Faulkner Morgan Archive

Photograph of Jenny Shelton and Cherie Collins in a photo booth, from Collins' scrapbook, likely 1970s. #LGBTQHistory

Later known as Jammi, her life of advocacy continued as she moved to different states. As her obituary shares, "She was an advocate of human and animal rights and a true lover of the arts." In 2008, Shelton passed away in St. Petersburg, Florida, survived by her wife and three children.

Shelton was a member of the Lexington Women's Collective on 2nd Street. She also created and led the Gay Liberation Front at the University of Kentucky, along with Roger Ware, around 1970. This is the student group that would later go on to sue the university for official recognition.

Jenny Shelton (short hair) was a major player in Lexington's fight for gay liberation and lesbian-feminist organizing. As Charlotte Vice put it, "she was committed to working for equality for years… establishing womyns groups and writing the womyns community paper, Take Back the Night, Amber Moon."

A Life of Gay Liberation: Remembering Peter Taylor - Queer Kentucky LGBTQ activist Peter Taylor, a founder of Kentucky’s gay rights movement, dies at age 71.

LGBTQ activist Peter Taylor, a founder of Kentucky’s gay rights movement, dies at age 71. @faulknermorgan.bsky.social queerkentucky.com/a-life-of-ga...

All month long, Lussi Brown Coffee Bar will be celebrating their "Pride Fridays" and giving 10% of sales go to local LGBTQIA+ organizations! This Friday, June 20, that nonprofit is FMA!! We hope to see you all for a coffee date that day as you support Kentucky's LGBTQ History! ☕❤️🧡💛💚💙💜

Queer Kentucky Queer Kentucky is a diverse LGBTQ+ run non-profit based in Louisville, Kentucky working to bolster and enhance Queer culture and health.

You can read the article online, or purchase your own physical copy, at www.queerkentucky.com! #LGBTQHistory

"For one night and one night only, Lexington hosted Queer entertainers of the 1970s and 1980s. Drawn by the city’s reputation as a gay haven, and connections of several bar owners, Lexington became a “one-night stand” as celebrities stopped to perform on their way to larger cities.⁠" ⁠

Have you grabbed your copy of @queerkentucky.bsky.social's newest print issue on LGBTQ art and performance?? We were proud contribute an article highlighting the long legacy of performers visiting queer spaces in Lexington!

Panelists include Jonathan Coleman and John Brooks as well as current and upcoming exhibitors, Jackson Markovic and Ceirra Evans.

The panel will take place on Saturday, June 14, 2025, at 3:00 p.m. at Institute 193, 215 N. Limestone, Lexington, KY with a reception will follow.

This panel will discuss the work of Patrick Angus (1953-1992) and John Burton Harter (1940-2002) alongside other queer Southern artists of their generation. The discussion will further include the perspectives of contemporary artists dealing with the nuances of depicting queer life in the South.

Tomorrow, July 14 at 3pm, join us at Institute 193 for this incredible panel on queer Southern artists!

The John Burton Harter Foundation and Institute 193, in collaboration with the Faulkner Morgan Archive, proudly present Depicting Desire, a panel discussion.

💚 From The Archive: An LGBTQ History of Kentucky
📆 Sunday, June 8
🕗 2pm - 3pm
📍 @ Farish Theater, Lexington Public Library

This exhibit and programming was made made possible by a generous 250Lex Cultural Grant! #LGBTQHistory

Join us this Sunday, June 8 at 2pm as we discuss the roots of Kentucky's LGBTQ History as part of FMA's traveling exhibit Queer, Here, & Everywhere! From revolutionary war veterans, Sweet Evening Breeze, and Henry Faulkner, this free presentation will showcase the long legacy of our history!

Get up close and personal with some of the incredible imagery and important stories from our community. These images are just a quick glimpse at some of what you'll get to see! We hope that you and all of your friends join us as we celebrate over 200 years of Kentucky's LGBTQ history!

Missed the opening reception for "Queer, Here, & Everywhere: The Roots of Kentucky’s LGBTQ History?" No worries! It will be on display at the Lexington Public Library, Central Branch through June 26!

Emma speaks to a crowd at the Lexington Public Library

Emma exchanges a hug with Mayor Gorton

Emma and a friend look at a panel from the Queer, Here, and Everywhere exhibit at the Lexington Public Library.

Emma and Mayor Gorton pose with representatives from the Mayor’s office, the Faulkner Morgan Archive, and the Lexington Public Library.

Yesterday, I was proud to speak alongside Mayor Gorton at the opening of the @faulknermorgan.bsky.social’s Queer, Here, & Everywhere Exhibit at the Lexington Public Library.

As a lifelong lover of stories, libraries, and the city I call home, it was a deeply moving moment for me. 🧵👇

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Stories like these show us that queerness has always been a part of Kentucky's history, but sometimes you have to uncover what has often been hidden. Our Asst. Exec. Director got a chance to visit the graves last week in Bowling Green, KY. #LGBTQHistory

His endowment was still being used to fund the public schools as late as the 1920s. Also in the 1920s, Thomas Crittenden Cherry (Superintendent of Bowling Green Public Schools) published an article about the two men. In the article, he states that tradition holds the two men were "queer."

At their deaths, the two men were buried side by side. On Peter’s tombstone, in keeping with Robert’s wishes, it reads: "Peter Tardiveau: Comrade in arms and friend of Robert Craddock." Craddock’s fortune was left to the city of Bowling Green to fund schools for poor children.

As they had wished, upon their deaths, all the enslaved people were emancipated, and the plantation split up amongst them. One of their students, Willis Russell returned to Danville and established what is arguably the first school for Black children in KY.

By the early 1800s, both men are living on a plantation named the Hermitage, right outside of present day Bowling Green. The two men enslaved a large number of Black Kentuckians, but, unknown anywhere else in Kentucky, Tardiveau started a school at the Hermitage for the enslaved children.

Robert Craddock and Peter (Pierre) Tardiveau are believed to be among the earliest queer settlers in Kentucky. Their story dates back to around 1775. They met while serving in the Virginia Continental Army in the Revolutionary War and remained close companions.

"Queer, Here, & Everywhere: The Roots of Kentucky’s LGBTQ History" is the first comprehensive exhibition of Lexington’s LGBTQ history, showcasing the importance of the queer community in this city.

This exhibition was made possible by a generous 250Lex Cultural Grant!

Tonight!!! Join us for the opening of "Queer, Here, & Everywhere: The Roots of Kentucky’s LGBTQ History!" 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

💚 "Queer, Here, & Everywhere" Opening Reception
📆 Tonight, Friday, May 30
🕗 5pm - 8pm (remarks at 6pm)
📍 @ Lexington Public Library, Central Branch

We had such a great time presenting at the Kentucky Council on Archive's 2025 Spring Meeting at UK Special Collections last week! 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

Our panel, included four queer archivists focused on LGBTQ history and what collective solidarity and liberation look like within the world of archives.

Donate Material — Faulkner Morgan Archive

If you have materials relating to any of these requests, we would love to hear from you! We would love to fill in these gaps in our collections. You can visit faulknermorgan.org/donate-material or email us at info@faulknermorgan.org for more info. #LGBTQHistory

- Lesbian history (Including feminist organizing)
- Transgender, non-binary, and gender non-conforming history (Especially from the 20th Century)
- LGBTQ bars and businesses (especially those that are now closed)

💚 SPECIFIC REQUESTS FOR OUR COLLECTIONS 💚
- Queer people and experiences in rural communities
- Kentucky’s Latinx drag scene
- Pride festivals and gatherings from across the state (Particularly from smaller, rural towns in Eastern and Western Kentucky)
- Black LGBTQ history

Have you ever considered donating material to the Faulkner Morgan Archive? 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️
While we collect a wide range of items relating to LGBTQ Kentuckians, there are some topics, themes, groups, and locations that we have identified as needing more representation in our collections.