Louisville, KENTUCKY, (October 1, 2020) – Kentuckiana Pride Foundation (KPF) partners with Paristown – Imagine a Place and The Café to pay tribute to a community trailblazer, Amirage “Ami” Salings at Christy’s Garden in Paristown on Thursday, October 15, 2020 at 7:00 PM. A portion of the proceeds from the drag dinner show will benefit The University of Louisville’s Kent School of Social Work Trans Champion scholarship.
Tickets for the tribute can be purchased online via Eventbrite. Reserved table seating prices range from $30 to $120. The dinner show will take place at Christy’s Garden in Paristown — Louisville’s newest and most unique outdoor venue for community and neighborhood events. Food and beverage will be available for purchase. A special toast to Amirage’s community involvement will be made possible by True Colours Cava (an LGBTQ+ ally company). To learn more and order tickets, please go to: www.paristown.com/happenings.
AJ McKay & Victoria “Syimone” Taylor will serve as the emcees for the tribute. AJ McKay is an 11-time Voice Arts award winning: Voice Actor, Demo Producer, Audio Engineer, and LGBTQ+ community activist with over 30-years of industry experience. Victoria “Syimone” Taylor is one of Louisville’s finest entertainers whose work is symbolic for the Trans community. Syimone is accredited for her work as a DJ, LGBTQIA+ entertainer, and a community activist. Some of the most talented local drag artists have agreed to provide the entertainment for the evening as we pay tribute to Louisville’s own Amirage Sailing. The tribute will feature performances by entertainers that Amirage has influenced. Amirage was a local entertainer at The Connection Nightclub where she performed celebrities such as Cher and Annie Lennox. Amirage worked for The Volunteers of America as a Social Worker. She was an advocate for HIV care and helped so many people battling the virus. Amirage graduated from the University of Louisville earning a degree in social work. She was privileged to carry the college banner at her graduation commencement and was also awarded the 2019 Kent School Student of the Year award. She was a voice for the community for equal rights and was a trailblazer in the LGBTQIA+ community. Amirage was well known in the community and was loved by many.
The University of Louisville’s Kent School of Social Work signaled that it is developing a Trans Champion scholarship award to be named in Amirage’s honor. The Kent School stated in a recent Facebook post that Amirage embodied the spirit of everything the award is intended to recognize in a Trans* Champion. The scholarship will be created and given to a Kent School of Social Work student who either identifies as Transgender, Nonbinary, Gender Queer, or Gender Nonconforming or who is a champion for the rights of this minority group. They will exemplify the attributes necessary to be an advocate for LGBTQ rights within the field of Social Work with a particular emphasis on the rights of those who are Transgender, Nonbinary, Gender Queer, or Gender Nonconforming. If you are interested in giving to the scholarship fund, donations can made by going to the main Kent School Giving Form www.give.louisville.edu/Kent
The KPF mission is to provide a forum for creative expression and education related to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) community in Louisville Metropolitan Area and to give back through charitable and in-kind donations.
