This article was created in partnership with Bourbon and Belonging, Kentucky’s Queer Bourbon Week
Living in Covington, Kentucky, Missy Spears, the Executive Director of Queer Kentucky, says she feels like she belongs. She attributes this to the city being one of the first in the Bluegrass State to pave the way for gay rights with a 2003 fairness ordinance, prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
However, she tells So.Gay her sense of freedom is fragile in the conservative state. ‘[In Covington], I can walk around looking like myself, acting like myself, but I know if I go two miles south, I don’t feel that way.”
The privilege of living in a welcoming place, combined with her drive to spread acceptance and unite queer communities across Kentucky, fuels Spears as she leads the nonprofit magazine in hosting Bourbon & Belonging: Kentucky’s Queer Bourbon Week, the first LGBTQ+ inclusive bourbon festival in the country.
The bourbon-infused spectacle will take place October 2-6, 2024 with 8 different cities and regions signed on.
Bourbon is an obvious theme in Kentucky, a land that produced 2.2 million barrels of it in 2022. The cherished elixir was responsible for 2.5 million visitor experiences in 2023.
The distillery world can often feel like a cis straight boy club, but Spears says bourbon flows through the heart of all communities in Kentucky, with queer people present both as consumers and professionals.
“We wanted to feature our biggest industry, but at the same time, we wanted to make it more inclusive,” says Spears.
All the events will take place in cities within a 90-minute drive of each other, so attendees are encouraged to turn it into a multi-day road trip. Queer Kentucky has ensured that there are events for everyone, at all price levels, including tastings, dinners, pool parties, concerts, and non-alcoholic beverages for sober folks.
“Belonging means, to me, feeling comfortable internally and being able to show up in a space as my authentic self,” says Spears. “And I feel like, in our community, that can be a really scary thing.”
Unfortunately, Spears says that the national narrative on Kentucky is not good—or reflective of all Kentuckians. “You know, anytime that we’re in the news, it’s like, Mitch McConnell or something political that’s horrible,” she says.
Bourbon and Belonging is not just meant to bring queer communities and allies together, but also to highlight the venues, tastemakers, and brands that are flipping the script on hate.
The participating cities are crafting their own identities and solidifying their solidarity with queer residents. Thanks to support from Kentucky Tourism, as well as their partners Kentucky Distillers’ Association, HospitableMe, and the tourism bureaus of Northern Kentucky, Louisville, Lexington, Frankfort, Winchester, Paducah, Bullitt County, and Bardstown.
Northern Kentucky
Championing the slogan, “Y’all means all” Northern Kentucky has manifested as a beacon for LGBTQ+ Pride for locals and visitors alike. The region has gradually distinguished itself as a refuge from the prejudice that is often too palpable in other parts of the state.
Northern Kentucky will host an array of events during Bourbon and Belonging, with standouts including the “Bourbon and Belonging Kick Off Party” on October 2nd, an “Arts & Crafts: A Creative Cocktail Experience” at Hotel Covington on October 3rd, and “Gays and Dolls: A Prohibition Party” on October 4th.
Lexington
As Kentucky’s second-largest city, Lexington is a young and progressive area, making it the perfect stage for queer fun. Lexington is home to The Bar Complex, one of the oldest and largest gay bars in the country. The city earned a perfect equality score from the Human Rights Campaign.
Mark your calendars to make bourbon gay again with a medley of happenings, including “Bites of the Bluegrass: Bourbon and Belonging Food & History Tour” on October 4th, “Lex Lez Night: Sapphic Soirée” on October 5th, and “Bespoken Spirits + Old North Bar Drag Brunch” on October 6th.
Louisville
Louisville, the most famous face of Kentucky, sets the standard for LGBTQ+ acceptance and is the founding home of Queer Kentucky. Perhaps best known for the Kentucky Derby, it’s now also helping shelter America’s first queer bourbon festival.
Get ready for nonstop excitement, with highly anticipated events such as the “Bourbon and Belonging Kickoff Reception” on October 2nd, “Old Forester x Bourbon & Belonging Maturation Master Class” on October 3rd, “Welcome to Bourbon City Complimentary Bourbon Tastings” on October 4th, and “Dive, Dine & Drag Brunch and Pool Party at the Myriad Swim Club” on October 6th.
Bardstown, Paducah, & more
Did you think queer joy stops here? Think again! Bardstown, Paducah, Shelbyville, Loretto, and other Kentucky small towns are celebrating bourbon and queerness, uniting all the letters in LGBTQ+ for what promises to be a week to remember.
