June is Pride Month, as helpfully explained by the Library of Congress.
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) Pride Month is currently celebrated each year in the month of June to honor the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan. The Stonewall Uprising was a tipping point for the Gay Liberation Movement in the United States. In the United States the last Sunday in June was initially celebrated as “Gay Pride Day,” but the actual day was flexible. In major cities across the nation the “day” soon grew to encompass a month-long series of events. Today, celebrations include pride parades, picnics, parties, workshops, symposia and concerts, and LGBTQ Pride Month events attract millions of participants around the world. Memorials are held during this month for those members of the community who have been lost to hate crimes or HIV/AIDS. The purpose of the commemorative month is to recognize the impact that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals have had on history locally, nationally, and internationally.
Among the Louisville celebrations marking Pride Month is a beer release and kickoff event today at Mile Wide Beer Company (636 Barret Avenue). The beer is Dorothy’s Riot, canned and draft.
As part of the event, we’ll be releasing this year’s version of Dorothy’s Riot. Working with a group of LGBTQ+ folx on the recipe, we decided to brew the most fruit forward IPA possible, without the use of actual fruit. Utilizing no bittering hops at all, we dry-hopped Dorothy’s Riot extensively with Citra & Enigma. The resulting beer is reminiscent of fruit juice.
Dorothy’s Riot was brewed in collaboration with Queer Kentucky.
Queer Kentucky is a diverse LGBTQ+ run non-profit based in Louisville, Kentucky working to bolster and enhance Queer culture and health though storytelling, education and action. Through our storytelling approach, we give visibility and celebrate the lives of LGBTQ+ folx in the great Bluegrass State. Visibility alone is life-saving.
The label for Dorothy’s Riot was designed by local artist Andy Aliaga-Mendoza.
“I wanted to convey the sweetness and lightness of trans youth in this. The colors (save for the outline black) are colors of the trans flag and the composition is laid out so the colors fall where the flag would. The pink balloons are flying upward as a symbol of the unlimited potential trans youth have so long as we support them. People tend to fly balloons into the air like this to either memorialize someone or to celebrate something and I feel like with this beer we’re trying to do both, especially in a year with the anti queer legislation in Kentucky and the proper backlash it’s gotten.”
Today Mile Wide is hosting an all-day Pride event (Friday hours begin at 2:00 p.m.) Updates and further information can be found at Mile Wide’s Facebook page.
- Various LGBTQ+ vendors & organizations
- Volunteers of America offering free and confidential HIV testing
- Queer DJs spinning throughout the day
- Drag Show at 7:00 p.m.
- Louisville Silent Disco from 9:00 p.m. – midnight
A final note: a portion of the proceeds from Dorothy’s Riot will go to Queer Kentucky.
