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Louisville Pride Festival returns for 2021!

The Festival will be September 18

 

The Festival will be September 18
The Sixth Louisville Pride Festival will be September 18, 2021

The Louisville Pride Festival will be returning for its sixth year on Saturday, September 18. The Festival was held every year from 2015-2019. In 2020, the Foundation launched a Digital Pride initiative to deliver virtual programming and organized a Day of Service when the Festival could not be held, due to COVID-19.

The Louisville Pride Festival is an annual street fair and concert that is held on Bardstown Road, in Louisville’s Highlands neighborhood, and features food and drink, over 100 vendors, national entertainers and local performers, a Wellness Zone, and a Family Area. Approximately 20,000 people attended the event in 2019. The event is a celebration of the LGBTQ+ community and is open to everyone.

The Festival is organized and produced by the Louisville Pride Foundation, the 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization working to open an LGBTQ+ Community Center. “Moving the Center project forward has been challenging during COVID, but we are currently negotiating a lease on a great location. We hope to cut the ribbon by the time the Festival is here,” said Mike Slaton, executive director of the Louisville Pride Foundation.

“We are grateful to our donors, volunteers, and sponsors for sticking with us, especially Ford and UAW, who have been our presenting sponsors every year,” Slaton said. The Foundation received support from My Financing USA, the Gheens Foundation, Ford Motor Company, the United Auto Workers, US Bank, Norton Healthcare, GE, Republic Bank, Tito’s Vodka, Rounsavall Title Group, Caperton Realty, and JustFund KY.

Established in 2014, the Louisville Pride Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that promotes Louisville as one community that celebrates diversity, fosters inclusion for all, and embraces the LGBTQ+ community. The foundation seeks to promote this unity between LGBTQ+ people and straight allies by engaging in a conversation with the broader community about what makes us one while celebrating what makes us different.

 

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Web Updates: Pardon our dust!

We are currently conducting maintenance on our website, so some news articles, membership data, directory listings, and event data may be temporarily inaccessible. We hope to be completed and have everything back up shortly!

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Mental Health Resources and Opportunities

A  roundup of local resources and opportunities related to queer mental health.

Gender Journey Teen Therapy Group at Mandala House

This online therapy group offers support and skill building for teens (ages 14-19) who are transgender, nonbinary, gender expansive, or questioning their gender. Topics covered include assertive communication, self-advocacy, coping skills, peer and family relationships, and accessing gender affirming healthcare. Much of group’s content comes from The Gender Quest Workbook, and individuals joining the group are encouraged to have access to their own copy.

The group meets virtually on Wednesdays at 4 PM and is led by Ariel Brooks, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker at Mandala House. For more information, contact [email protected] or call Mandala House at 502-309-2408.

 

IDEA Study: Free Program for LGBTQ People with Memory Loss

Are you an LGBTQ+ person experiencing or caring for someone with dementia? This program may offer resources for you. Aging with Pride: IDEA (Innovations in Dementia Empowerment and Action) is a study about the quality of life for LGBTQ+ people who experience memory loss or care for someone experiencing memory loss. The program offers 9 free coaching sessions for the person with memory loss and their caregiver. Coaching will focus on building skills around communication, problem solving, and using exercise as a coping tool. Participants will also participate in 5 interviews and be compensated with a total of $125 for their participation in the study.

For more information, visit https://ageidea.org/. You can also contact Amy Cunningham, MS, at [email protected].

 

LGBTQ+ affirming counselor job opening at Deer Park

Do you know an LGBTQ+ affirming counselor looking for a new work opportunity? Baptist Health Medical Group has an opening at their Deer Park location for a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) or licensed professional clinical counselor (LPCC). Interested applicants must be licensed, have the ability to provide clinical supervision, and have knowledge of cognitive and behavioral therapy concepts.

Click here for more information. You can also reach the practice manager, Nicholas Martin, at [email protected].

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Metro Savings Progeram

Louisville Metro Government offers a free savings program that connects you to a financial coach who can help you to achieve your goals. Not ready to save? Behind on bills? Stuck at step one? AcceLOUrate Savings can help! Contact a coach to work with you on your financial plan. Offices are at South Central Neighborhood Place, Bridges of Hope Neighborhood Place, and Ujima Neighborhood Place, but coaches can serve anyone. All appointments are virtual during COVID-19.

Learn more about Accelourate savings

 

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Metro Financial Navigators Can Help You Access Benefits

Do you need help managing your money or accessing public programs because of COVID-19?

Louisville Metro Government, in partnership with The Louisville Housing and Opportunities Micro-Enterprise Community Development Loan Fund (LHOME) has launched a no-cost Financial Navigator Program. You can receive assistance and guidance over the phone to help you manage the financial impact of COVID-19.

Trained Financial Navigators are available to help you manage financial issues, identify actions steps, and make referrals to other programs and services. To sign up for Financial Navigator assistance, go to https://finnav.org/lou or email [email protected]

What Does a Financial Navigator Do?

During your free 30-minute session, Navigators can help you address concerns including:

  • Prioritizing daily expenses like housing, utilities, and food
  • Maximizing income through accessing benefits, emergency cash assistance, and emergency loans
  • Managing debt including credit cards, student loans, and child support
  • Avoiding predatory scams
  • Budgeting for future loss of income

The Navigator will help you prioritize concerns and expenses and identify next steps. Please note—Financial Navigators do not provide financial assistance.

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Scientific American: Trans Girls Belong in Girls Sports 

Scientific American debunks the argument that trans girls should not be allowed to play on girls teams. From the article: “There is no epidemic of transgender girls dominating female sports. Attempts to force transgender girls to play on the boys’ teams are unconscionable attacks on already marginalized transgender children, and they don’t address a real problem. They’re unscientific, and they would cause serious mental health damage to both cisgender and transgender youth.”

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A violent society hurts everyone

There is too much hate and violence in America, and the Louisville Pride Foundation joins others in our community in honoring the victims of the Atlanta shooting.

Violence against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (often abbreviated as AAPI) has seen a massive increase during COVID-19.

Violence against women remains a major problem that society won’t fully recognize and address.

Violence against people who are (or who are perceived to be) sex workers is unacceptable and targets some of the most vulnerable people.

Violence against anyone is an LGBTQ+ issue, for two simple reasons. First, LGBTQ+ people come in all shapes and sizes, including AAPI, women, and sex workers. Secondly, if one minority group can be targeted, then all minority groups can be targeted.

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HUD accepting discrimination complaints

Parkar Stock on Scopio

The Department of Housing and Urban Development is now looking at complaints and inquiries from the last year to see if they warrant further investigation.  Anyone that experienced discrimination in housing in 2020 can still take action to have their cases heard.

Complaints can be filed here: https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/fair_housing_equal_opp/online-complaint or by calling 1-800-669-9777 or 1-800-877-8339.

Examples of what constitutes discrimination are:

  • Shelters refusing access because of gender identity or forcing someone to stay in a sex-segregated shelter that doesn’t align with their identity.
  • Rentals declining a rental application for any reason other than the prospective renter not meeting stated qualifications or lying about availability.
  • Harassment- asking for sexual favors in exchange for rent or a landlord creating a hostile environment through harassing comments on a tenant’s appearance.
  • Ads for housing that say things like “no same-sex couples” or marketing that is targeted to exclude certain communities.
  • The directive also protects people who experience discrimination on multiple bases, such as race, familial status, and sexual orientation.

Louisville residents can also contact the Human Relations Commission for help with discrimination complaints.

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“All Peoples” is an LGBTQ Welcoming Congregation with Online Resources

All Peoples is a Unitarian Universalist congregation  in Louisville, formerly known as Thomas Jefferson Unitarian Church. All Peoples describes itself as a “Welcoming Congregation,” meaning, “we affirm and include people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer at every level of congregational life—in worship, in program, and in social occasions—welcoming them as whole people.”

All Peoples talks about this commitment on their website, which includes upcoming events and a resource list.  In addition, the Unitarian Universalist church hosts an online gathering for trans and nonbinary people every month, called UPLIFT. Expansive definitions of trans, nonbinary, and UU all apply, so check it out if you are curious.