Interview with Kathryn Bailey

Partial Transcript: And to start us off, how about you tell me a little bit about yourself in general?

Segment Synopsis: Bailey is a Lexington native currently living in Ohio on a farm with her partner of thirty-five years and works in the healthcare industry. Bailey and her partner have a son and several grandchildren. Bailey thinks that Lexington is a bit more progressive than other towns of the same size. Bailey was raised in the Baptist Church and the Methodist Church, respectively. Bailey excelled in school academically and enjoyed participating in extracurricular activities such as track and was also class president. Bailey says that she had a close circle of LGBTQ friends but they did not use terminology like gay and lesbian to describe themselves. Bailey explains that her friend group naturally found one another because they were singled out as being different from their peers. Bailey says there were no explicitly LGBTQ-specific activities in her high school, but many participated in sports and went out to bars once they were old enough. Bailey realized that she was different when she did not have the same reactions and conclusions about situations as her peers.

Keywords: MBA; Lafayette High School (Lexington, Ky.); Relationships; Different; Companionship; Acceptance

Subjects: Nurses; Nursing; Lexington (Ky.); Ohio; Childhood; Early life; Partners; Gays; Lesbians; Christianity; Methodist; Baptists; Education; High school; Sports; Track; Basketball; Softball; Friendship; Peers; Teenagers

Partial Transcript: And so, you graduate from high school--.

Segment Synopsis: Bailey went into the Air Force right after graduating from high school. Bailey says the dynamics within the military were interesting because the LGBTQ service members found each other despite the "Don't ask, don't tell" (DADT) policy on sexual orientation being in place at the time. Bailey became close to several LGBTQ service members in her unit and still corresponds with some of them today. Overall, Bailey says that she had no issues with don't ask, don't tell and that everyone implicitly knew that they had to say that they were not gay to remain in the military. Bailey was in the Air Force for four years and subsequently joined the Army Reserves and enrolled at Eastern Kentucky University (EKU). Bailey wanted to pursue higher education and earned a bachelors degree in the healthcare field. Bailey also obtained a bachelors degree in business and a masters in nursing and then an MBA. Bailey says that her higher education experiences allowed her to mature and find a career path in healthcare management. Bailey had a variety of jobs, including managing an oncology practice in Florida and was the only person with a non-medical background at a cancer treatment program at Stanford University. Bailey then moved to Ohio to manage a satellite program of the Sylvester Cancer Center at the University of Miami. Additionally, Bailey worked a variety of jobs in construction. In the early 2000s, Bailey pivoted to the education sector and became a teacher and later the director of at-risk education in Grant County Public Schools. Bailey was able to leverage her experiences as a foster parent to give at-risk youth the social and academic support they needed to graduate from high school. Bailey and her partner both worked in public education but did not disclose they were a couple due to concerns over repercussions for their jobs or family members.

Keywords: "Don't ask, don't tell"; Healthcare; Cancer care; University of Miami Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center; GenesisCare

Subjects: United States. Air Force; Education, Higher; Eastern Kentucky University; Basic training (Military education); Gays; Lesbians; Diversity; Sexual orientation; Friendship; United States. Army--Reserves; Oncologists; Florida; Management; Stanford University; Palo Alto (Calif.); Cancer; University of Miami; Construction; Women-owned business enterprises; Lexington (Ky.); Horse farms; Partners; Teachers; Grant County (Ky.); Foster parents; Foster children; At-risk youth; High school; High school dropouts; Sons

Partial Transcript: You know, in the old days in Lexington, the only women's place to go was The Country, the one that we started.

Segment Synopsis: Bailey says that The Country was unique in that there were few if any bars catering to lesbians in Kentucky or Ohio. Bailey was one of three co-founders of The Country and served as the manager. Originally, the space that would later become The Country was a pizza place. Bailey recalls tearing out all of the old brickwork and glass to convert the space into a bar. The Country initially had no cover charge and served beer and wine and a DJ provided the music. Initially, The Country did not have membership cards, but Bailey says that a membership system was created in order to maintain the safe and welcoming atmosphere of The Country by having more control over who could come in. Bailey explains that members paid a monthly fee and no one was allowed in The Country unless they were a member or accompanied by one. Bailey and a waitress became the de-facto bouncers and intervened when there were reports of trouble inside The Country or in the parking lot. Bailey explains that The Country management and patrons did not want to attract attention by calling the police every time there was an issue. Overall, Bailey says there were not very many bad incidents at The Country, but some people had to be banned for their inappropriate behavior. Bailey says that having a membership policy and intervening in a positive way when there were issues helped to create a community within The Country where people looked out for one another. Bailey decided to start The Country with her then-partner and their friend. Bailey was primarily responsible for the construction-related aspects of establishing The Country, including making sure the building was up to city code. Bailey says the concept behind The Country was to create a space for lesbians to socialize in and feel safe. Bailey explains The Country got its name from a gender inclusive bar in San Antonio that she attended which was also called The Country. Bailey and her business partners did not encounter any issues with trying to establish a lesbian bar, primarily because it was not necessary to disclose the type of bar they wanted to open during the liquor license application process with the city.

Keywords: The Country; Renovations; DJs; Free admission; Attention

Subjects: Lexington (Ky.); Gays; Lesbians; Nightlife; Bars (Drinking establishments); Ohio; Social; Friendship; Women-owned business enterprises; Partners; Management; Wine; Beer; Music; Disc jockeys; Safety; Membership; Women; Bouncers; Protection; Bartending; Compliance; Building inspection; Social; San Antonio (Tex.); Liquor laws; License system

Partial Transcript: Do you have any recollection of what days and hours you all were open . . .

Segment Synopsis: Bailey says that The Country was open on most weeknights and every weekend. Bailey recalls having social events at The Country after softball games, including birthday parties. Bailey explains that not many pictures were taken at The Country due to privacy concerns and the need to keep it a safe space for lesbians. Bailey remembers taking pictures with the DJ/bartender, who was also a co-owner of The Country and one patron who was a regular. Bailey describes the layout of The Country, which had one room with a dance floor and a mirror ball. Bailey says that the DJ could look through a window at the dance floor and play music from the side of the room. A few months after opening, the co-owners were able to knock down a wall on the other side of the room to allow more space for dancing and live music performances. Bailey says that her current partner played at The Country with her band. Bailey adds that The Country frequently hosted pool tournaments and Sunday brunches. Bailey describes prepping for a night at The Country as the manager, including receiving soda and beer deliveries, cleaning, conducting sound checks and finding someone to serve as a bouncer.

Keywords: Managers; The Country; DJs; Deliveries; J.C. Conley

Subjects: Management; Lexington (Ky.); Gays; Lesbians; Nightlife; Bars (Drinking establishments); Social; Softball; Birthday parties; Photographs; Disc jockeys; Privacy; Bartending; Bands; Dance floors; Dance; Pool (Game); Brunches; Bouncers; Beer; Wine; Soda; Women-owned business enterprises

Partial Transcript: . . . How did The Country function as you know, a business, in terms of profit.

Segment Synopsis: Bailey says that The Country was never a consistently profitable business. Bailey says herself and the two co-owners had stable jobs and were in a good financial position to support the business with outside income when necessary. Bailey explains that The Country only served beer and wine and could have done better financially if there were food items on the menu. Bailey says that their goal was not to make money and that members at The Country were willing to pay their dues and help out when needed. Bailey says The Country would have special events during holidays and frequently hosted disco dance tournaments. For Bailey, The Country functioned as a community for Lexington lesbians. Bailey says that everyone was accepting and supportive even if they were an acquaintance and says that The Country bonded people together. Bailey recalls when a couple had planned to move away from Lexington but got in a serious car accident as they were leaving. Bailey remembers how The Country's patrons supported the couple and came together to support them.

Keywords: The Country; Profits; Dance tournaments; Comfort; Connections; Community

Subjects: Lexington (Ky.); Women-owned business enterprises; Gays; Lesbians; Nightlife; Bars (Drinking establishments); Capital; Food; Beer; Wine; Membership; Holidays; Pool (Game); Disco music; Dance; Friendship; Social

Partial Transcript: . . . Were there ever any men who went to The Country, like---as like customers?

Segment Synopsis: Bailey says that the patrons at The Country were mostly women, but there were some gay men that would come. Bailey says that gay men were always welcome because they accepted and treated everyone with respect. Bailey adds that there was an emphasis on maintaining a sense of protection and safety for the female patrons, cemented by the bouncer at the door and restrictions on non-member entries. Bailey observed that the sports teams such as the lesbian softball league tended to have more racial diversity than The Country. Bailey recalls some Black and Latino members of sports teams coming as a group with their teammates but not individually. Bailey thinks the overall lack of diversity at The Country was reflective of Lexington's racial demographics at the time, which had a smaller non-white population compared to today.

Keywords: The Country

Subjects: Lexington (Ky.); Lesbians; Gays; Nightlife; Women-owned business enterprises; Bars (Drinking establishments); Men; Women; Friendship; Membership; Safety; Protection; Sports teams; Blacks; African Americans; Latinos

Partial Transcript: Back then, when you know, you all were at The Country and socializing, hanging out, did anyone use words like "butch" or "femme" to describe themselves or other people. Or was that not really part of the vocabulary so much.

Segment Synopsis: Bailey says that her friends and people at The Country did not use the terms "butch" or "femme" to describe themselves. Bailey has only encountered labels similar to butch and femme during the social media era of people wanting to group themselves together based off of perceived identities. For Bailey, The Country was a place where she could go to relax after work and be herself. Bailey enjoyed dancing and seeing one of her favorite waitresses. The Country was so important for Bailey because it was one of the first times in her life that she felt accepted for who she was and could be comfortable and open with everyone. Bailey says it was amazing to experience that feeling of being with people who knew who she really was and understood her.

Keywords: The Country; Comfortable; Relax

Subjects: Lexington (Ky.); Gays; Lesbians; Bars (Drinking establishments); Nightlife; Women-owned business enterprises; Butch and femme (Lesbian culture); Labels; Social networks; Identity; Social media; Work; Disco music; Dance; Waitresses; Pool (Game)

Partial Transcript: . . . Like, that one of the appeals or gifts of The Country was like, oh, we're safe here . . .

Segment Synopsis: Bailey says that The Country felt safe in the sense of privacy and that people were watching out for one another. Bailey does recall the police coming to The Country to check on their liquor license, but does not remember any difficult or tense interactions with them.

Keywords: The Country

Subjects: Safety; Lexington (Ky.); Gays; Lesbians; Bars (Drinking establishments); Women-owned business enterprises; Nightlife; Privacy; Police; License system

Partial Transcript: How long were you involved with The Country . . .

Segment Synopsis: Bailey was the manager at The Country for about a year and a half. Bailey got a job out of town and wanted to work somewhere else in order to earn more money. Bailey would occasionally visit The Country after it was under new ownership and operating under the name The Hidden door and did not notice any significant changes to the bar. Bailey thinks The Country closed due to financial issues with consistently making enough money to be a profitable business. Bailey says that the second owner of The Country, J.C. Conley, was well-known in the Lexington lesbian community and still remains in touch with her today.

Keywords: The Country; The Hidden Door (Lexington, Ky.); J.C. Conley

Subjects: Lexington (Ky.); Gays; Lesbians; Nightlife; Bars (Drinking establishments); Management; Women-owned business enterprises; Ownership; Money; Income

Partial Transcript: I had a lot of big women's events, you know, in my life, so.

Segment Synopsis: Bailey has organized women's events in the tri-state (Kentucky, Ohio, and Indiana) area near Cincinnati. Bailey wanted to foster a sense of community and a gathering place for lesbian women to socialize and be themselves. Bailey and her partner began hosting events every fall at their home in Dry Ridge, Kentucky. It was through these parties that the Tri-State Women's Club reached out to Bailey and her partner to see if they would host a large event at their farm. Bailey says that around 1,200 women showed up for that event. It was a three-day event with camping, vendors selling art, veterinarians giving advice on pet care, and music. Bailey says they coordinated with the Tri-State Women's Club to have a concession stand, tents and four stages for the event. Bailey and her partner would make a large breakfast for the event on Sundays. The event was held for three years, but Bailey says that the logistics became too much as her children got older. Bailey adds that looking out for the safety of so many people was a bit challenging, especially when it came to preventing drunk driving. Bailey says the event was very relaxed and free, with some women electing to swim nude in the lake. Bailey enjoyed being in an all-female environment and thinks that as a whole, women are less tactical and hostile towards one another than men and was not concerned about finding weapons on women at the event. Bailey says the event cultivated a sense of community and trust and people from all kinds of different backgrounds attended. Bailey says she came out of her shell at these events and enjoyed meeting other lesbian professionals in her area.

Keywords: Women's events; The Country; Tri-State Women's Club; Reel World String Band; Comradery

Subjects: Lexington (Ky.); Ohio; Indiana; Gays; Lesbians; Women; Lawrenceburg (Ind.); Parties; Social; Friendship; Dry Ridge (Ky.); Cincinnati (Ohio); Identity; Partners; Camping; Music; Jewelry; Stages; Concessions (Amusements, etc.); Alcohol; Dogs; Cats; Veterinarians; Farms; Food; Breakfasts; Logistics; Children; Swimming; Drunk driving; Safety; Nudity; Freedom; Men; Sons; Self-consciousness (Awareness)

Partial Transcript: I think these type of--the bar, the Tri-State Women's event, it's very--um--it's self-awareness and self---self-growth as much as anything.

Segment Synopsis: Bailey thinks that her somewhat conservative nature was influenced by her career in business. Bailey says she had the mindset of not wanting anything to do anything that could jeopardize her career. Bailey says that she has participated in several protests in D.C. such as supporting the AIDS Memorial Quilt and opposing the don't ask, don't tell military policy. Bailey's experiences at these events made her realize that she can let her guard down a bit and support causes she believes in without having to worry so much about the repercussions from choosing to attend. Bailey believes that everyone has a role in improving society in terms of LGBTQ rights. Bailey is glad that she has made a contribution to this cause despite her conservative nature.

Keywords: Tri-State Women's Club; Don't Ask, Don't Tell

Subjects: Identity; Gays; Lesbians; Identity; Self-consciousness (Awareness); Women-owned business enterprises; Protection; Protests (Negotiable instruments); Washington (D.C.); United States. Military; HIV infections; AIDS (Disease); Human rights; NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt; Civil rights

Partial Transcript: I wanted to ask you what--what you thought when you first heard about like this oral history project that's happening.

Segment Synopsis: Bailey was curious about this oral history project when she first heard about it. Bailey did not realize how important The Country was to the history of the Lexington LGBTQ community and her role in establishing it as a co-founder. Bailey compares it to the film "It's a Wonderful Life," in which the protagonist is given an insight into what the world would have been like if he never existed. Bailey says that she is acutely aware that there are always people going through difficult times because they feel different than everyone else and it can be a crushing blow to also experience a life-changing event like a divorce at the same time. For Bailey, her primary goal is to allow people to accept themselves for who they are and not suffer because of it and provide support for the other issues people are experiencing. Bailey is sometimes frustrated by the fact that herself and her partner are a family but are not treated like one because they do not fit into the antiquated nuclear family structure of a man and a woman as the head of a household. Bailey and her partner have also found acceptance within their community because of their professional careers and the fact that they have children. Bailey thinks it is important to establish firm roots in her community so that people can associate a name and face with the LGBTQ community and humanize a group of people that continues to be othered or vilified by some prejudiced people. Bailey also believes that it is vital to establish human connections between people and everyone must work to combat stereotypes and the stigma associated with identifying as LGBTQ.

Keywords: The Country; "It's a Wonderful Life"; Different; Acceptance; Connection; Family

Subjects: Gays; Lesbians; Lexington (Ky.); Interviews; Bars (Drinking establishments); Nightlife; Motion pictures; Identity; Crises; Children; Partners; Education; Responsibility; Nuclear families; Stereotypes (Social psychology); Prejudice; Discrimination

Partial Transcript: . . . How much or how little has Lexington changed you know, since The Country, basically.

Segment Synopsis: Bailey says that Lexington is more progressive than some cities with around the same population size. Bailey has many business friends in Lexington and they are not afraid to identify as LGBTQ. Bailey thinks that the presence of the University of Kentucky in Lexington and its location that is not too far south or in the mountains has helped it to become more progressive than towns in surrounding areas. Bailey adds that Lexington has not progressed to the point that she would feel just as comfortable as a lesbian woman out in public than she did at The Country. Bailey says there is still not a lot of awareness around lesbian couples. Bailey recalls traveling with someone that did not realize that Bailey and her partner were a couple after being around each other for ten days. Bailey remembers that the pharmacist technician at a San Jose Walmart thought she was picking up a prescription for her mother instead of her partner. Bailey says the pharmacist technician was having trouble understanding that Bailey was on her partner's health insurance plan. Bailey says she is not comfortable going out dancing as a lesbian woman but in part attributes that to her conservative nature but. Bailey is proud of contributions and accomplishments on behalf of the LGBTQ community.

Keywords: The Country; Progressive; The South; Pharmacies; Conservative

Subjects: Lexington (Ky.); Gays; Lesbians; Change; Nightlife; Bars (Drinking establishments); Identity; California; University of Kentucky; Business; Appalachian Mountains; Travel; Partners; Awareness; Surgery; Health insurance; San Jose (Calif.)

Partial Transcript: . . . You know, how do you feel looking back on it now.

Segment Synopsis: Bailey says that she did not realize the significance of The Country for the history of the Lexington LGBTQ community until reflecting on her experiences later in life. Bailey also did not think about how much The Country helped individual people struggling with their identity and who found a place of belonging and acceptance there. Bailey laments on the fact that some people who were instrumental to The Country are deceased and that this project must share their legacy and memory.

Keywords: The Country; Belonging; Acceptance

Subjects: Lexington (Ky.); Gays; Lesbians; Nightlife; Bars (Drinking establishments); Identity; Death