GE Appliances employees march in the 2022 Kentuckiana Pride Festival Parade.
The list of local Pride events is expanding this month, but the need for advocacy continues.
Written by Ben Gierhart | Photos by Kylene White
“Pride is the antidote to shame and fear.” “Pride means showing up as my true self and honoring the brave ones who fought and continue to fight so that I feel safe to be me.” “Loving yourself fully, sharing this love with others while fostering stronger communities.” “To me, Pride is an interesting clash of earnest celebration and soulless corporate posturing.” “It’s nice to have a month dedicated to celebrating everything we add to the world, and everything we’ve survived.”
These opinions come from an array of individuals: trans and cisgender women, queer Black women, and nonbinary femme folx. Louisville’s queer population is as diverse and vibrant as the colors in the rainbow, and our area’s Pride organizations strive to reflect that in how they serve our community.
“Pride is the importance in being seen and heard, respected, and understood. I walk tall, believe in myself, all aspects of who I am, and try to act as a representative of my communities,” says Thomas White, a member of the Kentuckiana Pride Foundation who serves on its communications committee. Louisville held its first Kentuckiana Pride Festival in 2001, and for over 20 years, KPF has endeavored to instill each of the feelings White values within queer people in Louisville and beyond.
In 2015, Louisville saw the inaugural festival from a second organization: the Louisville Pride Foundation. While KPF is held in June, LPF is typically held in September, making Louisville fortunate enough to host two distinct Pride festivals in a given year. Since the acute rise in awareness of racial and social issues in 2020, both LPF and KPF are fanning the fire that inspired their creation in the first place.
“Pride is the importance in being seen and heard, respected, and understood. I walk tall, believe in myself, all aspects of who I am, and try to act as a representative of my communities,” — Thomas White
For KPF that means dedicating themselves to a “mission to educate, inform, and create safe spaces for all persons.” “We also value feedback, ideas, and other ways to improve on these efforts,” says White. “LGBTQ groups struggle with the same issues as everyone else, including sexism [and racism],” agrees Louisville Pride Foundation Executive Director Mike Slaton. “We’ve worked hard to build anti-racism and feminism into everything we do, from the Board of Directors on down.”
Indeed, feedback and action in response to that feedback is what’s required. “There are no constant spaces [in Kentucky] specifically dedicated to queer women, to queer femmes, or to nonbinary people. I would personally love to see events or spaces created in conjunction with Pride celebrations to help establish more places for those communities to come together,” says Clarity Hagan (she/they), a queer and nonbinary femme Louisville theater artist.
“I’m a Black, gay woman, so any space that feels welcoming to me is going to be strong in its commitment to anti-racism , and its leadership and community connections would reflect that,” says Jonese Franklin (she/her), a local media content director. Victoria Syimone Taylor (she/her), a trans woman of color — and prominent Louisville DJ and entertainer — calls on that leadership to do more: “Sit down and hear the needs of these marginalized and traumatized individuals. We are currently witnessing so many health issues with the current legislation and people don’t have a way to process these traumas. Understand that changes come when we can see similarities and connections to each other. I believe Louisville has the resources to achieve this.”
The road to change is often filled with resistance, and any devotee to inclusion should be prepared for it. “Do you have a clear process for reporting harassment and discrimination, and are you transparent about what happens next?” asks Laura Ellis, (she/her), Louisville podcast producer, sound designer, and musician.
As Slaton at LPF puts it, change “doesn’t happen by accident.” In a time when so much within the state and country seems poised to take us down, Louisville can be a beacon of hope thanks to these organizations, ones that are already displaying and will also improve upon their patience to listen and power to act.
For more information about local Pride events, go to KYpride.com.
