This story is featured in CityBeat’s May 29 print edition.
If you’ve ever found yourself searching for LGBTQ+ events in Greater Cincinnati, it’s highly likely that you’ve stumbled across Kelsey Ference’s LGBTQ+ resource, the Midwestern Lesbian. Since 2021, when she’s not crafting media content for a local brewery, Ference is busy promoting local LGBTQ+ events, businesses, organizations and people in Greater Cincinnati on the Midwestern Lesbian’s social media accounts — @midwestern.lesbian on Instagram, @midwesternlesbian on TikTok and Midwestern Lesbian on Facebook — and website. So, to make sense of the jam-packed schedule of events during Pride Month, CityBeat picked Ference’s brain about her favorite Cincinnati Pride events, local LGBTQ+ businesses and more.
CityBeat: Tell us about the creation of the Midwestern Lesbian. When did it start and what purpose does it serve in the local LGBTQ+ community? What inspired you?
Kelsey Ference: I created Midwestern Lesbian in 2021. I was working at a local brewery at the time as a social media coordinator and was creating weekly/monthly calendars of events that the brewery was doing and thought to myself, “Why isn’t there something like this for the LGBTQ+ community?” So I created it myself! I started making weekly posts about the local LGBTQ+ events going on in the city so everyone in the community would have a place to go to find safe and queer spaces. This led me into helping coordinate the Rhinegeist Halloween Drag Show! Myself and the team at Rhinegeist created the first public drag show there and it was incredibly successful. From this event, someone from the Hard Rock Casino reached out to me to talk about creating a drag brunch. This was the first time I would coordinate an event by myself, and it was so rewarding! I learned so much and got to work with some amazing performers in the Tri-State area. Once that ended, I began to create my own events. Now, I’m coordinating events like Sapphic Sips (a pop-up event at different bars, breweries, etc. for sapphic folx), The Big Gay Bar Crawl, Big Gay Karaoke and more!
CB: Since the Midwestern Lesbian social media accounts have done such a great job of promoting Greater Cincinnati LGBTQ+ events, can you share a few of your favorite LGBTQ+ events taking place this summer?
KF: Choosing just a few favorite LGBTQ+ events happening this summer will be so hard! I have a bunch of events this June so I’ll try to keep it brief.
- I’m excited to announce that I’ll be partnering with the Cincinnati Cougars Women’s Tackle Football team for their Pride Night on June 1. They’ll be playing at 7 p.m. at Walnut Hills High School. There will be vendors and a half-time show, with an afterparty at Esoteric Brewing.
- Northern Kentucky Pride is one of my favorite Prides to attend. It’s on June 2 and the afterparty at Hotel Covington is the MOST fun!
- Catch me at Rhinegeist Brewing for their Pride event. Enjoy their Pride brew, Miss Major (fun fact: named by yours truly!) It will include a clothing drive with Transform Cincy, Drag Bingo with Queen City Charities, and rainbow popsicle cocktails with Street Pops.
- Reds Pride Night! Cincinnati Pride does a Reds game takeover every June and I’m so excited to be able to go to this one! It’s on June 7.
- I’m hosting at Big Gay Game Night at Pins in OTR on June 18.
- Of course I’m so excited for Cincinnati Pride this year! Myself and DJ Boywife are co-chairs on the Cincinnati Pride planning committee and we have a lot of fun things planned for the festival! Be sure to come and check it out on June 22.
- I’m also excited for an event I’m hosting at Queen City Exchange on June 28, a Sapphic Dance Party. We’ll be playing sapphic music all night, have drink specials, a photobooth and more! Be sure to follow Midwestern Lesbian to keep up with all things LGBTQ+ in Cincinnati.
CB: In the same vein, what are some of your favorite Pride celebrations taking place in Greater Cincinnati this year?
KF: Like I said earlier, I love Cincinnati Pride; that’s on June 22. Northern Kentucky Pride is so much fun! This will be my third year going and it’s always such a good time. That will be on Sunday, June 2. Cincinnati Pride is hosting a Pride Night with the Reds on Friday, June 7, perfect for queer baseball fans!
CB: Can you also talk a bit about the events organized by the Midwestern Lesbian? What are some exciting events that you have coming up?
KF: I always love coordinating events for the Sapphic community. Since there isn’t a “lesbian” bar in Cincinnati, I love creating spaces for Sapphics in the city. I’m hosting a “Sapphic Sips” which is basically a hangout event at a bar/brewery/etc. for sapphic people to come and meet other sapphic people, at Binski’s Bar on June 15, starting at 8 p.m. I also have a Sapphic Dance Party night at Queen City Exchange on June 28 starting at 9 p.m. I’ll have more sapphic events coming up but they haven’t been announced yet. We’re hosting a Big Gay Golf Night at Five Iron Golf by Fountain Square starting at 6 p.m. Simulator golf play will be free from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., but the event goes until 10 p.m.! Big Gay Karaoke is coming back on June 13 at Tokyo Kitty, starting at 7 p.m. There are a lot of fun and exciting events that I’ll be hosting this summer, so be sure to follow me to stay updated!
CB: Do you have any tips for LGBTQ+ folx who feel lonely, isolated or want to find a sense of community in the Greater Cincinnati area? How can they find new LGBTQ+ friends and allies in the area?
KF: It is very common for folx in the LGBTQ+ community to feel alone. Especially if they come out later in life. There are lots of events that happen in Cincinnati that people in the community may not know about! From craft nights and book clubs, to dancing and drinking; I post a wide range of events so anyone can find other queer people with common interests. My advice is to step out of your comfort zone. I know that it’s stressful to do things you’re maybe not used to, but almost everyone there is in a similar position. Majority of people who come to our events, come to the first one alone and end up meeting new friends (or potential partners!) I met my girlfriend because she had the courage to come up and say hi to me one night, so it could be worth it!
CB: Given the recent legislative attacks against the LGBTQ+ community, have you noticed an increased interest in connection between LGBTQ+ folks in Greater Cincinnati? Is this open hostility something being discussed openly?
KF: I have seen a lot of growth within the LGBTQ+ community in the last year or so, especially with sapphic folx. It’s not easy to find places that are queer owned/friendly, and with that comes fear of going somewhere, being openly queer and not being accepted. I’ve found that there are a lot of spaces that aren’t labeled as a “queer space,” but our community has claimed them as safe spaces and know that they can go there and be accepted. The open hostility that is being projected towards the LGBTQ+ community is being talked about well with the ACLU of Ohio. I have partnered with them on a few events and they do an amazing job at spreading awareness and educating people on what’s going on in the world, especially in the local areas. I know that it’s scary to learn about all of the bad things happening in the world, but it’s better to be educated on what’s going on than to have no clue about what could happen in the future when it comes to your own rights.
CB: What are your favorite LGBTQ+ and LGBTQ+-friendly establishments (stores, restaurants, bars, etc.) in Greater Cincinnati?
KF: Some of my favorite LGBTQ+-owned spaces/businesses are: Awarewolf Apparel, Creative House of Art & Design, Queen City Exchange, Lil’s Kitchen and so much more! I have a “Queer Owned” tab on my website that I’m working on updating often. The website and app “Everywhere Is Queer” is also a great resource.
Some of my favorite LGBTQ+-friendly establishments are: Liberty’s Bar & Bottle, Homemaker’s Bar, Coffia Coffee Shop, Pins Mechanical Co. and Tokyo Kitty!
CB: Do you have tips for first-timers at Cincinnati Pride this year? Any recommendations for moments at Pride not to be missed?
KF: Water and sunscreen!! The day of Pride is always incredibly hot and sunny. I couldn’t tell you the amount of times my friends and I have gotten burnt and been dehydrated. Be sure to follow Cincinnati Pride for the schedule of performances and utilize the map! There’s lots to see and so much fun to be had. Be sure to pace yourself throughout the day so you can stay and see the headlining performances!
CB: How can people find the Midwestern Lesbian? (Social media handles, website URLs, etc.)
KF: @midwestern.lesbian on Instagram, @midwesternlesbian on TikTok, facebook.com/midwesternles and midwesternlesbian.com!
CB: Is there anything else you’d like to share?
KF: I want to mention that Midwestern Lesbian wouldn’t be what it is now without my partner Caitlin — she has helped me elevate Midwestern Lesbian into what it is now. She truly motivates me to want to create more for our community. So I just want to thank her for all that she does and make sure that it doesn’t go unseen.
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This article appears in May 29 – Jun 11, 2024.