K.C.

K.C. Loer

Pronouns: He / Him

I'm originally from Marion, IN but moved to Muncie in 2008 to attend Ball State University. After receiving my BS in Public Relations in 2012, I began working on developing at Starbucks as a Store Manager. In 2015, I moved to Indianapolis to manage my own Starbucks store. However, I absolutely hated living in Indy and decided to move back to the place that most felt like home to me, Muncie. I have been back in town for approximately a year now and couldn't be happier.

To be perfectly honest, it's the people in Muncie that keep me here. When I went to High School in Marion, it was a somewhat conservative town. I felt as though I could never be my true self. When I moved to Indy, even though the gay community is much larger there than it is in Muncie, I felt intimidated and somewhat unaccepted. Living in Muncie, I feel as though I am "a big fish in a small pond." so to speak. The entire community is not only accepting of my sexuality, but supports it as well. Two locations that have truly allowed me to feel comfortable in my own skin and thrive are Starbucks and The Mark III Taproom, the only gay bar in town. Starbucks is known for their accepting, non-discriminating principles and working for this company for the past ten years has allowed me to be confident in my sexuality. They have made me realize that my sexual orientation isn't a handicap, like society sometimes likes to categorize it. Starbucks embraces my individuality and everybody that walks through those doors into our cafe is well aware that it is a progressive, diverse, and accepting space. At Starbucks, we refer to our stores as "The Third Environment." Our customers and partners (employees) go to work, go home, and go to Starbucks. I love that Starbucks strives to make their stores feel as welcoming as possible to everyone, no matter your race, religion, color, sexual orientation, gender, etc.

The Mark III Taproom is the oldest and largest gay bar in Indiana. I have worked there part-time for the past three years as a DJ, Bartender and Performer. It's honestly magical during show nights when people from all walks of life come to the "gay bar" to simply have a good time with friends and strangers alike. No judgements. No discrimination. Just celebrating life, great times and the people we share those things with. With that being said, the thing I am probably most proud of here in Muncie is my Drag Queen persona, Beau Tox. She got her start in LGBTQ club, Spectrum, at Ball State and when I graduated, The Mark III Taproom continued to book her for shows. A question that I often get asked is that since I do drag, would I ever want to get a sex change. While I support the trans and non-binary community 110%, that simply isn't for me. I love being able to use art to create the illusion of being a female for a couple hours and then go right back to being a boy. Beau Tox, however, has made me more confident as a male. I'm not entirely sure how to explain it but there is just something so empowering about being able to command a stage as a female, while still staying true to my gay male self. Drag Queen or not, I will always be a gay male. And I couldn't be prouder of it. I would consider my sexuality just a piece of the puzzle that makes up who I am. I have red hair. I work at Starbucks. I love Britney Spears. I like pasta. I'm gay. They are all factors that create the individual I present to the world day after day.

I have mixed feelings regarding Indiana's inclusiveness towards the LGBTQ Community depending on the city you reside in. Growing up in Marion, I had my moments of discrimination and I had my moments of acceptance. Since then, I have heard that Marion has become much more accepting. While living in Indy, I felt as though the city itself was accepting of the LGBTQ Community, however I sometimes questioned the inclusiveness within the gay community itself, and I don't mean this in a negative way. What I mean by this is that the city is much bigger than, say Muncie, and a certain type of segregation is bound to happen in a city that is as massive as Indy, geographically. The Drag Community in Indy, however, is extremely inclusive and I am very inspired by the work the Kings and Queens are doing there on a nightly basis. I've visited Ft. Wayne a lot recently and I have felt very included in that city. Same goes for Anderson. As I said, I really think it just depends on the city or town you reside in. Overall, I think that we are on the right track as a state in making everybody feel included and ensuring that everybody has equal rights. But great things take time. I look forward to the day I have a child with my male partner and we can hopefully live in a city / state / nation / world where sexual orientation and preference is the last thing on anyone's mind.

I would have to say that my biggest fear being a gay male in Indiana is the regression of the progress we have made as members of the Indiana LGBTQ Community in the past couple of years. Nothing is permanent, which is why it is so important for us to not take one another, or what we have all accomplished together, for granted. We continue to progress generation after generation, and I want to see my child live in a generation where he or she continues to move forward and be the voice of past generations and their struggles.

I'm not entirely sure if Indiana will be my forever home...and I'm okay with that. If you were to ask my teenage self, he would have sassily said "NO WAY!." But after growing up and seeing this state progress, especially my city of Muncie, I would be perfectly content with living in Indiana forever more. As long as I am allowed to marry the man I love, adopt when I'm ready, be successful in a company that supports my sexual orientation and continue to surround myself with amazing individuals. I feel as though Muncie is the most LGBTQ accepting place I have ever lived. Every bar in town, especially the downtown bars such as The Fickle Peach and Savages, are overwhelmingly accepting of the LGBTQ community. Muncie is truly a city where you can go into any downtown location and the fact that you are "gay," simply doesn't even cross your mind. Here, you're not gay. You're not straight. You're not Trans. You're simply part of the Muncie Community. A town where almost everybody knows everybody and it's not necessarily a bad thing. Some people have some negative things to say about Muncie and chances are, those people have never really given Muncie a chance. It's not called "Funcie" for no reason. Muncie, IN will always be where I feel most accepted. It's home for a reason.