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Letter from the Publisher First of all, we want to thank each of you for the support and positive feedback to the launch of our first issue of Modern Louisville. Without your help, this magazine wouldn’t be as successful as it is, and we couldn’t be prouder to be sharing these stories with the community. Just like the one that preceded it, this issue is chock-full of arts and entertainment features, community leader profiles, galleries of the most exciting events and so much more.

I’m especially moved by our feature story, which chronicles the life of a transgender couple as they raise their two children. Bianca and Nick Bowser are such amazing people, and we are so thankful they told us their story and let us share it in the pages of our publication. They are truly Louisville’s modern family, and we commend them in all they do to help establish a new normal for the city and beyond.

We also talked to Louisville legend Sara Havens. Sara has been frequenting the Louisville nightlife scene for nearly a decade, bringing us reviews and lively stories that shed light on the best pubs and clubs in town. Her blog and longtime column, “The Bar Belle,” has once again been compiled into a collection of humorous and informative stories – “The Bar Belle Volume 2.” We were fortunate enough to be able to meet up with her and get to know the woman behind The Bar Belle persona, and, now, you’ll get to know her too.

It’s exciting to present two new columnists in this issue. Leah Halston, Play Dance Bar drag queen and emcee, is contributing to the issue, as is local entertainer and national celebrity Wil Heuser.

Leah hosted our launch party back in September, and we loved her humor so much that we wanted her to be a part of our Modern Louisville family. In her column, you’ll find beauty advice, tips and interviews with the best of the best in the world of drag. Meanwhile, Wil, who has such a knack for understanding people, provides us with his insightful character sketch column, this time on Modern Louisville’s own “Lipstick” columnist, Lori Kay Scott. Take a look at his hilarious video parody on TheWilShow.com.

And what an honor it is to be a part of

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CLAY COOK

telling another unique story: the story of history. The Kentucky LGBTQ history grant is the first funding ever to be issued to cover statewide LGBTQ historical archiving.

That means, across the state, local preservationist Marianne Zickuhr and Fairness Campaign Director Chris Hartman, along with a team of experts, will piece together the historical puzzle of the LGBTQ community in Kentucky. No one in the country is doing a project like this, and we’re proud to be a part of it.

But for right now, we’re here to help you sail through the holidays smoothly.

We’re bringing you a holiday gift guide, filled to the brim with some of the area’s

most unique gifts. No matter what your budget is or who you’re shopping for, there’s something in there for everyone, sure to bring plenty of smiles this holiday season.

We hope that you enjoy the second issue of Modern Louisville, and we look forward to sharing the third issue with you come the new year.

Happy Holiday Season!

MODERN LOUISVILLE ||| November • December 2015

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Tracy A. Blue Publisher Hollis Gargala Executive Assistant to the Publisher

Production Director

Style Editor Advertising Operations Director Staff Writer

Graphic Design

Lead Account Executive

Account Executive

Receptionist Distribution Sales Coordinator

Circulation Administrator

Columnists

Photographer

Contributing Editor

Contributors

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November • December 2015 ||| MODERN LOUISVILLE

Joanna Hite Shelton Lori Kommor Bridgette Borraga Remy Sisk Malissa Koebel Hannah Krill Chris Humphreys Laurie Pfeiffer Lennon Sarah Conti Katie Wendt Rocko Jerome John Aurelius Wil Heuser Lori Kay Scott Leah Halston A.J. Jones Antonio Pantoja Nicole Troxell Nicholas Moore Danny Alexander Crystal Ludwick Eli Keel Caroline Wilson

For advertising information or to order a subscription, call 502.897.8900 Modern Louisville™ is published bi-monthly by Blue Equity Publishing Louisville, LLC, P.O. Box 3222, Louisville, Ky. 40201.

Subscriptions $18 a year. Single copies $3.75.

Periodicals pending postage paid at Louisville, Ky. and additional mailing offices.

U.S. Postage Service ID: Louisville (ISSN 2380-3355) Email: editor@modernlouisville.com Website: www.modernlouisville.com POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Modern Louisville; 735 East Main Street; Louisville, Ky. 40202. ©2015 Modern Louisville™

entertainment

c h a ra c te r sk etc h

The Raconteur of the Nightlife page 10

Lori Kay Scott page 22

fe a tu re

Creating A New Normal page 26

lipstick

Don’t Be Like The Rest of Them, Darling page 48

table of contents NOVEMBER • DECEMBER 2015

t rail b l aze r

Haunts, Hollers & Coal Mines page 52

entertainment

Will The Real Taylor Swift Please Stand Up page 56

arts

special

Uncensored Expressionism page 60

Holiday Gift Guide page 66

c ultu re

c ultu re

c ultu re

Modern Louisville Launch Party page 74

Chocolate Fest page 76

Inaugural Louisville Pride Festival page 78

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enter t a i nm ent

Written by Remy Sisk

You’ve probably seen her at The Back Door.

Dressed casually in jeans and plaid, sipping an Old Forester Signature neat. The Bar Belle is a presence that over the last nine years has become the voice of the Louisville nightlife. Sara Havens, the woman behind this incorrigible persona, began writing her “Bar Belle” column for LEO Weekly in 2006 and is the first to tell you it was a longtime coming.

“I was pretty straight­laced growing up and through high school,”

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November • December 2015 ||| MODERN LOUISVILLE

e nte r tai n m e nt

Photography by Antonio Pantoja // Styled by Lori Kommor

MODERN LOUISVILLE ||| November • December 2015

ANTONIO PANTOJA

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enter t a i nm ent about your crazy weekends?’” So, in 2006, “The Bar Belle” was born. Infused with wit, charm and a dash of snark, Havens’ columns were published every other week and became a hit with the community.

She soon started receiving invitations to bourbon events and beer events. Bar owners would reach out and ask her to write a column at their place. She even started getting recognized while out, “which I thought was weird,” she laughs. Then, inspired by a colleague who self-published a collection of his columns, Havens released nearly all her material to ­date in 2011 as “The Bar Belle,” a book that included a foreword by Congressman John Yarmuth.

“Right away, Carmichael’s agreed to carry it, and I did a reading and signing there,” she recounts. “I held my launch party at The Back Door, and I remember being overwhelmed with how many people were there.” The column maintained popularity, but, despite her public success, Havens was let go by the LEO in August 2014.

She proceeded to take a month off to figure everything out and, with the help of friend April Corbin, set up the Bar Belle Blog. As LEO had allowed Havens to retain her Bar Belle name and all previous material, she was able

Havens recounts. “But once I got to college,

with a degree in magazine journalism, Havens

I discovered beer and no curfews.” Havens

got a job at LEO Weekly, and, on Thursdays, the

attended Ohio State University – which was

company had a tradition of going out to The

recently ranked the No. 1 party school in

Back Door for happy hour. This soon became

the country by Playboy – before moving to

Havens’ entrée into Louisville nightlife.

Louisville in 1999.

12

“I would come in every Monday and have

“When I moved here, I didn’t really know

all these crazy stories of what was happening

anybody, so I made friends by going out with

on the weekend,” she recalls. “Finally they

people on the bar scene,” she describes. Armed

were like, ‘Why don’t you write a column

November • December 2015 ||| MODERN LOUISVILLE

“I would come in every Monday and have all these crazy stories of what was going on that weekend. Finally they were like, ‘Why don’t you write a column about your crazy weekends?’”

e nte r tai n m e nt

to move all former columns onto her own blog.

Then, in September 2014, Havens took a job at Insider Louisville and, ever since, has published her column on that site whenever the inspiration so moves her. She’s 38 going on 22, which always presents the opportunity for interesting angles. “I kind of give people a glimpse into the nightlife scene,” she explains of her column. “A lot of people my age are married with children or have sort of let go of this scene, but I’m still here, reporting!”

And during that reporting, she’s able to become almost a different person. “I feel like the Bar Belle is a character because I’m kind of shy and soft­spoken, but when I’m writing my column, this other person comes out,” Havens relates. However character­driven the bulk of it may be, “The Bar Belle” does in a way chronicle Havens’ own development, particularly as a lesbian – an identity she didn’t assert until she was 30.

“In that first book, I might mention something like ‘I don’t sleep with frat boys,’ but I was just saying it as a joke,” she explains.

“And I didn’t really write a coming out column, but I did start mentioning it here and there.”

Although it was indeed a revelation that came later than many would expect, her sexuality wasn’t a truth that had been burdening her for the first quarter of her life.

“I didn’t not come out because it was a secret I was hiding. I just had no idea,” she describes.

“I knew I wasn’t into men, but I didn’t know there was another option, really. I didn’t know any lesbians, and, it’s kind of funny, I was watching ‘The L Word’ and was like ‘Oh...’”

Her sexuality now indeed plays into her column but is hardly the focus; she’s more interested in capturing the personality of the nightlife than pontificating on her own.

And people are still loving the Bar Belle. So much so that in early September of this year,

she released “The Bar Belle Volume 2,” now available at Carmichael’s, local Liquor Barns, Regalo, Craft Gallery, Amazon.com and on her blog, barbelleblog.com.

Always out and about on the town, Havens can usually be found at The Back Door or Big Bar, either working on a bourbon neat or, if she’s going for quantity over quality, a Miller Lite or Michelob Ultra with a sidecar of bourbon. Chances are she’s not­so­secretly absorbing observations that will find their way into her blog and maybe even her next book. Because as long as there’s bourbon to be poured, the Bar Belle has stories to write.

“There’s so much new stuff happening with the nightlife and bourbon, so there’s always going to be stuff to write about,” she says with a wink. “As long as people don’t think I’m too old.”

MODERN LOUISVILLE ||| November • December 2015

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November • December 2015 ||| MODERN LOUISVILLE

ar ts Written by Remy Sisk

I

f you’re engaged with the local theatre scene, you’ve probably seen a CenterStage show at the Jewish Community Center. Known for its astoundingly high production value, CenterStage tackles material that is often outside the bounds of smaller local companies.

This season alone, they’ve created monumentally successful productions of “The Who’s Tommy,” “9 to 5” and “Oliver!” Still to come is “Big Fish,” “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” and, finally, “The Rocky Horror Show” in repertory with the original “Patsy Cline: A Life in Concert.” If you know theatre, you know that this is a remarkably ambitious season and that it takes a dedicated and talented team of individuals to pull it off. But behind this team is just one man holding it all together: John Leffert.

Leffert is the artistic director of CenterStage and is involved in every aspect of the company. He directs every show of the season, frequently lends design expertise, works closely with development and can even be found working the box office on some show nights. The fact that Leffert is integral to every operation of such a high-profile theatre company isn’t really surprising given his lifetime passion for the craft.

Leffert was both a sports and theatre star in high school, performing in such classics as “West Side Story” and “Fiddler on the Roof.” He attended Western Kentucky University and received a degree in instrumental and vocal music before going on to teach Indiana public school for nine years. At both schools at which he taught, he developed rich theatre programs, and, in Jasper, Indiana, he even took a declining community theatre and completely revitalized it.

But then, he was fired from his teaching position for being gay. Leffert was 28 when he came out, and, upon doing so, heard from the principal that he had been let go. “I was voted Teacher of the Year, and the principal who fired me had to give me an award on my last day of school,” Leffert recounts. “It could’ve

been a big deal, but I just chose to come back to Louisville.” Indeed, students protested the school board and the local newspaper wanted to write a story about it, but Leffert wanted no part in the publicity. Privately, it was already painful enough.

“It was pretty devastating,” he recalls of the incident. “I’d spent my whole life knowing I was going to be a teacher, so to ever take a chance on that again was not something I was willing to do. And I was never willing to hide my personal life to continue in that system – or any system.”

And so, he returned to Louisville to pursue his longstanding passion for theatre. He enrolled in the University of Louisville’s graduate school and received his master’s in scenic and costume design.

After grad school, he worked around town as an actor and spent several years at Derby Dinner Playhouse, where he met many professionals with whom he still collaborates today.

Then, in 2000, he got the phone call that would align everything he’d been working toward thus far in his life. “I was at Churchill Downs one day and someone called me and said ‘There’s a job opening!’” he recounts. That position was the director for Jewish Community Center’s theatre program. “I quickly threw

Opposite and above: Leffert and his cast at a recent rehearsal for the company’s current show, “Oliver!”

“That’s always been my key emphasis: As long as we’re doing quality work, they will come. If they see it, they’ll continue to come.”

MODERN LOUISVILLE ||| November • December 2015

17

arts

“I like to keep the classics alive. They’re important to me; they are the reason I’m doing what I’m doing because I grew up on them. ‘The Sound of Music’ is the reason I love theatre.”

Leffert directing the children of the cast of “Oliver!”

together my resume and ran there for a job interview because they were making a decision that night. And they hired me.”

At the time, the JCC’s theatre had just changed its name from Heritage Theatre to CenterStage and was focusing on Jewish content or work by Jewish playwrights. As the director, Leffert was driven to make the season more robust and determined to produce high-quality theatre that would attract – and retain – audiences. “That’s always been my key emphasis: As long as we’re doing quality work, they will come. If they see it, they’ll continue to come,” he asserts.

With this goal in mind, he came out of the gate strong. Leffert points out that he was able to concentrate so steadfastly on CenterStage’s output because he was backed by a producing organization; he never had to worry about marketing, venue or ticketing because the JCC would take care of all that. Thus, he was able to focus solely on the theatre itself.

Within his first few years, he produced shows such as “The Secret Garden” and “Into the Woods,” both of which were on a bigger scale than anything CenterStage had seen before. Although it’s hard to imagine the company producing anything but a sold-out run of “Into the Woods” today, Leffert notes that the show, when he produced and directed it in 18

November • December 2015 ||| MODERN LOUISVILLE

COURTESY

The cast of CenterStage’s 2012 production of “RENT.”

Melissa Kenney Shepherd and Jeremy Moon in CenterStage’s 2012 production of “Next to Normal.”

COURTESY

ar ts 2003, was poorly attended.

But the slow build didn’t deter his commitment. The company finally saw a turning point in 2004 when it produced “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.” “It brought family and kids, and from there, we just took off,” Leffert remembers. The company capitalized on this success and began offering more family-friendly shows. In 2005, they produced “The Wizard of Oz,” the success of which solidified CenterStage as a key player for family theatre.

The audience only continued to grow and, with the 2012 production of “RENT,” soon began to include a younger demographic.

“When we did ‘RENT,’ we took on a new audience,” Leffert asserts. “The age of our audience changed. People who’d never been came.

And then, we started incorporating newer material.’”

CenterStage now programs a rich and diverse season that caters to those who were

MODERN LOUISVILLE ||| November • December 2015

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arts

NOW - NOVEMBER 8, 2015

CENTERSTAGE’S

20152016 SEASON

The company has closed “The Who’s Tommy” and “9 to 5,” but tickets are still available for the remainder of its current season.

Individual tickets are $20 in advance and are available online at centerstagejcc.org.

MARCH 31 - APRIL 10, 2016

How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying

Winner of the Tony Award for Best Musical and a Pulitzer Prize, “How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying” follows the rise of J. Pierrepont Finch, who uses a little handbook to climb the corporate ladder, tackling such familiar but potent dangers as the aggressively compliant “company man,” the office party, backstabbing co-workers, caffeine addiction and, of course, true love. With a brilliant score by Frank Loesser and a clever book by Abe Borrows, Jack Weinstock and Willie Gilbert, “How to Succeed” keeps winning audiences over generation after generation.

Book by Abe Burrows, Jack Weinstock and Willie Gilbert and music and lyrics by Frank Loesser. Based on “How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying” by Shepherd Mead.

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November • December 2015 ||| MODERN LOUISVILLE

Oliver!

Consider yourself at home as we present the musical theatre classic, “Oliver!” Experience the heartwarming musical tale of a young lad and his journey in search of the answer to the question, “Where is love?” This London journey follows him from the mistreatment of Bumble’s workhouse to Fagin’s harsh streets. Along the way, he meets a bevy of colorful characters, including the delightful Dodger, the roguish Fagin, the kind-hearted Nancy and the threatening Bill Sykes before finally finding his answer in a warm home with a loving family. Lionel Bart’s Tony Awardwinning lush musical adaptation of the Charles Dickens’ novel, “Oliver Twist,” will delight audiences young and old alike.

Music, Lyrics and Book by Lionel Bart.

Adapted from the novel “Oliver Twist” by Charles Dickens.

MAY 11 - 22, 2016

Patsy Cline: A Life In Concert

Back by popular demand, Melissa Kenney Shepherd returns to CenterStage for the third time in her much acclaimed one woman, foot-stomping tribute to country music legend, Patsy Cline. Joining Melissa on stage will be Mike Fryman, one of the best male honky tonk singers in the area. Using the same spunk, spirit and honesty that made Patsy’s fans love her, Shepherd connects with her audiences, making them feel special and creating a unique theatrical experience that cannot be matched. You add the vivacious Fryman to the mix, and this show is a guaranteed knee-slappin’ good time.

JANUARY 28 - FEBRUARY 14, 2016

Big Fish

Dream big as you experience a new smash hit musical that is richer, funnier and bigger than life itself! “Big Fish,” based on the celebrated novel

by Daniel Wallace and the acclaimed film directed by Tim Burton, tells the story of Edward Bloom, a traveling salesman who lives life to its fullest... and then some! Edward’s incredible, larger-than-life stories thrill everyone around him – most of all, his devoted wife Sandra. But their son, Will, about to have a child of his own, is determined to find the truth behind his father’s epic tales. Overflowing with heart and humor, “Big Fish” will remind you why you love going to theatre.

Music and lyrics by Tony nominee Andrew Lippa and a new book by esteemed screenwriter John August.

MAY 12 - 22, 2016

The Rocky Horror Show

A fast-paced potpourri of camp, sci-fi and rock ’n’ roll, among other things, “The Rocky Horror Show,” a musical horror parody based on the popular cult film — tracks the exploits of naïve couple Brad and Janet after they stumble upon the bizarre lair of Dr. Frank-N-Furter. Sing and dance along with us as your favorite characters spring to life in this live stage adaptation hailing straight form Broadway.

Special late night performances will add to the campy fun.

Music, lyrics and a book by Richard O’Brien.

ar ts the JCC is renovating, and one renovation that’s become a possibility is an arts space, complete with rehearsal facilities, a gallery and an all-new theatre.

But that’s only one possibility. Right now, CenterStage is focused on growing its education facet, which harkens back to Leffert’s beginnings as a teacher. He does look forward, though, to this coming summer, when CenterStage will perform outside the JCC for the first time as community partners with Kentucky Shakespeare. They’ll be presenting “West Side Story” in Central Park following Kentucky Shakespeare’s presentation of “Romeo and Juliet.”

Members of the cast of CenterStage’s 2015 production of “The Wizard of Oz.”

Leffert and his cast at a recent rehearsal for the company’s current show, “Oliver!”

wooed by “Joseph” and also to those who fell in love with the company via “RENT.” “You can’t do all of one thing because you’ll limit your audience,” Leffert describes. “For example, I like to keep the classics alive. They’re important to me; they are the reason I’m doing what I’m doing because I grew up on them. ‘The Sound of Music’ is the reason I love theatre.”

To balance the timeless classics with fresher material, Leffert goes to New York once a year to scout for newer material. On a recent trip, he saw such recent works as “Kinky Boots,” “Big Fish” and “Peter and the Starcatcher.” Though each piece touched him in a different way, one in particular spoke to him.

“I’ve always loved the film ‘Big Fish,’ and I’ve always loved the book. But the musical is just so beautiful,” he says of the show, which was based on the film by Tim Burton and the

novel by Daniel Wallace. “The root of my directing is always that you have to tell the story, and that’s what this piece is about!”

“Big Fish,” running January 28-February 14, 2016, at CenterStage is what Leffert calls his “passion piece” this season. Every year, one show is included in the season simply for its artistry. “They may not sell, but we commit to doing them,” he explains. “It might be a tough subject matter; it might be a way for us to partner with a nonprofit in the city.” Such passion pieces of recent years include “Next to Normal,” “Wit” and “Angels in America” – shows that feed the artistic craving of the actors and designers on a different level than the other shows.

Going forward, Leffert maintains that CenterStage has hit a ceiling of sorts, at least for now. The theatre currently holds 275 seats and regularly sells out performances. However,

“The root of my directing is always that you have to tell the story, and that’s what [‘Big Fish’] is about!”

COURTESY

Meanwhile, the main stage continues to offer professional-quality theatre at the community level. Leffert produces a musical for every taste during CenterStage’s season but advises theatre-goers to have an open mind.

Maybe one year, an audience member will revisit a piece he or she previously didn’t care for elsewhere and here, find it to have a whole new meaning. “Wherever you are in your life, a piece can mean something totally different now than it will a year from now,” Leffert maintains. So he will go forth doing everything he can – and that’s a lot – to offer the community excellent and engaging theatre that’s at once meaningful and a whole lot of fun.

MODERN LOUISVILLE ||| November • December 2015

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c h a ra c ter sketch

ChaRaCtER sKetCh Lori Kay Scott WritteN by wiL HeuSer • pHotOs by antonio Pantoja

I’ve often said that Louisville is America’s best kept secret.

This concrete statement doesn’t come from experiencing Louisville’s diverse culinary scene, eccentric nightlife or deep historical roots but rather from experiencing the people who occupy it. It’s the people who make the city. Louisville is a playground for the trailblazer, a watering hole for the diverse, a stepping stone for the dreamer. Whether one is born here or drawn here, Louisville seems to cultivate a population of the unique, a city of characters. To fully understand this River City phenomenon, one must look inside the dichotomy of its characters. What is the force behind the utensil that draws the sketch?

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November • December 2015 ||| MODERN LOUISVILLE

c h arac te r s ketc h

“I love my femininity and everything about being a woman. Over time I’ve learned that my sexuality doesn’t define my character. I have, and always have had, the ability to define myself on my own terms.”

- L O R I K AY S C O T T -

From a distance, she is the picture perfect image of classic beauty. As a devoted partner, mother, realtor and philanthropist, she takes on many roles with quiet ease. With her coiffed blonde hair and smartly tailored suits, Lori Kay Scott presents a firm reminder of tradition and elegance.

One might assume Scott’s iconic style comes from years of cotillions and high society hobnobbing, but don’t let her Revlon 740 red lips fool you. Behind those Chanel sunglasses is a woman of humble and honest beginnings. Raised in Jackson County, Indiana, Scott learned from an early age what true beauty looks like from her grandmother, Geneva. “I was never a girl the boys were after… or the girls,” Scott smirks. “My grandmother taught me true beauty was interior; it’s our actions that make us beautiful. But in order

for the world to see your inner beauty, sometimes you have to dress to show it.”

To show the world who she was, Scott took inspiration from silver screen legends like Katherine Hepburn and Grace Kelly. “These women reminded me of my grandmother; there was a sense of strength they embodied, yet they were elegant and refined.” Taking her grandmother’s influence, Scott began to create an iconic image that represented who she was on the inside. After graduating from Indiana University with a bachelor’s in English, she spent many years in New York City.

It was there that she truly found her identity.

“Growing up in Indiana, there were very few examples of what it was to be a woman, much less a lesbian. I didn’t fit, nor did I want to,” she tells. “In New York, I was introduced to a new world of options I didn’t think existed. I could be the girl and still get the girl.”

Her time on the East Coast allowed Scott to re-define the stereotype of homosexuality.

“For a time, I felt there was this expectation for lesbians to wear sports bras and basketball shorts. If that’s truly your style, that’s fine. But I hate sports bras, and you’ll never catch me wearing any kind of shorts. Not even crop pants. I strongly feel crop pants were made by the devil, ” she laughs. “I love my femininity and everything about being a woman. Over time, I’ve learned that my sexuality doesn’t define my character. I have, and always have had, the ability to define myself on my own terms.” A modern statement from a woman who holds tight onto her values and cherishes tradition.

Through the years, Scott has broken barriers while strategically keeping them up.

Rather than breaking out as an independent gay woman, she held strong to the family values instilled in her during her childhood. She

settled down in Louisville and started a family, raising three children with her partner of 20 years. “I love everything about being a mom. I remember sitting on the porch with my mother when I was young and telling her I was going to adopt my children, not knowing that I couldn’t have biological children. I already saw these kids; I knew they were going to be mine.” And it’s her children who Scott credits most for the makeup of her character.

“They have completed who I am. My children are strong and independent. It’s through them I find my strength and independence.”

That strength and independence can be misunderstood at times. The principles of inner and outer beauty Scott has lived her entire life have proven to be a hindrance as well.

“I feel people who don’t know me assume I am easy to take advantage of,” Scott states.

“My character is very much my protective shell. It’s a matter of defense. Too often, I have found myself attracted to beautiful people with the expectation that their exterior matches their interior, leaving me vulnerable to people with negative intentions.”

But alas, Lori Kay Scott is not deterred by the negative. In fact, she is more open than ever. With her intriguing and honest Modern Louisville column, “Lipstick,” Scott is once again redefining life’s expectations on her own terms, in her own style. Even still, Lori maintains the lessons learned from her past, “I don’t have to speak to have my voice heard.

There’s a lot one can say through style.”

To learn more about Lori Kay Scott visit TheWilShow.com.

Wil Heuser interviews Lori, as Lori, up close and personal in a hysterical video sketch.

MODERN LOUISVILLE ||| November • December 2015

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creating the

new normal Story by REMY SISK COVER & EDITORIAL:

Photography by ANTONIO PANTOJA

Creative by WIL HEUSER // Hair by JESSICA STACY // Make up by TRISTA HUGHES // Bianca’s Clothes provided by RODES

Bianca and Nick Bowser are just like any other family. Through the week, Nick, 28, goes to work and attends school to finish his bachelor’s degree. Bianca, 33, is a stay-athome mom who looks after the couple’s two adorable children, Kai, 4, and Pax, 2, during the week. On the weekends, Nick gets to spend some quality time with the kids, and Bianca works as a performer at Play Dance Bar. Yes, the couple is just like any other American family except for one thing: Bianca and Nick are both transgender; though they live as a woman and man respectively, Bianca is biologically a male and Nick a female.

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Bianca remembers spotting all the warning signs that she was different at a young age. She felt that she was in the wrong body, that she didn’t fit inside the stigma of what her gender “should” be.

She was raised in central Georgia and claims, “I grew up a little naïve to anything outside the ‘norm.’”

At a certain point in high school, when she was 16 or 17, she remembers participating in a womanless beauty pageant, where male participants would dress as females to stage a mockery of a traditional beauty pageant. She recalls relishing the experience and a teacher telling her soon after that she could make a living doing this, which first opened the door to drag performances.

At age 17, she came out as a gay male, but she knew that wasn’t quite all she was. After high school, she began to

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explore and soon became familiar with different and fluid identities. “Getting my feet wet in the LGBT community, I didn’t really know much more beyond the ‘L’ and the ‘G,’” she recounts. “I met a lot of different people, some of whom were transgender, and that’s kind of how I got my understanding of what transgender is.”

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he soon felt comfortable asserting herself as a trans woman and making a living as a drag performer at clubs. Though she was happy with who she was, the prospect of a long-term partner in life seemed unlikely, at least at the time. “As I started identifying as being transgender – and getting to know the people I was coming into contact with who were attracted to trans women – I did not think that I would possibly find someone who I could sit down and create a home and family with,” she admits. “Finding a husband was one of those chalices, holy grails” She didn’t have restrictions on her partner; he just had to be some form of a man. She originally was more inclined toward cis men – men living as and assigned male at birth – but she allowed her prospects to broaden as she matured through relationships. “Not every biological, genetic, cis man acts like this, but the ones that I encountered made me feel like I was never going to be with someone who was a genetic male,” she describes. “So it opened up my mind to being accepting of transgender men, genetic men, even butch lesbians. I’m more attracted to the masculine frame than I am to the gender.”

And so, when Bianca saw a cute guy sitting at the bar where she had just performed one night in Atlanta, his sex assigned at birth didn’t matter; she was interested.

She only had one condition her potential inamorato had to meet. “Whoever it was that I was to be with – regardless of their own personal journey – it was going to be someone who was able to accept me for me,” she asserts.

“And also because drag was such a big part of who I was back then, it had to be someone who was also able to tolerate the kinds of people that I come into contact with in the show business life.”

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he guy at the bar was named Nick, and he met all the necessary criteria. The two quickly fell in love, and before they knew it, were discussing the possibility of having a child together. At the time, Bianca had been saving money for a gender reassignment surgery, but having a family was something she was willing to put that on hold for.

The couple looked into the various forms of conception – from adoption to surrogacy and freezing sperm.

Getting my feet wet in the LGBT community, I didn’t really know much more beyond the ‘L’ and the ‘G.’ I met a lot of different people, some of whom were transgender, and that’s kind of how I got my understanding of what transgender is.”

“But everything just came out to being way too expensive,” Bianca remembers. “So Nick had the bright idea of, ‘Hey, what would you think about having children naturally?’ And I said, ‘Well, we have the parts, sure. I think I can hold off on my gender reassignment surgery so we can do this.’”

And so, after having been together for seven months, the couple was to have their first child. Nick, who lived as and looked like a man, was pregnant. Although raising a child and creating a family was something they both knew they sincerely desired, they didn’t know the full extent of what having the child naturally would do to their psyches.

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creating the new normal

A family was something we always wanted, but we never took into consideration those 10 months each that we’d be standing there and have to be laughed at or ridiculed or pointed at or talked about. But we also understood at the same time, in our lifespan, those 20 months total were nothing … It doesn’t outweigh us having a family.”

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creating the new normal

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“

I

Am I glad to be a voice for people like us or a beacon of hope for people who may want to eventually raise families like this?

didn’t get the opportunity to bare the children,” Bianca relates.

“So, constantly, I’m there with the emotional and mental frustrations of not being able to play the role of the ‘woman.’ Whereas Nick had a harder time because he had to deal with the physical as well as the emotional and mental frustrations. And he was confronted with it on a daily basis during that final term – looking like a man but being physically pregnant and making heads turn.”

Indeed, for his third trimester, Nick actually went into seclusion, rarely leaving the house.

It was an exceptionally difficult period for the couple to reconcile, as they knew they had to do what they were doing, but the process was far more difficult than either ever could have anticipated. “A family was something we always wanted,” she affirms.

“But we never took into consideration those 10 months each that we’d be standing there and have to be laughed at or ridiculed or pointed at or talked about. But we also understood at the same time, in our lifespan, those 20 months total were nothing. Even though it was a really hard time – especially for him – in the long run, it doesn’t outweigh us having a family.”

That proved to be true. In July 2011, four months before the couple married, their first son, Kai, was born. And although the process, from conception to birth, happened the way it would for a cis heterosexual couple, Bianca and Nick assert that their personal emotions throughout that journey were more in line with those of the genders they currently live.

Similar to most mothers, Bianca remembers her attachment to her son forming early on. “My first sign of happiness and awareness of having a child was the first time we

Yeah, definitely.”

went into getting the first ultrasound and hearing the heartbeat come over the monitor,” she recalls. “That’s when I fell in love, and that’s really when I found that actual connection. And for Nick, it was when he actually saw Kai.” Despite Nick having carried the child, his first true moment of connection came when he physically saw and held Kai, the moment at which many fathers first fall in love with their child.

Though their son was everything they ever could have hoped for, taking Kai home from the hospital presented its own set of challenges to the couple. “We’d heard all the stories, but you don’t know what’s going on until you actually live it!” she says of caring for an infant. “The constant feedings every three hours even at 2, 3 or 4 in the morning…”

Though difficult, it was a challenge the pair enjoyed and one they were prepared to tackle once again. “As Kai was getting older, we realized we didn’t want him to be an only child – not that there’s anything wrong with being an only child – but we wanted him to have a playmate,” Bianca recounts. “And with the fear of not knowing how society would treat us today, would he grow up not having any friends because his parents are way different from anybody else’s parents?”

Accordingly, Nick became pregnant again, this time knowing what to expect, and gave birth to the couple’s second son, Pax. The couple was prepared for each part of the journey this time, from Nick’s pregnancy to caring for Pax through the night. They also knew, just as they hadn’t with Kai, they would not breastfeed Pax. “Nick had already gone through the process of pregnancy, and trying to breastfeed would only increase his breast size even more and define him as a physical woman,” Bianca relates.

The pair proved to be excellent parents, just as in love with their children as they were with each other. However, the process of bringing Kai and eventually Pax into their lives inevitably led them to reevaluating and reaffirming their own relationship. “I think all parents have a difficult time trying to reestablish their relationship when children are born,” Bianca muses. “I don’t mean this in a negative way, but it throws a wrench into the relationship because you start off being this couple with no life responsibilities and then you throw a child into the mix.

And you have to take all your focus from your relationship and put it on this life that you’re raising.” ue to their unique situation – albeit a completely normal one in nearly every respect – the couple has received a tremendous amount of media attention.

Appearances on “The Ricki Lake Show” and “20/20” garnered the pair international fame, constructing them as pioneers in the 21st century trans movement. “Am I glad to be a voice for people like us or a beacon of hope for people who may want to eventually raise families like this?” Bianca poses, “Yeah, definitely.”

The couple isn’t aspiring to take on any sort of activist lifestyle; rather, they want to inspire others simply by living their lives as

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creating the new normal who they are, gradually establishing a new normal for society. “A lot of people who have spoken up negatively about us are like, ‘Oh, well, they’re just trying to get their 15 minutes of fame,’” she details. “And actually, no; I would prefer that these kinds of stories not be news. I would prefer this be just something that is as normal as any other household.”

However, society isn’t quite there yet, which means someday Bianca and Nick will have to sit down with Kai, and then Pax, and explain their situation. Bianca knows it will happen but doesn’t know when, and that’s okay with her. “It’ll happen when it happens,” she maintains. “I can’t really put a time and date on it. When he is ready, I know that he will know and we will know, and it will be like any other serious conversation a parent would have with their child.”

Similar to telling a child he or she is adopted, the conversation is something Bianca and Nick will be ready for and approach with sincerity and honesty. And of course, they will be there for their children as they have been ever since they were born. “No longer is our relationship about us; it’s about our children and us,” she asserts.

Today, the Bowser clan operates just as any family would. And with Nick working and going to school through the week, Bianca sometimes feels like a single mom – not because of lack of support from her husband but rather because she is simply the only one available to care for the children through most of the day. “As any single mom would say, I think, it has its ups, and it has its downs,” she considers. “Any job is extremely difficult at times. But this is a job with no pay but amazing benefits.”

When she and Nick are out together – on those rare instances when their free time overlaps – they do occasionally get recognized due to their media presence. But Bianca contends that, in person, all public comments have been positive and supportive, which speaks greatly to the state of society and its direction. “Society is coming around,” she says with a smile. “It’s becoming more open-minded. We’re not living in the 50s!”

We certainly are not. And with the help of people like Bianca and Nick Bowser, a modern family doing nothing but being who they are, society is quickly catching up with the open-minded and loving mentality so many have already adopted. “I just see us as a family, regardless of the titles and labels,” Bianca offers. “What we are is a family unit, doing our best to raise our kids in the most proper way.”

For the Bowsers, life continues as normal every day. Bianca and Nick are more in love with each other than ever, and Kai and Pax continue to grow and develop as all children do. And someday, Modern Louisville won’t need to write a story about the Bowsers because it won’t be newsworthy. As Bianca dreams, “When my children grow up, I hope that it is to the point where something like this isn’t news or something like this couldn’t get you a reality TV show – that this would be the new normal.”

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I just see us as a family, regardless of the titles and labels.

What we are is a family unit, doing our best to raise our kids in the most proper way.”

creating the new normal

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A Chef For All Seasons BETH BRADLEY DISCUSSES THE ART OF FOOD Photography by Antonio Pantoja // Styled by Lori Kommor Interview by Nicole Troxell

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Beth Bradley, Ashland, Kentucky native and Louisville resident, is a kind of Renaissance woman. Not only can she fix your car and grow a lush garden, she can also craft gorgeous pottery, pottery that is often used for her trademark talent – cooking. Bradley, a local chef, has worked in some of the finest restaurants, but she’s no snob about food. Whether whipping up fine French cuisine or Southern comfort food, Bradley’s passion for food is something spiritual that turns the final product into art. It’s almost too pretty to eat – like a painting, teeming with vibrant colors that express effort in every detail. Bradley, who lives with her partner in Old Louisville, met with us to shed some light on what influences her, and she generously donated some great recipes that can be used for the holidays – or any day!

Tell us about your food background.

Fortunately for me, my father’s parents were solid cooks. I followed them around like a puppy and was very interested in being right in the middle of whatever was going on. They put a paring knife and a peeler in my hands when I was 4 years old. I sat at the feet of my grandmother, snapped beans and peeled onions, potatoes and carrots.

There was a ritual we followed. We would lay down some newspapers, a bowl of water and a paring knife. The peeled vegetables went into the bowl of water and the peelings were in a pile on the paper easily wrapped up with no mess. My grandfather, a barber, had been a cook in the Navy and chose barbering over being a restaurateur by the flip of a coin. He loved both. I loved to be in the kitchen with him.

When we made burgers, we first cut pieces of waxed paper then portioned the ground beef with an ice cream scoop and pressed it between the papers with the bottom of a metal coffee can. At the end, we had a stack of burger patties in the freezer. A burger may have been the very first thing I ever cooked – and in an iron skillet. My grandfather also showed me how to make biscuits and gravy from scratch and with sunny eggs (that’s what we called them). He showed me how to

mix sorghum and butter and blackberry jam and butter. He would also have big fish fries in the spring with Bluegill, Crappie and hushpuppies.

Neighbors would hunt and bring my grandfather the squirrels and rabbits.

One of my earliest memories is picking buckshot out of squirrels. My grandmother filled the sink up with cold water, and we would put the skinned squirrels in there and essentially massage the larger muscles to feel for any buckshot that wasn’t easily visible. You really don’t want to bite down on that – it will break a tooth for sure. I had skinned a rabbit by the time I was 9 or 10.

As I got older, I played a bigger role in my parents’ home in regards to getting dinner on the table. We grilled out often, and it was my unspoken task to marinate the meats and get a salad together. By the time I was a student at Morehead State, I had a signature barbeque sauce. I had so many sanctions for cooking in the dorms over my first two semesters that I finally moved off campus. I missed preparing big pots of soup and cornbread. A few of my close guy friends had a sixth sense about when I was making food and would stop by unannounced – some of my best memories.

But still, I never thought much about culinary school or cooking professionally. I studied American literature,

BETH B

Chef Beth Bradley.

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“

By the time I was a student at Morehead State, I had a signature barbeque sauce.

I had so many sanctions for cooking in the dorms my first two semesters that I finally moved off campus.

”

creative writing and ceramics. Ultimately, I chose to pursue a degree in English.

Once I got out into the world with that degree, I found myself having to work in food service a few times. So, I kept reading and writing and playing music gigs and generally fulfilling the starving artist role.

Eventually, I ended up in Central Kentucky with the intention of working for the state. Instead, I worked at a diner in Harrodsburg for a year. During this time, I researched culinary schools and made the plunge. Since being in Louisville, I have worked at the Brown Hotel, La Coop, Rye, Atlantic No. 5, Mayan Cafe and currently Marketplace Restaurant. Our team at Marketplace is serious about good food without taking itself too seriously.

What are some of your hobbies?

Working in my herb and vegetable garden. It requires quite a bit of attention, so I am out in my backyard as much as possible. I also really enjoy walking or riding my bike through the Old Louisville neighborhood where I live. The architecture is amazing. I have a thing for the carriage houses.

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Fried Cabbage with Ginger and Chinese Five-Spice Make sure all the ingredients are close at hand because this is rather hot and fast. If you’re unfamiliar with some of the processes below, the internet provides a wealth of resources on how to French cut, mince or julienne your ingredients.

I NGRE DI E NTS Olive oil 1 yellow onion, French cut 1/4 cup ginger, peeled and minced 5 cloves garlic, minced 2 medium carrots, sliced thin on mandoline or shredded 1 1/12 teaspoons Chinese fivespice powder 1 large green head of cabbage quartered, cored and julienned Salt and pepper to taste Peanuts, sesame seeds and mint

1. Heat a large iron or stainless skillet on high heat.

2. When the skillet is hot, add enough olive oil to lightly cover the bottom.

3. Add the onion, and saute about one minute.

4. Add ginger, garlic, carrots and fivespice. Keep the ingredients moving in the pan so they don’t scorch but rather are incorporated evenly.

5. Add cabbage and a good pinch or two of salt and pepper, and fold everything over and over a few times until the cabbage softens just a bit and all the ingredients are evenly dispersed.

6. Place in a serving bowl and garnish with peanuts, sesame seeds and mint.

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Herbed Pork Loin Roulade If you don’t have all of these ingredients, don’t let that keep you from making this delicious dish with whatever you have on hand. You can keep it simple and use the most basic seasonings like salt, pepper, oil, garlic, chili flake, lemon zest or an herb of your choice. The herbs I chose are in my garden.

I N G R ED I EN TS 5-6 pounds pork loin Olive oil 1/4 cup kosher salt 1 teaspoon crushed chili flakes 2 tablespoons ground black pepper 1 bunch parsley 3 tablespoons ginger root, peeled and minced 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary 1/4 cup fresh chopped mint 10 cloves garlic, minced 1 tablespoon fresh fennel seeds (or 2 tablespoons dried) Zest of 3 lemons

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Using a very sharp knife, open the loin. If you haven’t done this before, there are some great tutorials on YouTube. Butterfly pork in a spiral cut: Find the beginning of a flap on one long side of the loin where the bone was removed. Starting at the inside edge of the flap, make a long cut lengthwise down the side of the loin with a very sharp boning or paring knife, stopping one inch from the bottom of the loin. Begin to cut your way inward, parallel to the bottom, keeping the thickness of the meat as even as possible. Use your other hand to gently lift and pull the top portion of meat away from the knife until the loin is one long, flat piece of meat.

3. Coat each side of the pork with olive oil and salt liberally.

4. Combine the remaining ingredients in a bowl and spread evenly on the inside of the pork.

5. Roll the pork up like Swiss cake, and tie with butcher twine about every two inches.

6. Roast until a thermometer reads 145 degrees when inserted into the thickest part of the meat. Rest the meat about 10 minutes before carving.

Butcher twine

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“

Food goes through so many beautiful stages that guests never see. By the time it hits the plate, you have formed a kind of relationship with the products.

”

What is your favorite restaurant in Louisville?

I don’t have a favorite restaurant, but I do have favorite items. To name a few, the duck tacos at Hammerheads, the Gralehaus biscuits and the vegetarian taco from Taco Luchador. And of course, everything at Mayan Cafe. There are so many places I haven’t been to yet.

What is your favorite part of cooking?

I love all the skills and processes it takes to create delicious food. Whether it’s making meringue, lots of knife work, pasta from scratch, charcuterie …

There’s a kind of Zen meditation in some of the more mundane tasks. Nothing beats a sharp knife, and I really like the way the blade cuts through lots and lots of brussel sprouts.

Food goes through so many beautiful stages that guests never see. By the time it hits the plate, you have formed a kind of relationship with the products. Kind of like the notion that it’s about the journey as much as the destination.

What’s the most embarrassing thing in your refrigerator?

I don’t always use Amish roll butter for personal baking. So, factory farm butter is quite embarrassing. I also have a jar of maraschino cherries that I’m not proud of. You never know when you’ll want a Manhattan, right?

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Peanut Butter Miso Mousse and Grape Juice Reduction Either a hand mixer or stand mixer will work for this recipe. Miso can be overwhelming on it’s own, especially if you’ve never tasted it. It’s best to make this several hours before serving so that it has time to set up. It’s perfectly fine to use store-bought juice. Just be sure to use 100 percent juice with no additives or preservatives. The same rule applies to the jelly if you choose that option.

I NGRE DI E NTS 1 1/2 cups peanut butter 1/4 cup white or yellow miso, room temperature 1 pound mascarpone cheese, room temperature 2 pounds cream cheese, room temperature 1 1/4 cup powdered sugar 1 quart concord grape juice, reduced to syrup, or 1 cup homemade grape jelly, warmed and thinned with juice, cooled Chopped peanuts and graham cracker crumbs

1. Place all the peanut butter and 2 tablespoons miso into a bowl and mix to incorporate. Then, taste for balance. If you like this, move to the next step, or add a tablespoon of miso at a time to the peanut butter mixture until you like it.

2. Add mascarpone, cream cheese, and powdered sugar to peanut butter mixture. Mix to combine, cover and chill at least four hours.

3. For serving, a four-ounce scoop is a nice portion. Place this in your favorite bowl, and make an offset indention with the back of a spoon.

Drizzle with the grape juice reduction or a spoonful of thinned jelly and garnish with graham cracker crumbs and peanuts.

4. Cover and chill for four hours, then serve.

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Photography by Antonio Pantoja // Styled by Lori Kommor

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YEARS of HOPE Louisville Youth Group

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Written by Nicole Troxell

hi! Welcome back! Make sure you sign in.” Anna Giangrande, “programh,coordinator and sole employee of the Louisville Youth Group (LYG), greets a student who enters the top floor of First Lutheran Church on Broadway. It’s only the student’s second visit to the group, and he and his mother have driven an hour to find the support this community gives each week. LYG formed for LGBTQ youth in 1990, and it has continuously carved out a legacy of hope, support and education for 25 years. Tonight, it’s Trans & Allies Night, a night set aside specifically for trans youth to make their voices heard.

Formed by local activist, Fairness Campaign and local PFLAG (Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) chapter founder Jane Hope (her chosen last name), LYG was started out of necessity. Hope, who passed away this year, saw LGBTQ kids living on the streets or turning to sex work after coming out. So, she brought them the one thing they needed: hope. Since then, the organization has provided resources and a safe environment for LGBTQ youth to socialize, ask questions and enjoy company with people who know how tough it can be to grow up gay or trans. Every month, LYG hosts Trans Only Night and Trans & Allies Night as well as other events, talks and presentations.

On this particular night, they’re talking about safety – how they can use one another as a resource in keeping safe. Earlier in the month, a police officer came to a meeting to teach self-defense since, statistically,

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co m mun ity Anna Giangrande and Roy Hardy

trans youth are more likely than gender conforming people to be attacked or harmed in public. The teens are learning how to be good allies, the importance of pronouns and how to apologize and admit mistakes when they use those pronouns incorrectly.

LYG is a benefactor of the Louisville Pride Foundation Pride Festival; it strives to cover the cost of every event for each member since some youth don’t have the necessary funds or have to be secretive about their participation. The group takes its members camping each year, giving them a chance to bond with one another. And not one of the youths has to spend a penny – LYG pays for it all – so there’s no stress involved in deciding whether or not they can afford to go.

Giangrande, who started six years ago as a mentor at LYG, has seen the group grow and change exponentially. Since its inception, the organization has added – all in church-donated space – a media room, a library, a craft room, computers and, now, a trans closet. Trans youth are often forced to present differently or unable to afford the

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clothes they need, Giangrande says. But any youth ages 14 to 21 can come to an LYG meeting and take from the trans closet as needed.

LYG takes donations of men’s and women’s

suggestions for resources from the leadership council and get to vote on whether to use those resources. If they think something isn’t helpful, it’s not used.

Every Friday night, the group does any number of things, ranging from discussions on sexually transmitted infections to dance parties, movie nights and more. It simply depends on what they want to do. They self-regulate how serious and how fun they need the group to be. They even have the choice to lead meetings themselves or turn it over to a presenter.

“It’s truly all about the kids, and we mean that from the ground up to the top down,” says Roy Hardy, president of the board of directors and father of a local teen who attends the group. They’re really good about knowing what they want, and the freedom of that expression in a Youth Leadership Council (YLC) meeting especially comes out really well. I’m really proud of them.”

Hardy got involved in the group after his son came out at age 11. Hardy and his wife worried that their son wouldn’t have anyone to relate to at such a young age, and he was already alienated at school. So, they contacted PFLAG, which in turn got them in touch with LYG. Even though youth are supposed to be 14 when they join, Hardy’s son, just 12 at the time, was more mature than most, so with his parents’ blessing as well as the group’s, he was allowed to join.

“Trans youth are often forced to present differently or unable to afford the clothes they need.” clothing to continue this practice. Larger women’s clothing is in particular demand.

It’s mostly a hands-off process at LYG meetings. The teens are guided by an adult leadership council, but the group itself stresses the importance of making their own decisions regarding what they need for support and how to get it. They receive

Hardy was nervous about dropping his son off that first night, but by the time he picked him up, he was all smiles, and Hardy realized they’d made the right decision. So when an opportunity to join the board came up, Hardy jumped on it. “I’ve always been big on no discrimination whatsoever, and now that I have a kid, that makes it even that

com mu n ity

much more important to me.”

He’s proud of his position, too. Hardy chuckles about his unusual role – realizing that it’s still more common for a straight man to be a kid’s soccer coach – but he likes being able to boast to his friends that he’s, “the president of the gay kids club. It’s cool,” he says. “Some of the things that guide me – it’s that we need to minimize the therapy bill for kids when they turn 18 and need to support them by putting them in the best environment they can be in so that they can be as successful as possible.”

And being successful requires enough funding to continue this work. The LYG op-

erates on a shoestring budget. If you’d like to help these teens become the best they can be, donating to Louisville Youth Group is a good place to start, Giangrande says.

“They’re going to be our decision makers soon,” she adds. One girl in particular who joined the group several years ago came in with such high anxiety that she would sit behind the entryway door rather than come into the classroom. “She went from that to becoming a YLC member, to now going to college, and she’s so outspoken ... She’s an amazing young person … It runs deep, the changes that happen to people when they’re here.”

And the youth there will attest to these changes. One member claims, “LYG and the community have helped me through some rough times, which unfortunately come alongside being trans. LYG has opened my eyes to a lot of societal issues … Many LYG youth consider the youth and staff there a supportive family, which some LGBTQ youth do not have. Louisville Youth Group is a place where youth can be themselves and meet other people who share similar experiences, with the ultimate goal of making life better for all LGBTQ youth.”

MODERN LOUISVILLE ||| November • December 2015

47

lipstick

Don’t be like the rest of them, darling.

- Unknown Written by Lori Kay Scott

S

he was a dream dipped in danger. A vision of poise, glamour and perfection as she appeared in her Edith Head dress – tight midnight black bodice that exploded into mountains of white tulle. The dress sums up everything you need to know about her. There was a friction between her pure and perfect exterior (hence the white) and her hungry desire for action and passion (hence the black).

I could not move in this dream…as I was in a cast from the waist down...in a sweltering Greenwich Village apartment…she leaned down and placed her lips on mine…and whispered, ”Now you know, darling.”

When I awoke from this dream, I realized I had been watching too much Hitchcock and the dream was a scene from “Rear Window” (1954). Grace had come to me – Grace Kelly that is – we weren’t arm in arm laughing on the beaches of Monaco, I had unfortunately assumed the role of Jimmy Stewart’s L.B. Jefferies in the movie, who had been in a terrible accident and was confined to a wheelchair and was, well, sweaty and disheveled…

Many people ask me the grand dame of questions. “How did you know…how did you know you were gay?” Well, I’ll tell you.

This dream happened in 1990 during my sophomore year of college. Up until then, the most rebellious thing I had done was join the Young Republicans Club at Indiana University.

(My family is generationally Democrat, so becoming a Republican carried the same weight rebellion-wise as getting knocked up or doing drugs – it was really the safe choice.) I was in a sorority, had good grades, had been recruited by the famed music department and was on the string of pearls dream to finish college and lead a glamorous – yet traditional – life. As the social director of my sorority, it made sense for me to play by the rules and to date our brother fraternity’s social director. So there we were one night, at a club, a group of us steeped in Lacoste, braided belts and L.L. Bean loafers. Our wallets and purses were all filled with about 48

November • December 2015 ||| MODERN LOUISVILLE

the same amount of cash – we were living the preppy college life – and besides the fact that I was a closet Democrat, all was neat and tidy in our world…until it happened.

When it was my turn to buy a round of drinks, I approached the bar, and that is when I saw her. My heart began to race. This woman, the bartender, looked directly into my eyes, so much so that I felt vulnerable and scared. She was Grace Kelly dreamy – blond hair, sky blue eyes – the face of an angel and a body to match.

To make things worse, she said, “What can I get you, darling?” with the elocution and grace of a Hollywood actor. Darling! After composing myself and looking over at my glaring table of friends who were waiting on their cocktails, I ordered and payed. She leaned over the bar then

and said, “You’re really one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen.” Hail Mary, full of Grace, what do I do with that? I did nothing, of course, but thank her, laugh and walk back to our table.

My head was spinning. The conversation became garbled. The only thing that I could think of was that moment at the bar. I was terrified and excited. What did this mean? After several cocktails, my fear became intrigue. I wanted to talk to her and explore this interaction. Something had definitely happened in my heart and my soul. As our group was leaving the club, I stopped in the girl’s room. As fortune would have it, she was there and told me to come by her place after she was done working. She wrote her address on a piece of paper and handed it to me.

With liquid courage on my side, I did go to her house that night. She had just inherited a beautiful bungalow from her grandmother only a few blocks behind my sorority. Our relationship became a 1950s cinematic romance.

We did not touch or discuss what was going on between us – it would have been too literal and out of my range at that time. It was the first time, though, that I knew what it felt like to be in love with another person, to feel the intimacy of another soul touching mine.

I began walking the line between two worlds, living the torment of what I now understood about myself – that I had fallen in love with another woman – and trying to understand how to fit this into my life. Our relationship was separate from my sanitized world of sorority life, boyfriends and academics. We would continue in this private world of deep conversations, listening to the Cocteau Twins and Edith Piaf, watching old movies and me sleeping on the floor beside her bed for the rest of my college years. When we graduated, she urged me to move to New York with her, but I was still living in a mental body cast – my heart told me yes; my head told me no. It was during the New York years, though, that our story progressed.

Until next time.

ILLUSTRATION OF GRACE KELLY BY CAROLINE WILSON

Give JOy 3938 Dutchmans Lane | p: (502) 897 5369 josephssalon.com | /josephssalon

t ra i l b l a z er

Trans101

Jayden Thai and the University of Louisville Advocate for Trans People Written by A.J. Jones

T

ucked away in an unassuming corridor of the University of Louisville’s Department of Counseling and Human Development are students with their noses buried in books. Among them is Jayden Thai, a counseling psychology graduate student.

This year, as the longest serving member, Thai became the coordinator of TSTAR (Transgender and Sexuality Teaching, Advocacy and Research), an organization that started as a research lab in 2012.

TSTAR sought to discover intersecting factors of gender identity, expression, mental health care and psychology.

TSTAR has since broadened its focus to include teaching and training institutions on issues of gender and sexual diversity. Originally started by Dr. Stephanie Budge and a team of doctoral students, the organization provides professional development and advocacy.

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Thai was a major part of getting TSTAR off the ground.

“I was the first,” he contends. Dr. Stephanie Budge started to do some research at UofL when she arrived as a new faculty member. “I asked to help her because I needed research experience,” Thai remembers. By the end of the next semester, there were five or six members all

gathering research, conducting interviews and compiling results. “It grew from there, and now, there are about 17 people,” he says.

“It happened pretty organically,” he continues. “I don’t think Dr. Budge expected it to take off the way it did. It started with me, and then four other doctoral students joined. And from there, community members, undergraduates, interns – lots of folks – joined in on the work.” In the spring of 2012, the group began to research the positive experiences of trans and genderqueer people. “Being trans or genderqueer in society today is hard, but not everything is bad,” Thai notes. “We looked at positive emotional experiences. Among the trans men participants, one of the themes is an emotional experience of feeling confident, feeling connected and having a sense of belonging and feeling alive.”

Trans women feel similarly. Results show that trans women generally have a positive experience after coming out and that they are able to serve as role models to other trans people.

TSTAR also strives to develop awareness of other transgender people in Louisville. It wants the community to know that there is knowledge to

“People want to learn. And they have questions that we can answer.”

trai l b l aze r

Tips for

Transgender Inclusion be gained about trans people and that there are experts able to provide it. “We do a lot of trainings that we call ‘Trans 101.’ Most recently, we worked with UofL Medical School but also with other schools, businesses and community organizations.” Thai says this part of the group’s mission and training is where the important day-to-day work of making change happens.

The first training conducted by TSTAR was in support of changing the bathrooms in the College of Education building to gender-inclusive ones. “Around 50 people came to our first Trans 101. That was a great response.” The bathrooms on the third floor of the building are now gender-inclusive and have signs to reflect that message.

Thai, who grew up in Louisville, says that the response has been mostly positive. “People want to learn. And they have questions that we can answer.” He claims that the concepts are not always easy for those who are new to them. “Most folks want boxes, male and female, something concrete. We know now that it’s more fluid, and that fluidity is okay.”

Thai points out that there are still a number of hurdles to over-

Understand that sex, gender and sexuality are three different things. They may or may not overlap or be related.

heSheWexe Ask for and use people’s names and pronouns.

There are many different kinds of pronouns, not only he and she. Using the correct name and pronouns is how to show respect.

Ask Away It’s okay to ask questions, but it’s important to be aware of where you’re asking, how you’re asking and what you’re asking.

“Do you have a ... ?”

It’s generally considered impolite to ask about people’s body parts.

come on the path to transgender inclusion. “People don’t know that they don’t know [about transgender inclusion], and that’s the first roadblock.” After that, he says, it’s all about time. “This is a big topic with lots of information, and getting folks to make time to expose themselves to it can sometimes be a challenge.” He asserts that, usually, once folks took the time to understand transgender people and issues, they “got” why it was so important.

“I grew up in Louisville. I’ve lived here all my life. I graduated from high school, undergrad, and now I’m getting my PhD here.

I’ve seen a lot of change and relatively quickly. I believe in Louisville. I believe that it can change more to be more inclusive in the

I AM HUMAN

future. My hope for this group is to leave a lasting impact on Louisville, to make it better for transgender people. And we are starting to see that happen. It’s very exciting.”

Photography by Antonio Pantoja // Styled by Lori Kommor

There is not a right or wrong way to be trans.

Everyone’s experience is different.

MODERN LOUISVILLE ||| November • December 2015

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co m mun ity

Haunts, Hollers Coal Mines

&

Kentucky Unearths Statewide LGBTQ History PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRIS HUMPHREYS

Written by Eli Keel

Marianne Zickuhr and Chris Hartman at The Henry Clay.

W

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANTONIO PANTOJA // STYLED BY LORI KOMMOR

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ith marriage equality the law of the land and more cities and towns in Kentucky passing local Fairness ordinances, the future is looking good for LGBTQ people in the Bluegrass.

But the Kentucky LGBT Heritage Initiative, a coalition of local and statewide activists, is looking to the past and hoping to uncover Kentucky’s hidden LGBTQ history.

The National Park Service (NPS), keeper of the National Registry of Historic Places, has granted federal funding for projects that focus on historically overlooked minorities. And the LGBT Heritage Initiative secured $25,000 of that money for Kentucky.

Marianne Zickuhr, who helped start Preservation Louisville in 2008, is one of the leaders of this initiative. She was inspired to seek the federal funds when she attended a preservation conference.

“I went to the National Trust for Historic Preservation conference, and there was a breakout session about LGBTQ preservation.”

com mu n ity

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRIS HUMPHREYS

From left: The Henry Clay was home to the Louisville’s first known gay and lesbian bar from 1946 to around 1955; 1947 Photograph of the Beaux Arts at The Henry Clay from The University of Louisville Photographic Archives; The New Downtowner flourished between 1974 and 1989 and was a hotspot for the LGBT community, with a theatre in the back, a small lighted dance floor and a large bar up front. Later on, it featured a men’s only bar called The Loft on the second floor and a women’s only bar on the lower level called Ladies’ Choice.

Zickuhr immediately thought of the Downtowner, a mid 20th century gay club on Whiskey Row. She has always been passionate about LGBTQ rights and realized she could marry this passion to her work as a historic preservationist. She reached out to Fairness Campaign Director Chris Hartman who helped write a grant, which they then sent to state officials who in turn passed it onto the National Park Service.

Of 13 grants awarded in the last cycle, only two were focused on LGBTQ history, and only Kentucky’s grant is focused on creating a statewide historic context statement – the first of its kind.

For a site to have historic value, according to the NSP, it needs to have had a role in shaping the community surrounding it.

A historic context statement codifies the various factors in a city’s (or state’s) history that shaped the lives of the people. The factors can be cultural or architectural.

While it may be easier to point at a building and say “late Victorian,” just as often, physical communities were shaped by intangible cultures, or even invisible ones, like those of our LGBTQ ancestors. A well

“Unearthing the historical record will help advance the LGBT civil rights movement.” written historical context statement will help future archivists and activists know how to protect sites significant to Kentucky’s LGBTQ history.

“This is where Modern Louisville comes in” says Zickuhr. “It’s vital at this stage for people to come forward with any history.” Or, as Hartman says, “Everyone has that strange Aunt Lucy who lived with her ‘roommate.’”

Zickuhr, Hartman and a team of students and professors from University of Louisville’s Braden Institute will soon begin the work of going out into Kentucky and meeting with Fairness members from

Vicco to Midway and beyond. The data collection process for the context statement will be challenging work. “Our history is veiled and steeped in secrecy,” Hartman says.

Out of necessity, our LGBTQ ancestors had to meet in secret. Their history won’t be in public libraries. Instead the team will take oral histories, search out aging journals and dive into arrest records.

This grant puts Kentucky at the forefront of the fight for increased visibility of LGBTQ history. While several larger cities like New York and San Francisco have citywide historic context statements for

MODERN LOUISVILLE ||| November • December 2015

53

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their LGBTQ cultures, Kentucky will have the first statewide context. It won’t just be metropolitan centers like Louisville that get a chance to find their past. The work of preservation will extend to the hidden haunts and hollers, the small towns, farms and coal mines.

“We have such a statewide movement happening,” says Zickuhr, who added that it’s partly due to the strength of our statewide Fairness movement that this one-of-a-kind context statement will be possible.

The grant will also be used to get the ball rolling on registering LGBTQ historic sites at Whiskey Row and The Henry Clay. Both will have their historic records expanded to include their importance to the LGBTQ community. The Beaux Arts, once housed in The Henry Clay, and The Downtowner are the oldest known gay clubs in Louisville.

For Chris Hartman, the project isn’t just about preserving old buildings. He says that knowing where we come from and knowing that LGBTQ people have always been in Kentucky helps spread love and understanding for the future of LGBTQ rights.

“Unearthing the historical record will help advance the LGBTQ civil rights movement,” Hartman says.

“To highlight the LGBTQ community in the state of Kentucky and show the places that were meaningful to the community enriches our history and encourages future generations to respect their heritage,” Zickuhr adds. “We hope this first-ever statewide LGBTQ historic context will provide a set of tools for our state that will allow people in the future to continue to preserve the places that matter to them.”

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November • December 2015 ||| MODERN LOUISVILLE

“To highlight the LGBTQ community in the state of Kentucky and show the places that were meaningful to the community enriches our history and encourages future generations to respect their heritage.”

This is the future you weren’t thinking about 10, or 20, or 30 years ago.

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arts

Uncensored Expressionism The Art of Joshua Jenkins Written by Nicholas Moore

“A Portrait of Three Brothers?”

Joshua Jenkins is the kind of artist whose life and work make you want to fall in love. He’s half Yankee, half Southerner and all Louisvillian. And there’s something remarkable about Jenkins’ paintings that tell stories of struggle, strife and love in his brushstrokes. The combination of vibrant colors, striking lines, human figures and visceral textures simply stops you in your tracks. A viewer can look at one of his paintings and become lost – fall into the myriad of artistic intricacies created on his canvas.

Jenkins’ work makes you wonder what he was feeling as he created it and contemplate how you’re feeling while experiencing it. You wonder if you’re even close to feeling the same things he was during his raw creation of the work. Turns out, this is exactly what he wants.

“My ultimate goal is to get the viewer to feel something, some type of emotion,” he says. “I feel like, in this day and age with technology, everybody is always on their phone, and your emotions become so stagnant. You don’t feel so much. I guess that’s what I’m trying to do with my art, to evoke feelings through people and get people to stop and stare and look and wonder. You might not necessarily understand the imagery behind the work, but I feel like, especially with my expressive strokes and style that I paint in, the viewer will at least be able to feel the emotions I was feeling at the time when I was painting.”

And the last part is exactly what makes his paintings unique – you do feel what Jenkins was feeling, at least a piece of it. There’s something honest and raw on his canvasses. They create an intimacy and a vulnerability that pulls you in and suddenly, whether you want to or not, you are sharing in the ethos of this bearded, blue-eyed bohemian – naked, uncensored, no bullshit.

Photography by Antonio Pantoja // Styled by Lori Kommor

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November • December 2015 ||| MODERN LOUISVILLE

ar ts

“

We acknowledge cave paintings and their importance to art history, so why wouldn’t we acknowledge street artists?

”

MODERN LOUISVILLE ||| November • December 2015

61

arts Jenkins seeks to “bridge the gap between street art and fine art.” He sees street art as offering a younger, fresher view on life – a change that could benefit the world of fine art. He’s inspired by graffiti and sees it as representative of people and life – something with incredible inherent value. If graffiti artists had more time, more materials and didn’t have to finish as quickly as possible for fear of being caught and arrested, their work very likely would be in a gallery setting, Jenkins says.

Unlike graffiti artists, Jenkins enjoys taking his time and bringing his talents and resources of street art into the fine art realm, weaving the energy and essence of one world into the other. “Everybody is an artist,” he says. “Cave artists are very similar to street artists. We acknowledge cave paintings and their importance to art history, so why wouldn’t we acknowledge street artists?”

Jenkins is not the first underdog of the art world seeking to remind the upper echelon that art can be found anywhere.

His sentiments echo that of early 20th century Dadaism. Dadaism sought to remind “traditional” art houses and galleries that art can be anywhere and in anything. The quick spread of the movement proved that Dadaism spoke to a strong and

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November • December 2015 ||| MODERN LOUISVILLE

growing demographic of artists and art lovers advocating for art in all its forms. It effectively sought to hit a much needed reset button in the art world. A century later, Jenkins is a refreshing continuation of this here in Louisville.

Jenkins has sold his striking works all over the United States and in Mexico. His art has been displayed in New York, Philadelphia, Kentucky, Miami and more. He has been a sponsored artist for Gallopalooza and was the commissioned artist for the public mural on the walls of Nowhere Bar. Jenkins’ work is readily available for purchase through his website at joshuajenkinsart.wordpress.com, and you can follow him on Facebook at facebook.com/ joshuajenkinsart.

Check out his work at the Louisville Visual Art Association’s upcoming 2015 Open Studio Tour on November 14 and 15 at 1538 Lytle St. in Portland and in the Open Studio Weekend Group Exhibition at the Cressman Center, 100 E. Main St., November 6-15. There, you can experience the reverberations of time immemorial echoing through the heart of Jenkins’ work and into your own.

ar ts

“A Portrait of Five”

“

My ultimate goal is to get the viewer to feel something, some type of emotion.

”

MODERN LOUISVILLE ||| November • December 2015

63

arts

“

You might not necessarily understand the imagery behind the work, but I feel like ... the viewer will at least be able to feel the emotions I was feeling at the time when I was painting.

”

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November • December 2015 ||| MODERN LOUISVILLE

ar ts

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HIS JOURNEY OF SELF-ACCEPTANCE AND WHAT’S IN STORE FOR HIS FUTURE

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Creating The New Normal

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“Oliver!” presented by CenterStage at the Jewish Community Center CenterStage presents the third show of their 2015-16 season: the Broadway classic “Oliver!” Experience the heartwarming musical tale of a young lad and his journey in search of the answer to the question, “Where is love?”

This London journey follows him from the mistreatment of Bumble’s workhouse to Fagin’s harsh streets. Along the way, he meets a bevy of colorful characters including the delightful Dodger, the roguish Fagin, the kind-hearted Nancy and the threatening Bill Sykes before finally finding his answer in a warm home with a loving family. Lionel Bart’s Tony Award-winning lush musical adaptation of the Charles Dickens novel “Oliver Twist” will delight audiences young and old alike. The show runs through November 8 at the Jewish Community Center. Tickets are $20 in advance or $22 at the door.

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“Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Musical” at the Palace The Louisville Palace will host “Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Musical” at 2 p.m. November 8, as well as “Alvin and the Chipmunks: Live on Stage” at 5:30 p.m.

MORE INFO louisvillepalace.com

John Irving Interview The Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts will host an interview with author John Irving November 10 at 6 p.m. in the Bomhard Theater. The event is $20 for the interview only and $110 for dinner plus the interview. Irving presents his 14th novel, “Avenue of Mysteries,” the story of Juan Diego, an older man traveling to the Philippines where his past will collide with his future. Irving won the 1980 National Book Award for his international bestseller “The World According to Garp.”

MORE INFO kentuckycenter.org Louisville LGBT Professional Network at Play Dance Bar Louisville LGBT Professional Network will host a networking event at Play Dance Bar on November 12 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in the cocktail lounge. The organization is partnering with House of Ruth to promote its upcoming Dining Out for Life event that supports those in the community living with HIV/AIDS.

MORE INFO facebook.com/louisvillelgbt Ed Hamilton Book Signing

Theatre [502] presents the third show of their 2015-16 season: the new Phillip Dawkins work “Failure: A Love Story.”

By the end of 1928, all three Fail sisters will be dead – expiring in reverse order, youngest to oldest, from blunt object to the head, disappearance and finally consumption.

Tuneful songs and a whimsical chorus follow the story of Nelly, Jenny June and Gerty as they live out their lives above the family clock repair shop near the Chicago River, before their time unexpectedly runs out. A magical, musical fable where, in the end, the power of love is far greater than any individual’s successes or failures. The show runs through November 15 in the Baron’s Theatre. Tickets are $17 in advance or $22 at the door.

Born in Atlanta, Georgia, writer, journalist and blogger Ed Hamilton grew up in Louisville, Kentucky. He has a master’s degree in philosophy and a bachelor’s in psychology.

The author of “Legends of the Chelsea Hotel: Living with the Artists and Outlaws of New York’s Rebel Mecca” (Da Capo, 2007), Hamilton’s fiction and non-fiction have also appeared in dozens of small journals, magazines and newspapers, both online and off. In 2005, together with his wife, Debbie Martin, Hamilton founded “Living with Legends: Hotel Chelsea” Blog, the world’s first hotel blog. In 2007, developers took over Hamilton’s beloved Chelsea Hotel, intent on gutting the iconic building and evicting its artistic residents. Hamilton, together with a small group of other tenants who became his friends, devoted the next few years of his life to fighting for the continued existence of one of the last outposts of bohemia in Manhattan. As of this writing, Hamilton is still living at the Chelsea Hotel. Please join Carmichael’s Bookstore for a reading and book signing of his newest work, “The Chintz Age: Tales of Love and Loss for a New New York” at the Frankfort Avenue location at 7 p.m.

MORE INFO theatre502.org

MORE INFO carmichaelsbookstore.com

MORE INFO centerstagejcc.org “Failure: A Love Story” presented by Theatre [502]

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Sufjan Stevens at The Kentucky Center Sufjan Stevens is a singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and composer known for a wild range of albums, from the lush pop music of “The Age of Adz” to the experimental noise of “Enjoy Your Rabbit.” A preoccupation with epic concepts has motivated two state records (“Michigan” and “Illinois”), a collection of sacred and biblical songs (“Seven Swans”), and the recent release of “Carrie & Lowell,” written while grieving his mother’s death. “Carrie & Lowell” marks Stevens’ return to narrative songwriting and has been described as “a fall-down gorgeous and emotionally devastating masterpiece” by The Guardian and “his best, most classic and pure effort” by Pitchfork. $1 of each ticket will be going to a charity through the organization Plus One.

MORE INFO kentuckycenter.org

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MORE INFO kyopera.org

Louisville Visual Art will host Open Studio Weekend Tours, an initiative encouraging the community to explore the local art scene. Visit more than 100 artist studios on Saturday, November 14 between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. and Sunday, November 15 between noon and 5 p.m.

MORE INFO louisvillevisualart.org

“H.M.S. Pinafore” at Actors Theatre of Louisville Join Chicago theatre renegades The Hypocrites on the high seas — or, in this case, at a slumber party full of pajama-clad sailors — in their playful re-imagining of the popular Gilbert and Sullivan classic. Joseph, the Captain’s son, falls for lowly sailor Ralphina Rackstraw, but duty demands that he marry the lofty Admiral Dame Jo-Ann instead! Replete with guitars, ukuleles and reversed gender roles, this comic tale of love, intrigue and social satire comes to life as you’ve never seen it before. The show runs November 17 - December 13.

MORE INFO actorstheatre.org

“Wicked” at The Kentucky Center Broadway phenomenon “Wicked,” winner of more than 100 international awards, is returning to The Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts. The musical features two girls, one with emerald green skin who is misunderstood, and one who is ambitious, beautiful and popular. “Wicked” tells the story of how these two girls grew up to become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch. The show runs November 18 - December 6.

More than 60 restaurants will participate in House of Ruth’s upcoming Dining Out for Life campaign on November 18.

Twenty-five percent of food and beverage sales will go to support those in the community living with HIV/AIDS.

MORE INFO houseofruth.net

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“The Price is Right” at The Louisville Palace Everyone’s favorite game show is on its way to you, along with the chance to win a share of the more than $10 million in cash and fabulous prizes it has given away! Alongside the celebrity host, randomly-selected contestants play everyone’s favorite games like Plinko, Cliffhangers, The Big Wheel and even the fabulous Showcase. Lucky audience members can even win prizes right from their seat. Generations of fans all across America have made The Price is Right Live the perfect family entertainment experience.

And the next contestant might be YOU! The show will take place at 7:30 p.m. on November 19.

MORE INFO louisvillepalace.com

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Open Studio Weekend Tours at Louisville Visual Art

MORE INFO playdancebar.com

MORE INFO kentuckycenter.org

“Three Decembers” presented by the Kentucky Opera Friday, November 13, and Sunday, November 15, the Kentucky Opera will present “Three Decembers” by Jake Heggie, an opera of secrets, resentment, misguided love and ignored family truths starring mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves. We peek in on Madeline, the Broadway star, and her two grown children over three Christmases and discover them wrapped ever tighter in conflict and affection. An opera of a family facing success and failure, “Three Decembers” is a beautifully poignant and heart-wrenching work.

“Forever Cher” Tribute at Play Dance Bar Two Cher impersonators will present a Cher tribute at Play Dance Bar, November 14 at midnight. The performers will showcase Cher’s most memorable styles, and a meet and greet will follow.

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Christmas at the Galt House Celebrate the holidays at the Galt House Hotel with “A Christmas Carol” themed display of handcrafted silk luminaries from November 19 to December 27. Country music singer/songwriter Pam Tillis will star in the new holiday dinner show, “Pam Tillis & Friends: A Kentucky Christmas Dinner Show,” featuring traditional Christmas songs and selections by Tillis. Other events and sights include the Winter Wonderlane, Gingerbread House Contest, Christmas Village, Dancing Bellmen, Snow Fairy Princess and the Snow Fairy Castle, Santa’s Sleigh Green Screen Experience and the Peppermint Express Kiddie Train.

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is held each year the day after Thanksgiving, Friday, November 27. Now in its 35th year, this event will serve as the kickoff to the “Holiday in the City.” The day will provide a skating rink; world market; the Run, Run Rudolph 5K Run/ Walk; Santa’s Workshop; Lots of Lights Parade; Santa’s ar-

MORE INFO louisvilleky.gov “Holidays Around the World” at the Frazier History Museum

MORE INFO christmasatthegalthouse.com

Through January 3, 2016, the Frazier History Museum will host its Fifth Annual “Holidays Around the World” exhi-

Annual Feast on Equality at The Henry Clay

bition. The show consists of a display of trees, lights and

The Annual Feast on Equality fundraiser dinner for the University of Louisville LGBT Center and its students will be held on November 20 at 7 p.m. in The Henry Clay. Many students who come out lose financial and other support needed during college. Funds raised from the dinner help provide support and mentorship, safe environments and personal growth. Single tickets are $125. Cocktail attire is required.

traditional objects created by local residents and holiday celebrations.

MORE INFO fraziermuseum.org BenDeLaCreme at Play Dance Bar Play presents “RuPaul’s Drag Race” contestant BenDeLaCreme on November 27 at midnight and 2 a.m. The show will include $4 Bud Lite bottles.

MORE INFO playdancebar.com

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Fifth Third Bank’s “A Christmas Carol” at Actors Theatre of Louisville Celebrate the warmth of the holidays with Ebenezer Scrooge, Tiny Tim and the spirits of Christmas Past, Present and Future in this delightful take on an old favorite. A beloved family tradition for four decades, Actors Theatre’s rendition of Dickens’ classic tale is brought to new life with visual splendor and joyous music. The show runs November 24 - December 23.

Culture is the arts elevated to a set of beliefs.

”

MORE INFO actorstheatre.org

THOMAS WOLFE

Thanksgiving Day Buffet, DJ and Cruise on The Spirit of Jefferson The Spirit of Jefferson will host a traditional Thanksgiving Day buffet, DJ and cruise on November 26. This family-friendly event is from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is $48 for adults and seniors and $32 for children ages 3-12. Boarding is at 12:30 p.m. with departure at 1p.m., and the cruise lasts until 3 p.m.

MORE INFO belleoflouisville.org

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“Handel’s Messiah” at St. Brigid Catholic Church Bourbon Baroque in partnership with WUOL Classical 90.5FM will present its annual holiday performance of “Handel’s Messiah” featuring a choir of vocalists from across the country and an orchestra of period instruments.

The show is a holiday favorite around the world, and this season, Bourbon Baroque will showcase all three parts of

Pre-Light Up Louisville Cruise The Spirit of Jefferson is hosting a one-hour cruise on the Ohio River the day after Thanksgiving, Friday, November 27 - just in time to celebrate Light Up Louisville. On its two enclosed decks, guests will find a concession stand, bar and a DJ playing a variety of music. Tickets are $15 for the curise, which lasts from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.

MORE INFO belleoflouisville.org

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A tradition for more than three decades, Light Up Louisville

rival; photos with Santa; and more.

MORE INFO feastonequality.com

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Light Up Louisville Downtown

November • December 2015 ||| MODERN LOUISVILLE

this oratorio, including “For Unto Us a Child is Born,” “The Trumpet Shall Sound” and “Hallelujah.” This family-friendly post-Thanksgiving holiday tradition is now in its third year. Performances are Saturday, November 28 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, November 29 at 3 p.m. at St. Brigid Catholic Church in the Highlands. Tickets are $40 for adults and $20 for students.

MORE INFO bourbonbaroque.com

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The English Beat at Mercury Ballroom Ska band The English Beat, founded in Birmingham, England in 1978, will perform at Mercury Ballroom on November 28 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $18, general admission only. Mercury Ballroom is an all-ages venue with standing room only.

MORE INFO mercuryballroom.com

“Gays in Toyland” presented by Pandora Productions Pandora Productions will present “Gays in Toyland,” written for Pandora by Jim Hesselman. The musical comedy will transport its audience back to the magical days of childhood Christmases by telling the story of “Babes in Toyland.” A toymaker takes in old and rejected toys that live a joyful life until a day when the shop is vandalized, threatening their life together. Presented at the Victor Jory Theatre at Actors Theatre December 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 10 and 11 at 7:30 p.m. The run also includes one matinee on Saturday, December 10 at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $18 in advance and $20 the day of the show.

MORE INFO pandoraprods.org

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Derby City Bears and Derby City Sisters Second Annual Winter Gala

profits. This year’s benefit will be held at Play Dance Bar.

Visit Buffalo Trace Distillery to witness the illumination of colorful lights on December 4 at 6 p.m. The Kentucky State University Choir will perform, and Santa will arrive for a vis-

MORE INFO buffalotracedistillery.com

The Bends” will be held December 4 at 9 p.m. at Mercury Ballroom. Tickets are $10 general admission only.

MORE INFO mercuryballroom.com

and card. The event is for adults and children ages 5 and up.

Reservations are due by noon on December 4.

MORE INFO aph.org

Voices of Kentuckiana, led by Artistic Director Jeff Buhrman, will present its holiday concert, “A Sassy, Brassy Bourbon Christmas” on December 12 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, December 13 at 4 p.m. in the Clifton Center’s Eifler Theatre.

Voices will perform with the Louisville Brass Quintet. Tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for students and seniors.

Join the 35th Annual Christmas in Anchorage event, Saturday, December 12, for a holiday celebration supporting Anchorage Public Schools’ enrichment programs. The event is sponsored by the Anchorage Parent Teacher Association.

Festivities include Breakfast with Santa, the Holiday Home Tour, a silent auction and a Holiday Boutique.

“Kid Plastic: Tribute to the 20th Anniversary of Radiohead’s

impairments “see.” Then, make your own holiday ornament

“A Sassy, Brassy Bourbon Christmas” presented

by Voices of Kentuckiana

Christmas in Anchorage

Radiohead Tribute at Mercury Ballroom

DECEMBER

MORE INFO buffalotracedistillery.com

MORE INFO kentuckycenter.org

it at 7 p.m.

from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. to learn how people with vision

Bring your children and their wish lists for a complimentary visit to Santa on December 11, 12, 18 and 19 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Great Buffalo Trace Distillery’s Visitor Center.

Embrace the magic of the season with this Louisville Ballet holiday classic. Prepare for an always-magical journey with Marie and her Nutcracker prince to the land of the Sugar Plum Fairy! This classic production features beautiful sets and costumes, unique Louisville touches and the incredible artistry of Louisville Ballet’s dancers. The show will runs through December 20 in Whitney Hall. Tickets start at $35.

MORE INFO facebook.com/derbycitybears

Visit the American Printing House for the Blind museum

Visit Santa at the Distillery

“The Brown-Forman Nutcracker” presented by the Louisville Ballet

ond Annual Winter Gala, a fundraiser for local LGBTQ non-

Lighting of the Trace

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MORE INFO kmacmuseum.org

MORE INFO voicesky.org

Derby City Bears and Derby City Sisters will hold their Sec-

Holiday Card Factory

“Martinis and Mistletoe” at KMAC Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft will host its annual “Martinis and Mistletoe,” a night of shopping, music and unique martini recipes on December 6. The event is free to museum members. Visitors will receive a gift bag and 20 percent off purchases made during the event as well as member benefits.

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MORE INFO facebook.com/christmasinanchorage “Make the Yuletide Gay” at Play Dance Bar The Louisville Gay Men’s Chorus will present its “Make the Yuletide Gay” holiday concert on Saturday, December 19 at 7:30 p.m. at Play Dance Bar. Admission is $10.

MORE INFO facebook.com/lgmchorus

Want your event included in this calendar? email editor@modernlouisville.com

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Modern Louisville Launch Party We held a launch party September 3 at Play Dance Bar to celebrate our inaugural issue. Drag Queen Leah Halston emceed the event and provided her signature Tina Turner performance. Attendees celebrated with a Modern Louisville cocktail, local food truck Red Top and the Showtime Photo booth. We gave away hundreds of dollars worth of prizes and topped off the event with party favors for all guests.

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1 Hollis Gargala, Leah Halston and Tracy Blue 2 Bob Strong and Isidro Valencia 3 Dominic Duvall and Thomas Carrier 4 Remy Sisk and Charlie Meredith 5 Lynnie Meyers and Marita Willis 6 Bob and Laura Wagner 7 Stacey Robinson and Mike Ice 8 Terri Caldwell, Jason Jennings and Laurie Dobbins 9 Leah Halston, Tracy Blue and Wil Heuser 10 Logan Manford and Dana McGowan 11 Emcee and performer Leah Halston 12 Bobby Blair, Todd Mercier, Bobby Petrino Jr., Dan Zevotek and Scott Wagner 13 Laura Melillo Barnum, Jeff Wethington and Caroline Knop 14 Ryan Bratcher and Amy Smock 15 Brent Gettelfinger amd John Gray 16 Natalie Davis and Melody Levin 17 Fain Brooks and Debbie Esienbach 18 Julia Carstanjen and Karen Casi 19 John Harralson and Sarah Conti 20 Bill Bonny, Lia Laber and Lynnie Meyers 21 Joanna Hite Shelton, Mark Eliason, Hollis Gargala and Jeff Howard 22 Shannon and Dan Kessler 23 Nick Phelps and Katie Petrino

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Chocolate Fest Louisville Hosted by Craig Scherman and Aaron Hutton, Chocolate Fest benefitted the Louisville AIDS Walk, an event that provides funding for area AIDS organizations. The festival, held August 22 in Anchorage, consisted of silent and live auctions, entertainment, a food court, spirits, a photo booth and valet parking with a $10 donation.

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1 Play co-owner Todd Roman, Dana McGowan, Play co-owner Micah McGowan, Ayden Chapman and Alex Stambaugh 2 Nathan Dickerson, Joe Weigel and Matt Westbrook 3 Ken Robinson, Sarah Hill and John Butler 4 Elizabeth Hoffman and Dawn Elliot 5 Event Hosts Craig Scherman and Aaron Hutton 6 Aaron Guldenschuh, Mallory Schmoll, John Garner and Andrew Clifford 7 Dennis Hoel and Brian Yanofchick 8 John Jameson and Greg Bryant

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Winner Jack Lundy earned the title of DCB Bear. Terron Cooper is the new DCB Chaser; Thomas Poteet earned DCB Cub, and Courtney Chesser was crowned DCB Goldilocks.

Photos by Danny Alexander

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1 Laura Silverman Thompson, Mark Blemler and Ryan Benningfield and Dan Burch 6 Jack Lundy 7 Kenny Evans and Keenan Wilson Phillips and Chuck Mallory

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Chadwick LaRue 3 Thomas Poteet 4 Sister Zsa Zsa Gabortion and Sister Alma Badhabits 5 Steve Collier Ryan Benningfield, Nicholas Moore and Harrison Martin 9 Johnna Hockensmith and Jay Thomas 10 Kevin

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Inaugural Louisville Pride Festival Modern Louisville was a proud sponsor of the Inaugural Louisville Pride Festival, a street festival that celebrated and embraced the LGBTQ community.

Held on Bardstown Road September 19, the event featured two stages of entertainment that hosted local groups such as The Deloreans, Brass Deville and rapper/poet The Edjukated Rebel.

National entertainers Stacey Q, Steve Grand and Karmin were also part of the festivities. Funds generated from Louisville Pride Festival supported its foundation as well as the Louisville Visual Arts Open Doors program and the Louisville Youth Group.

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1 Salem Littlefeather, James Alcontara and Rachel Burnside 2 Emily Martin and Caroline Cabezas 3 Ashlee Richards and Jeaneen Barnhart 4 Jessie Deffendall and Christina Janda 5 Nick Carter, Heather Brock, Lauren White and Jennifer Moss 6 Cali Ruggieri and Lex Tur 7 Dia Gaines, Brian Buford and Abel Wilson 8 Whitten Montgomery, Mariah Kline, Charlie Meredith, Remy Sisk, Bobby Petrino Jr., Shane Whitehead and Caroline Reddmann 9 Bob White and Don Knight 10 Chris Robert and Wil Heuser 11 Jim-E Iler, Kevin Gibson, J.P. Davis, Victor Rowe, Thomas Poteet and Blake Hall 12 Evan Devers and Ranjith R.K. 13 Dennis Tapp 14 Tatianna DeLarouge and Carolina Lauretta

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GPro Louisville Gay Professional Network GPro held its networking meeting at Jack’s Lounge October 13. GPro provides gay business professionals the opportunity to meet and network with one another to promote and establish important connections. Members and guests met with Dawn Elliott to show their support and get to know Elliott, who is running for District Court Judge.

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John Jameson and Dawn Elliott 2 Chris Funk-Kinnaman and Brian Funk-Kinnaman 3 Craig Spears, Kevin Hickey and Jeff Buhrman 4 Patricia Van Houten and Les Mangum Thomas Tebautt and Brian Funk-Kinnaman 6 Chris Conliffe and Kevin Hickey 7 Sarah Conti, John Jameson and Laurie Pfeiffer Lennon

November • December 2015 ||| MODERN LOUISVILLE

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