a game night on World AIDS Day.

The organization’s flagship annual event is the Kentucky Black Pride Festival, scheduled this year from Sept. 11 to 14. The festival will feature documentary screenings, a meet and greet, food, entertainment and an evening gala.

This year, Kentucky Black Pride aims to raise $30,000, the organization announced in a January Facebook post. For more information, visit the Kentucky Black Pride Facebook page.

Pride Games

Pride Games brings recurring parties, festivals and nightlife events to Louisville’s Black LGBTQ community and beyond. The organization focuses on entertainment and sports events, while also hosting local performers

Each year, the organization also hosts Melanin Pride Weekend, a celebration of Kentucky’s Black LGBTQ community that features music, food, dancing and fun. Pride Games has also hosted open mic events, karaoke nights and card game tournaments in the past.

Learn more about Pride Games at the organization’s Facebook page.

Faulkner Morgan Archive

The Faulkner Morgan Archive is a collection of historic and cultural materials surrounding LGBTQ life in Kentucky across the last two decades. While the archive incorporates the history of Kentucky’s wider LGBTQ community, this month it is spotlighting Black queer voices with a special exhibit.

“Here, Black, Femme & Queer” is a traveling exhibition that has made strops around Kentucky, incorporating both archival and present-day images of Black queer life in Kentucky. Some of its materials were even collected through Facebook and social media.

To learn more about the exhibition, visit its webpage.

Bluegrass Black Pride

Lexington’s Bluegrass Black Pride is a nonprofit organization that aims to educate community members, advocate for Black LGBTQ residents and demand change.

In the past, Bluegrass Black Pride has hosted drag shows, co-presented panels on the trans experience in Kentucky and held legislative look-aheads on the future of LGBTQ rights in the state.

You can find more info about the organization on its Facebook page.

Louisville Pride Foundation

The Louisville Pride Foundation serves all members of the LGBTQ community, but says it is also equipped to support the specific needs of Black LGBTQ community members.

The group hosts Pride events and community gatherings, but also can help Black LGBTQ residents connect with identity-inclusive mental health resources and support groups.

To learn more, visit the Louisville Pride Foundation website.

West Virginia Black Pride Foundation

Although located beyond Kentucky’s borders in Charleston, W.Va., the West Virginia Black Pride Foundation is working to create spaces and resources for Black LGBTQ Appalachians inside the capital city and beyond.

In addition to hosting events like the West Virginia Black Pride Festival, this organization operates as a drop-in center, with zen rooms and bathroom facilities for community members in need. The foundation also simply serves as a space for community gatherings and conversations among Black LGBTQ West Virginians.

The West Virginia Black Pride Foundation is located at 1442 ½ 3rd Ave. in Charleston, W.Va. To learn more about the West Virginia Black Pride Foundation’s work and the resources they offer, visit the organization’s Facebook page.