Queer Kentucky, a Louisville-based nonprofit, is organizing the Bourbon & Belonging festival. Events are taking place in northern Kentucky, Louisville, Lexington, Frankfort, Winchester, Bardstown, Bullitt County and Paducah from Oct. 2 through Oct. 6.
Executive director Missy Spears spoke with WKMS Assistant News Director Hannah Saad about how the nonprofit is celebrating Kentucky’s bourbon heritage and the Commonwealth’s LGBTQ+ community.
Hannah Saad: How did the idea of Bourbon & Belonging come together?
Missy Spears: It came together a little over a year and a half ago. I feel like post-COVID, a lot of states were having conversations around tourism and how do you get folks to come back into the state? This was kind of a great opportunity for Kentucky to host not only an inclusive event, but an event that kind of rewrites the narrative on Kentucky at the national level. Typically, when the news talks about us outside of our own state, you know, it's negative or political, or just all about Mitch McConnell. So this was just a great opportunity to do something really positive that was open for everyone.
HS: This is the first LGBTQ+ inclusive bourbon festival in the United States, right?
MS: Yeah. I couldn't even find one around the world. So it's possible that this is just the first one ever.
HS: What does that mean for your organization, Queer Kentucky, to host that and put everything together?
MS: It's been huge for our organization. Number one, it's been incredible to work with Kentucky tourism, as well as the eight different tourism bureaus around the state, to put this together. And we've been really lucky to work with an international hospitality group HospitableMe that's been kind of like showing us the way on tourism. [Queer Kentucky’s] normal thing is, we tell stories. Our organization uplifts the stories of queer folks from all parts of the state. So it's just been really great to actually get into those different eight areas of the state that Bourbon & Belonging is going to be in and meet even more folks that are behind the scenes working.
HS: When some people think of bourbon and the bourbon industry, it's typically associated as a masculine drink – something that people's dads or their grandfathers may have. But the bourbon industry in general has seen an explosion in popularity over the last 15 years or so. How does that rise in popularity work with bringing in new audiences and making other people feel like they belong in this bourbon world?
MS: I think we're kind of lucky that bourbon has exploded because money talks, you know, and queer people have huge buying power, and we have definitely stepped into the bourbon space. Women are another group. You know, there are tons of women in bourbon groups all over our state and all over the country. There are groups for BIPOC members that drink bourbon, veterans that drink bourbon, there are all sorts of different groups. I think that we're just kind of playing into that and just showing, “Hey, we're just like one, one of 1000 different audiences and communities that enjoy Kentucky bourbon, and this is how we like to celebrate it, and we're going to do it over the course of a week and like, please join us.”
HS: And in some parts, Kentucky's identity is really tied in with bourbon. How does that identity then expand into Kentucky including people of the LGBTQ+ community, and making sure they feel included with one of Kentucky's biggest identifiers?
MS: I mean, you're absolutely right about that. Bourbon and horses, I like to say they're the favorite children of Kentucky. And, you know, queer kids in Kentucky grew up with bourbon. typically bourbon in your house, bourbon at family events, bourbon at all the different holidays that you'd go to as a kid growing up in Kentucky. So it's just something that we grow up with, and as we get older, we want to find ways that we see ourselves reflected in it. So that was a big reason why we did this event, and a big motivator, just to kind of show that, not only did we grow up with bourbon, or, you know, is bourbon a part of our lives, but there's so many queer people that work in bourbon as well and that are helping to move the industry forward.
HS: You mentioned that other queer folks are getting involved with the bourbon industry. What steps are there to keep going? Where do you see bourbon and including more voices [in the industry] going in the next few years?
MS: There's so much to do. You know, every time we take a few steps forward, we take a step back in some way. And the bourbon industry is just growing so quickly. There's so many different ways to get involved. What I'm hoping to see in the next few years is just more representation, just more acknowledgement that the people buying the bourbon don't all look the same way. You know, they don't all sound the same way. So I would love to see more things I know. I know Old Forrester was just recently in the news for some unfortunate DEI updates. But they also have been amazing at representation. Like their master taster is an out lesbian. Their assistant distiller is a gay man. They send them all over the country to events to represent the brand, and I would just love to see that replicated more and more throughout the industry.
HS: What else are you hoping that Bourbon & Belonging will accomplish, not only for the LGBTQ+ community, but for Kentucky and bourbon fans beyond the borders?
MS: Well, I hope it brings folks into Kentucky from outside of Kentucky. You know, like I said earlier, we kind of have a negative national image, but there's so much beauty in the state. I can't wait to show it to people. I'm also excited for our allies. I still can't believe how many businesses and distilleries that are straight-owned jumped in to be a part of this. And I think it's incredible anytime that they can open their doors to welcome in a community that is unlike maybe the one that they're a part of for the majority of their day. I think that's just a great learning experience for them and their staff. It helps normal encounters going forward with people.
More information and a calendar of events can be found on Bourbon & Belonging’s website.
Copyright 2024 WKMS
