LGBTQ pride

Despite the current rise in anti-LGBTQ legislation across the nation and in Kentucky, some LGBTQ+ people and their allies are still putting together events celebrating queer culture and demonstrating the importance of solidarity and community.

A new nonprofit recently formed in Paducah plans to offer year-round community resources for LGBTQIA+ individuals, including connecting individuals with community resources, providing information on welcoming local service providers and educational opportunities.

People across western Kentucky and northwestern Tennessee are coming together to support the LGBTQ+ community with a month of pride events.

Legislation known as the Flag Bill has passed the House and has made it to the last stop in the Senate, but it may never get a vote.

Murray Pride is hosting a three-day festival this weekend celebrating inclusion, acceptance and community in far western Kentucky.

Questions remain over how a law designed to limit drag shows in Tennessee will be enforced after a federal judge declared it unconstitutional while saying the decision only applied to the state’s most populated county. Last week, U.S. District Judge Thomas Parker ruled that the first-in-the-nation law was “unconstitutionally vague and substantially overbroad,” and encouraged “discriminatory enforcement.” Yet questions have remained about how prosecutors will respond. Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti said in a statement that the law remains in effect outside of Shelby County. However, Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy told reporters Tuesday that district attorneys likely won’t enforce a law that a federal judge says violates the First Amendment.

Late Friday, a federal judge overturned a new Tennessee law prohibiting drag performances in public spaces, ruling it unconstitutional.

Senate Bill 3 has been called a drag ban, but drag isn’t mentioned anywhere in the law itself. As written, it prohibits “adult cabaret” and refers to drag performers as “male or female impersonators.” The restrictions were set to go into effect April 1.

Threats of violence led the organizer of an all-ages drag show this weekend in eastern Kentucky to cancel. The goal was to raise funds for a clothing bank that would serve transgender youth.

Murray Pride, LLC – founded in April – is planning a slew of family friendly and adults-only activities over the next three days. A western Kentucky LGBTQIA+ group is hosting its first Pride festivities in Murray this weekend.