Louisville's LGBTQ Movement

Interview regarding the history of Louisville's LGBTQ movement with Ms. Baker an active in Fairness Campaign in early 2000s, outspoken African American trans(woman) activist.

Interview regarding the history of Louisville's LGBTQ movement with Mandy Carter, a North Carolina activist, long among leading southern LGBT rights leaders of color; consultant to development of Fairness; co-founder of Southerners On New Ground; spent fall 2004 in Kentucky working on No-on-the-Amendment drive.

Interview regarding the history of Louisville's LGBTQ movement with Pat Hussain, an Atlanta-based African American lesbian, who was an early leader of SONG (Southerners on New Ground) and outspoken organizer against homophobia in 1970s-90s; consultant to what became Fairness Campaign and based in Louisville for fall 2004 no-on-the-amendment campaign.

Interview regarding the history of Louisville's LGBTQ movement with Darnell Johnson, who is a Black gay man that first became active in the Louisville Youth Group. He “came out” while a student at UofL, later worked for Fairness Campaign staff organizer.

Interview regarding the history of Louisville's LGBTQ movement with Marge Jonesm a plaintiff in 1970 lesbian marriage case in Louisville, which spawned formation of Louisville Gay Liberation Front and which appears to have been second such legal trial (first with female plaintiffs) in US history. Ms. Jones was proprietor of a massage parlor, homeowner, and single mother who was harassed into retreat for fear of losing children. She still lives in Louisville and chooses to keep a low profile.

Interview regarding the history of Louisville's LGBTQ movement with Jack Kersey a white gay man active in Louisville gay life from the 1950s-90s in context of longtime committed relationship (partner now deceased). Kersey became first gay to “come out” on local TV in 1978; active in Old Louisville politics and real estate; retired in Fort Lauderdale (site of interview); active in early anti-AIDS campaigns.

Interview regarding the history of Louisville's LGBTQ movement with Carol Kraemer who is active in women’s music scene who came out as lesbian in college at WKU and got active politically back in Louisville, becoming committed antiracist and serving as Fairness first paid staffer.

Interview regarding the history of Louisville's LGBTQ movement with David Lott, a bisexual white man active in gay/lesbian rights causes since early 1970s. Lott was a leader in early gay-politics organization, Greater Louisville Human Rights Coalition, and March for Justice, Inc., the originator of the annual march out of which idea for Fairness was born. More recently a co-chair of Kentucky Alliance against Racist and Political Repression.

Interview regarding the history of Louisville's LGBTQ movement with Pam McMichael, the Fairness Campaign co-founder. McMichael is a native of rural Kentucky, first active in 1970s lesbian separatism (Louisville Lesbian Feminist Union), antiracist, anti-nuclear, and international activism; later, co-founder of Southerners on New Ground (SONG), currently resides in Knoxville, TN, and is director of Highlander Center, one of co-founders of SURJ (Speaking Up for Racial Justice) network of white antiracists.

Interview regarding the history of Louisville's LGBTQ movement with Pam McMichael, the Fairness Campaign co-founder. McMichael is a native of rural Kentucky, first active in 1970s lesbian separatism (Louisville Lesbian Feminist Union), antiracist, anti-nuclear, and international activism; later, co-founder of Southerners on New Ground (SONG), currently resides in Knoxville, TN, and is director of Highlander Center, one of co-founders of SURJ (Speaking Up for Racial Justice) network of white antiracists.

Interview regarding the history of Louisville's LGBTQ movement with Bruce Miller, a well-known local attorney who prosecuted the 1970 lesbian marriage trial as young assistant commonwealth’s attorney.

Interview regarding the history of Louisville's LGBTQ movement with Diane Moten, a minister to the homeless at Jefferson Street Baptist Community, leader in people-of-color-organizing in early years of Fairness, possibly first “out” African American lesbian in Louisville.

Interview regarding the history of Louisville's LGBTQ movement with Mickey Nelson, an early out lesbian in 1970s was in the Louisville Gay Liberation Front as teenager, resided in Gay Liberation House in Highlands, 1971, arrested when house was “busted.” Nelson later became a nurse and married her partner; she remained peripherally active in the movement.

Interview regarding the history of Louisville's LGBTQ movement with Melinda Paras a Filipino-American organizer, former executive director National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF) and a consultant throughout founding of what became Fairness, currently resides in San Francisco.

Interview regarding the history of Louisville's LGBTQ movement with Lynn Pfuhl, an out lesbian and co-founder of Louisville Gay Liberation Front in 1970. Pfuhl had also been one of two whites involved in youth sit-ins downtown Louisville protesting racial segregation in 1961 and active in anti-Vietnam movement. She was in accident and confined to wheelchair, still resides in Louisville and rescues feral cats.

Interview regarding the history of Louisville's LGBTQ movement with Suzanne Pharr, a Caucasian southern lesbian activist and former director of Arkansas Women’s Project and of Highlander Center. Pharr is now Tennessee-based as a writer on intersections of homophobia, racism, sexism; was a consultant to early Fairness work and Kentucky-based during Fall 2004 No-on-the-Amendment drive.

Recording of Fairness Anniversary, a public event.

Interview regarding the history of Louisville's LGBTQ movement with Natalie Reteneller, a founder of the (LGBT) Louisville Youth Group (LYG) and early youth leader in Fairness work.

Interview regarding the history of Louisville's LGBTQ movement with Jeff Rodgers, a coordinator of Pride Committee, organizer of Pride Week events, strategist and co-founder of Fairness, co-chair of Fairness board at time of interview.

Interview regarding the history of Louisville's LGBTQ movement with Ed Segal, a UofL anthropology professor and faculty adviser to early gay-rights non-credit class at UofL who testified on behalf of lesbian marriage plaintiffs in 1970 courtroom.

Interview regarding the history of Louisville's LGBTQ movement with Eleanor Self, a Caucasian lesbian who attended Southern Baptist Seminary and got active in early Fairness efforts. Self’s special interest was investigating religious right in Louisville.

Interview regarding the history of Louisville's LGBTQ movement with Carla Wallace, a Fairness Campaign co-founder and “idea person.” Wallace is a native Louisvillian, educated at Tufts University, returned to Louisville a few years after college, and became active in the Kentucky Alliance against Racist and Political Repression, and in the Greater Louisville Human Rights Coalition, a 1980s organization dedicated to ending discrimination against gays and lesbians. Wallace was instrumental in early March for Justice that led to Fairness Campaign and in joining LGBT and anti-racism campaigns and leaders.

Interview regarding the history of Louisville's LGBTQ movement with Carla Wallace, a Fairness Campaign co-founder and “idea person.” Wallace is a native Louisvillian, educated at Tufts University, returned to Louisville a few years after college, and became active in the Kentucky Alliance against Racist and Political Repression, and in the Greater Louisville Human Rights Coalition, a 1980s organization dedicated to ending discrimination against gays and lesbians. Wallace was instrumental in early March for Justice that led to Fairness Campaign and in joining LGBT and anti-racism campaigns and leaders.

Interview regarding the history of Louisville's LGBTQ movement with Carla Wallace, a Fairness Campaign co-founder and “idea person.” Wallace is a native Louisvillian, educated at Tufts University, returned to Louisville a few years after college, and became active in the Kentucky Alliance against Racist and Political Repression, and in the Greater Louisville Human Rights Coalition, a 1980s organization dedicated to ending discrimination against gays and lesbians. Wallace was instrumental in early March for Justice that led to Fairness Campaign and in joining LGBT and anti-racism campaigns and leaders.

Interview regarding the history of Louisville's LGBTQ movement with Carla Wallace, a Fairness Campaign co-founder and “idea person.” Wallace is a native Louisvillian, educated at Tufts University, returned to Louisville a few years after college, and became active in the Kentucky Alliance against Racist and Political Repression, and in the Greater Louisville Human Rights Coalition, a 1980s organization dedicated to ending discrimination against gays and lesbians. Wallace was instrumental in early March for Justice that led to Fairness Campaign and in joining LGBT and anti-racism campaigns and leaders.

Interview regarding the history of Louisville's LGBTQ movement with David Williams, an activist-archivist active in Louisville gay life since early seventies, longtime editor of The Letter newspaper, collector of LGBT local history and creator of the Williams-Nichols gay rights collection in the University of Louisville Archives and Special Collections.

Interview regarding the history of Louisville's LGBTQ movement with Carl Wilson.

Interview regarding the history of Louisville's LGBTQ movement with Dawn Wilson, an early Kentucky trans-rights activist, African American student at Transylvania University in Lexington who came out as trans-woman.