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Louisville Pride Center and Dare to Care Partner to Launch First Secular Food Pantry for LGBTQIA+ Community

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Louisville Pride Center and Dare to Care Partner to Launch First Secular Food Pantry for LGBTQIA+ Community 

Louisville, KY, July 11, 2024 — The Louisville Pride Center, in collaboration with Dare to Care, is excited to announce the launch of a new, choice-centered food pantry, set to begin operations in mid-August 2024. This initiative will be the first and only secular food pantry in the area. While it is open to anyone in need, this partnership will ensure a location that is specifically designed to provide the services available through Dare to Care in a safe space for LGBTQIA+ individuals seeking affirming and dignified access to these services. 

The Louisville Pride Center’s food pantry will provide a welcoming and inclusive environment where individuals can comfortably access essential food resources. The choice-centered approach empowers clients to select items that meet their specific dietary needs and preferences, ensuring a more personalized and supportive experience. 

“Many people in our community have food insecurity,” said Sydni Hampton, Program Manager at the Louisville Pride Center, who is heading the program. “Unfortunately, stigma for being ‘in need’ or discomfort with getting food from religious institutions causes many to shirk the resource. I’ve been there, I get it. I’m an artist, and a drag queen at that, sometimes I experience food insecurity. There’s no shame in it. That’s something I hope to see change with the introduction of this as a resource.” 

Hampton continued, “It’s important that there’s a conversation around the stigma and dismantling it and understanding that you don’t have to be on the streets or starving to be food insecure. Food insecurity is irregular, incomplete or a total lack of access to food. It’s a term that’s inclusive of maybe eating once a day or having to scavenge for food, or eating regularly but not being able to access food that is healthy, or otherwise not being secure that you will have food when you need it.” 

The partnership with Dare to Care addresses a significant barrier many LGBTQIA+ individuals face when seeking assistance from food banks, which are often housed in religious institutions. “This partnership was a breath of fresh air,” Hampton added. “With so many LGBTQIA+ folks who don’t feel safe or comfortable in a church, it is natural that we provide that at the Louisville Pride Center. Now, you don’t have to worry about how you’re perceived or if you’ll be welcome.” 

The Louisville Pride Center offers several vital services to the community, including harm reduction supplies, vaccine clinics, social support groups and more. By providing a safe, inclusive, and respectful environment, the Center continues its mission to support and uplift the LGBTQIA+ community in Louisville. 

For more information, please contact: 

Sydni Hampton, Program Manager
Louisville Pride Center 
[email protected]

For more information as it becomes available, visit: LouPrideKY.org/FoodPantry
Want to get involved? Contact Sydni Hampton @ [email protected]

About Louisville Pride Center 

The Louisville Pride Center is dedicated to promoting the health and well-being of the LGBTQIA+ community through advocacy, education, and support. The Center offers a wide range of services and programs designed to meet the diverse needs of the community it serves. 

About Dare to Care 

Dare to Care is a nonprofit organization committed to ending hunger in the community through partnerships, innovative programs, and volunteer support. By collaborating with local organizations, Dare to Care ensures that food assistance is accessible to all who need it. 

For media inquiries, please contact [email protected] 

 

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The Louisville Pride Festival is THIS Saturday!

SATURDAY IS THE BIG DAY!

The 2022 LOUISVILLE PRIDE FESTIVAL is almost here! See the Courier Journal Guide to the Festival for information, or keep reading below for answers to frequently asked questions

https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/local/2022/09/12/complete-guide-to-louisville-pride-festival-2022/69485092007/

GIVE FOR GOOD LOUISVILLE

Thursday, September 15 is Give for Good Louisville, our area’s most generous day of giving, hosted annually by the Community Foundation of Louisville. Please consider making a donation to the Louisville Pride Foundation to support the new LGBTQ Community Center opening o October 11th!

You can make a donation or set up your own fundraiser here: https://www.giveforgoodlouisville.org/organizations/louisville-pride-foundation

2022 LOUISVILLE PRIDE FESTIVAL

The Louisville Pride Festival takes place on Sept. 17 from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Bardstown Road in the Highlands between Grinstead Drive and Longest Avenue.

The Festival is free to attend, and donations are encouraged to support the new Louisville Pride Center, officially opening October 11.

The festival is presented by Ford and UAW and features 150 vendors, two stages, the GE Appliances Family Zone, the Norton Healthcare Wellness Zone, and the Derby City Gaming VIP Lounge.

Water, ATMs, and restrooms are available at the event.

There is no designated parking for the Festival. Please be respectful of neighbors when you park

To find out more, visit www.louprideky.org, find us on social media (@louprideky), call 502-498-4298 or email [email protected].

VIP PASSES

VIP Passes are available of for $75 and include access to the Derby City Gaming VIP Lounge, complimentary food and drink, and a Festival Survival Kit. Sales benefit the Community Center. You can purchase passes here: https://events.com/r/en_US/tickets/derby-city-gaming-vip-lounge-at-the-louisville-pride-festival-louisville-september-856727

VOLUNTEERS

We have 73 out of 100 volunteer spots filled! Thank you to everyone who has signed up! You will receive instructions by email. When you arrive, please check in at the LPF Booth, which will be at Patterson Avenue and Bardstown Road, right in front of Keith’s Hardware. If you want to sign up for a spot, you can do that here:   https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60b0544aca929a3fd0-louisville1

VENDORS

Vendor registration is closed and all 149 spots are full! If you are a registered vendor or sponsor, you should have received your information packet by now. If you did not, you can access it here: https://louprideky.org/2022-festival-information-for-vendors/

  

PERFORMANCES

(subject to change)

Hosted by Cadillac Seville, Dusty Ray Bottoms, and Gilda Wabbit

2:45 PM – VOICES of Kentuckiana

3:10 PM – B Dayton

3:55 PM – Mary Mary

4:45 PM – Rising Stars Drag Show

5:35 PM – Kiana & The Sun Kings

6:45 PM – The Sheryl Rouse Band

8:00 PM – Local Legends Drag Show

9:15 PM – Pepper Mashay

10:00 PM – DJ Sam Gee

Community Stage Schedule

(Subject to Change)

Hosted by Nicole Jackson Valentino

11:00AM – Fitness with Chris Malone

11:30AM – Dance with Joshua Gaona

12:00PM- Faith Works Studios

12:30PM – Malone Dance + Dancensation Studios

1:00PM – Community Drag Games

1:30PM – Larah Helayne

2:00PM – Redline Performing Arts

2:30PM -Pride Bar Drag Show

3:00PM – Community Drag Show

4:00PM – Pandora Productions

4:30PM – Community Drag Show

5:00PM – Mind’s Eye Theatre Company

5:30PM – Community Drag Show

6:30PM- Drag Daddy Productions

7:00PM- Nicole Valentino’s Drag Extravaganza

8:00PM- Time Slip Theatre

8:30PM- The Chicken Coop Theatre Company

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Name Change Clinic

This Pride month, we are hosting the Lou Name Clinic to assist folks with obtaining a legal name change. We are offering free legal support from caring volunteers to assist Kentucky residents with filing legal name change petitions. At the clinic, we will have volunteer attorneys, paralegals, notaries, and law students onsite for consultations and to assist with completing the necessary forms. Volunteer attorneys will file the petitions and represent clinic clients at any necessary court proceedings on their petition. If you, or someone you know, is in need of legal name change assistance, please scan the QR code below and complete the linked survey.

 

 

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Sweet Evening Breeze Monthly Programming Calendar

Sweet Evening Breeze, Inc. is an organization in Louisville that offers drop-in services and programs to LGBTQ+ youth ages 18-24 years old experiencing homelessness.

Check out the attached flyer for additional details on the recurring services offered this month. And sign-up to join one of their programs.

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Kentucky LGBTQ Historic Context Narrative

The Kentucky lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) heritage context provides a broad historical overview of LGBTQ people and history in Kentucky and offers guidance in identifying historic sites and sources.

The report includes a discussion about the role of race, religion, rurality/regionalism, and privacy in studying LGBTQ history. It provides a slice of Kentucky’s rich LGBTQ history, looking at several specific people, places, and events as part of the larger story. It spans the years from the pre-contact era through colonization and into the late twentieth century, focusing on the years after World War II.

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Spalding’s CBH Offers Affirming and Accessible Mental Healthcare

One of the hardest parts of living as a queer person in a red state is finding affirming, knowledgeable healthcare providers. The Center for Behavioral Health (CBH) is a training clinic within Spalding University’s Professional School of Psychology that offers accessible, LGBTQ+ affirming mental healthcare. CBH clinicians are doctoral-level clinical psychology students, who are directly supervised by licensed psychologists. As a doctoral training clinic, CBH offers evidence based treatment using the most current research available.

“Two of the core values of CBH are Inclusivity and Cultural Humility… We strive to ensure our LGBTQ+ community knows that we are here to support and affirm them,” stated Dr. Norah Chapman, licensed psychologist and CBH Director. She later added, “Our doctoral practicum student clinicians [diligently prepare], ask questions, advocate for marginalized groups both personally and professionally, and consume research above and beyond what is needed to well support their clients… They embody our mission, to work with underserved individuals with compassionate, affordable, and accessible care.”

CBH opened in 2015 and provides psychotherapy to children, adolescents, and adults. Services available include individual, group, couple, and family therapy, as well as psychological testing. CBH clinicians are trained to support clients experiencing a wide range of mental health concerns. Their Collective Care Center offers specialized services addressing racial trauma, and their ROWEN Specialty Clinic supports individuals experiencing pregnancy loss, infertility, and perinatal/postpartum anxiety and depression. 

CBH is open Tuesdays through Thursdays 10AM-7PM and Fridays 9AM-6PM. Appointments are currently available over telehealth. They expect to resume in-person services in August 2021, while maintaining telehealth availability. The clinic is located on Spalding University’s campus, which is on the TARC bus line. CBH does not accept insurance, but works with clients to find a sliding scale fee that is affordable and sustainable. 

If you’re interested in scheduling an appointment at CBH, call 502-792-7011 or email [email protected]. For more information, visit their website at https://behavioralhealth.spalding.edu/. 

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LGBTQ+ Retirement Planning

David Rae has an article about retirement planning for LGBTQ+ people in Forbes. According to Rae, “More than 3 million LGBT Americans are currently over age 50, and that number is estimated to more than double over the next decade as baby boomers ride in on a rainbow-hued silver wave… There is a retirement planning crisis across the spectrum in America, but many in the LGBTQ+ community are especially at risk of not being able to maintain their standard of living in retirement. Homophobia can hurt the quality of your retirement, whether your net worth is tens of millions of dollars or close to zero.”

Man with no money showing empty wallet

Despite the old stereotype of gay affluence, “When you break it down, heterosexual individuals make more, on average, than LGBT Americans for equal work. This will also mean it is harder for LGBT individuals to participate in wealth-building activities, like properly funding retirement accounts, buying homes, and investing for the future. It may also take longer for LGBT people to pay off student loans. Not to mention, many LGBT students take on more debt after receiving less support from their families after coming out.”

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Republic Bank Launches True Name Initiative

Republic Bank just made it a lot easier for transgender, non-binary, and gender nonconforming propel to have their true name on their debit card! According to their press release, “You can proudly display your chosen name and present your true identity with the Republic Bank Mastercard Debit Card with the True Name feature on personal and business checking accounts. Because whether you are buying groceries or out with friends, you should always be accepted for who you truly are. Republic Bank is one of only three banks currently offering a Mastercard debit card with True Name, and the first community bank to launch this feature.”

The Louisville Pride Festival is proud to have Republic Banik as a sponsor! Find out more about True Name.

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How to change gender on a driver’s license

Brown and white short coated dog wearing sunglasses inside car

The folks over at Bankrate have put together a comprehensive list of the state laws and guidelines on how to change gender on a driver’s license. They verified the information with local groups, including Fauver Law Office of Louisville and the TransKentucky advocacy group.

Below is the current process for Kentucky and Indiana, but information is always subject to change! You can see the full, up-to-date list here: https://www.bankrate.com/insurance/car/changing-gender-on-license/

Kentucky

Applicants must submit one of the following documents:

1. An updated birth certificate showing their correct gender.
2. A court order of gender change.
3. A 10-year passport showing the correct gender.
4. A letter from a surgeon stating that gender reassignment surgery has been completed.

Indiana

Applicants must submit their birth certificate showing a change of gender or a form signed by a physician certifying that the applicant successfully underwent all treatment necessary to change gender permanently.

View all states