By Jacob Hogue
Special article from NKyTribune
Something new will happen at the 2024 Cincinnati Pride Festival.
When I took over as Cincinnati Pride’s History and Heritage Activities Chair in January 2024, I wanted Pride Festival to be a place where people could not only have fun and celebrate, but also learn about Cincinnati’s rich, but forgotten, queer history. The region’s LGBTQ+ history predates activism, and before Pride Festival began, there were numerous queer Cincinnatians who shaped both Cincinnati’s history and LGBTQ+ liberation that we are only now beginning to discover.
Annie Hindle. “Annie Hindle, Transvestite, in Critical Condition” (photo from the Cincinnati Post, July 14, 1897)
They’ve teamed up with local artist and designer Noam Denenberg to curate seven installations that will be on display at Pride Festival – check out the Pride Festival map for location details.
“Before There Was Pride” shines a light on hidden chapters of Cincinnati’s vibrant history, where queer pioneers, both famous and unknown, have skillfully woven their stories into the fabric of our community. Among the figures featured is Annie Hindle, America’s first transvestite on the variety stage, who lived in Cincinnati in the 1870s and 1890s.
Meanwhile, Charlie Howard was passed off as a woman when he was born in 1853. After moving to Cincinnati, he lived as a man for decades until his secret was revealed upon his death in 1948. Poet and playwright Mary McMillan, transvestite Lestra LaMonte and activist Mary Ann Lederer also feature in the book.
Please join us:
Date: June 22
Location: 705 East Pete Rose Way, Sawyer Point, Cincinnati
Festival Hours: 12pm – 9pm
The project is funded in partnership with Cincinnati Pride and Northside Print Shop.
Charlie Howard. “Sex Secrets Hidden for Decades” (Image from The Cincinnati Enquirer, February 26, 1948)
Lester (Restra) LaMonte. (Photo from www.queermusicheritage.com)
Jacob Hogue is a graduate of Northern Kentucky University’s Masters in Public History program. He serves on the boards of Urbanist Media and Queens of Queen City, two nonprofits focused on elevating the voices of marginalized people and preserving the places that matter to them. Jacob is also the History and Heritage Action Chair for Cincinnati Pride and a member of the Gay Ohio History Initiative. Additionally, Jacob is the founder of the Instagram account Queen_City_Queer_History, has appeared as a stand-up history speaker at Muse Cafe, and is contracted to write his debut book, “Cincinnati Before Stonewall: The Untold Queer History of the Queen City.”
