Out in Evansville: An LGBTQ+ History of River City

by Kelley Matthew Coures

From arrests and ostracization to public festivals and drag shows, the LGBTQ+ people of Evansville have walked a twisting path to their current existence. In the early days of the city, local newspapers harassed and bullied members of this group, even going so far as to encourage them to commit suicide. A series of murders in the 1950s and 1960s left Gay, Lesbian, and Transgender population of Evansville without justice and validation. The AIDS epidemic of the 1980s did the same. Happily, things have changed. Today, the city's LGBTQ community is out and proud, and thousands attend the annual Pride parade down Main Street. Looking back on more than a century of uneven progress, Kelley Coures unfolds this often tragic yet at times hopeful story.

144 pages, Paperback

Published April 24, 2023

Reviews

[Don · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this a few weeks ago and had to sit with the review part for a bit because the author is a friend. I realized that I missed actually hearing these stories from Kelley. He is a great storyteller and because I have heard him speak and have heard some of this content first hand, the written form was somehow less for me. As reflected in the title, these stories and histories are about Kelley’s hometown of Evansville; while I live here now I was not raised here. Kelley lived a lot of this and, as a historian, is well versed through research the eras he does not know first hand.

[jasonbateman · Rating 4 out of 5]

such an important book! mr coures doing the work to keep these stories from being forgotten.

[Shazza Maddog · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very interesting overview of the LGBTQ+ history in Evansville, Indiana.