We were lucky to catch up with Missy Spears recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Missy, so excited to talk about all sorts of important topics with you today. The first one we want to jump into is about being the only one in the room – for some that’s being the only person of color or the only non-native English speaker or the only non-MBA, etc Can you talk to us about how you have managed to be successful even when you were the only one in the room that looked like you?
I think it’s critical for queer leaders to expand their presence from lgbtq+ focused spaces, and to make sure that we are involved, active, and respected in spaces that weren’t necessarily built for us. Prior to my role at Queer Kentucky, I became active in spaces that were traditionally dominated by straight white men. Spaces that were becoming lgbtq+ friendly but not lgbtq+ focused (various nonprofits, boards, networking and professional development circles, local governments, community advocacy groups, politics, and private business clubs). I am far too often the only recognizably queer person in the room, but I also acknowledge that as a white woman, I am still accepted or invited into these spaces before my peers of color. That means I have a responsibility to use these opportunities to bring other marginalized communities to these tables, and that inspires me to outwork the other folks in the room, to show my impact as a visibly queer person, to speak out and question policies that may be keeping other underrepresented folks from these circles, to offer solutions on new ways to recruit and identify members, and to uplift and elevate other voices into these communities.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I am the Executive Director of Queer Kentucky, a nonprofit founded out of Louisville that uses the art of storytelling to positively impact LGBTQ+ culture and health. We work with queer writers and artists from all over Kentucky to uplift the culture, history, resources, politics, and news in our community, and we publish their stories on our popular digital platform or through our quarterly print magazine that is widely distributed throughout Kentucky and to 20+ other states. Our organization also offers Queer-Inclusive workshops for small businesses and corporations, hosts panels and trainings on suicide prevention/financial competency/health and wellness needs, and in 2024 is working to shine a light on substance use disorder in our community by uplifting the voices of those effected and offering harm reduction supplies on a statewide basis for the first time. As Executive Director, I am extremely excited to expand our programming further into Kentucky with an emphasis on NKY/Greater Cincinnati, as well as the rural areas of our state. We are also excited to host the first Queer Bourbon festival in the country this year, with Bourbon and Belonging: Kentucky’s Queer Bourbon Week taking place October 2-6 across 8 different cities in Kentucky. Not only will we be partnering with our top distilleries to make Kentucky’s top export more inclusive, but we will also be working with zero-proof brands to offer exciting sober events and N/A beverage options. Our big event launch is coming at the end of February and we can’t wait to tell the country what we are up to!
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
The most impactful part of my journey was realizing that if a resource doesn’t exist in your community, we can create it ourselves. Start creating relationships early, and make sure they are not one-sided. As much as your community gives to you, you have to be able to give even more back to them to make the investment worth it. I started my community career by throwing adult scavenger hunts in the area that brought business and social media attention to small businesses in my community. Thanks to the relationships I’ve formed I’ve been able to continue to work with those businesses to receive no-cost event space for future events, fundraisers, parties, panels, and community conversations I host. From those events I’ve been able to greatly expand my network throughout the state, and create new programs including raising over $30,000 to co-found a free fridge/pantry program in my city for folks experiencing food insecurity. (Our second fridge opens this year.) If you give more than you get, your community will have your back through anything.
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
We are always looking for new organizations, businesses, artists, writers, and professionals to collaborate with at Queer Kentucky. There are a number of ways to work with us including: -Writing for our digital platform or print publication
-Becoming one of our wholesale partners for our celebrated print magazine
-Advertising your business to our readers
-Inviting us to participate as a speaker at an event, sit on a panel, or lead a presentation on an aspect of our work (like authentic storytelling!)
-Bringing one of our 3 Queer Inclusive Workshops to your place of business
-Being a sponsor or event partner for our upcoming Bourbon and Belonging: Kentucky’s Queer Bourbon Week Festival
-Or creating a new collaboration opportunity!
You can reach me at [email protected] for any collaboration requests! I would love to talk to you!
Contact Info:
- Website: queerkentucky.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/queerkentucky/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/queerkentucky
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/queer-kentucky/
Image Credits
Credit: Queer Kentucky personal photo credit: Samuel Greenhill
