“Terrorism & counter terrorism, History of Photography, History of Performance Art. These were the most fascinating classes I took while working on my Bachelor of Fine Arts at Florida Southern College – and I took them simultaneously. You wouldn’t believe how intertwined these subjects were,” Caroline Bedenbaugh said about her college experience, which culminated in a degree in graphic design with a double minor in political science and art history.
Bedenbaugh is a film buff and recent young LGBTQ+ transplant from Florida who has quickly found her footing in Charlotte’s Queer Arts community and LGBTQ+ advocacy.
How did she end up in the Queen City, you might ask?
“I had never lived outside of Florida and wanted to experience seasons, more than Florida has,” she mused. With a best friend in tow, this yearning for cooler temps and fall colored leaves lead to a North Carolina road trip.
According to Bedenbaugh, of all their destinations along the way, “…there were so many good vibes from Charlotte, we decided it would be a good place to live.”
Together the two friends made the move and settled into a NoDa apartment they adore. That was September 2024 and the rest – as they say, is new history. During this interview we learn a little more about Bendenbaugh’s experiences as a come-lately Charlotte resident and Charlotte Pride’s Communications Coordinator.
L’Monique King: What are you passionate about?
Caroline Bedenbaugh: I’m super passionate about the LGBTQ+ community, art and film. Especially art by queer artists.
LMK: What are your top two favorite films?
CB: I’ve got so many favorites; I need a minute to think about that. My top two would be, “The Way He Looks” (a Brazilian coming of age love story) and “Desire Lines.” I highly recommend it. It’s half narrative and half documentary with footage of Lou Reed – a gay trans man who died of AIDS in the ’90s.
LMK: Are you partnered?
CB: I have a girlfriend, yes. She is wonderful, kind and funny. We’re in a long-distance relationship – she’s in Austria. It’s hard and as you might imagine, because of our political climate, more worry comes with travel. Thankfully, the internet allows us to connect without 10-12 hour airline flights. I miss her and look forward to being able to be together in person.
LMK: What’s your favorite space or place to visit in Charlotte?
CB: I like Rosie’s [Coffee and Wine Garden] in NoDa. It’s like a coffee shop during the day and a wine shop at night with a beautiful garden [on premises]. They have events there too. I also love Independent Picture House, the movie theater. I work there part-time and full-time for Charlotte Pride.
LMK: How did you get involved with Charlotte Pride?
CB: I got involved actually because of queer film. Before I moved to Charlotte, I looked up two things; whether or not there was an independent movies theater and what LGBTQ organizations there were. I found out that IPH (Independent Picture House) annually hosts a Charlotte Film Festival. At the 2024 festival – I’d just moved here – they presented a queer documentary and invited the Queer Charlotte Film Festival [Reel Out] to attend and participate in a Q&A following the film. It was at that festival where I met the organizers of Reel Out and showed interest in joining their Screening Committee. Over time I found and applied for a job opening with Charlotte Pride for a Communications Coordinator – the role I currently occupy.
LMK: This must be a challenging time to be in communications, considering we now have lists of words being scrubbed from websites and federal grant applications. Has this been an issue or challenging for you? How is Charlotte Pride handling this issue?
CB: I would say yes, it’s been challenging for our managing directors who deal more with managing sponsorships. In my current role, I haven’t had to worry about that as much so far. On the social media side, I’m communicating with the queer community. So, when I’m engaging with our community I have continued to use “our words” words we’re proud of.
LMK: Considering the over political climate are there any changes in place this year for Charlotte’s Pride festival and parade?
CB: We’ll be in a new festival zone this year in First Ward Park Saturday, Aug. 16 through Sunday, Aug. 17. I think the new location will give a greater community and festival feel, with more local vendors than we’ve ever had before. [Pride week begins Sunday, Aug. 10, with an interfaith service at the Unitarian Universalist Community of Charlotte]. The week will be filled with activities and cool events like Flourish [Aug. 16], our arts and cultural celebration. Flourish features LGBTQ art, artists and culture. It’ll be in the Dubois Center at the uptown UNC-Charlotte campus. I think by visiting these events, people will find the community that they crave, during a time when it feels like the world isn’t recognizing our worth or visibility. Attending Pride will provide a renewed sense of purpose, community and hope.
LMK: Speaking of being seen, what does intersectionality look like for you? Do you ever feel like you have to compartmentalize your identities?
CB: I’m white and white passing – a woman and woman passing. I do think, despite wanting to look as gay as I can all the time, people do often assume I’m straight. I don’t hide my gayness, in most circumstances. Though I’ve been in situations where I felt like I had to dial back, whether that meant being quieter as a woman or silent as a gay person. As far as intersectionality goes, the phrase reminds me to use my privilege as a white person, a white woman, in leveraging the voices of my friends who don’t share my identity. In the meantime, I try my best to keep learning, listening and being a good friend.
LMK: On a lighter note, what frightens you?
CB: Right now, I’m afraid for my trans friends. Especially back in Florida. Florida was the first state to end up on the anti-trans legislation map and has been listed as a [non]-travel state for trans people for over a year now. It’s not the only state either, but it was the first one.
LMK: If you could take a dream vacation to escape it all for a while, where would you go?
CB: Ooh, I’d love to go to Greece.
LMK: As a communications expert what concerns do you have about AI?
CB: Lots of things. It doesn’t have the knowledge or depth (as a person) we need to communicate with people. I’ve tried things like captioning Instagram posts and it’s just not very good. It takes away from the art of communication and [eliminates] the brain power it takes to create. I think we should challenge ourselves to keep writing, keep being human, even if it’s not perfect.
LMK: But what if you weren’t human? <Chuckling> If you could be any animal, what would you be?
CB: <Without a moment’s hesitation> A house cat. Cozy life, lying in the sun with food provided – they’re just cool animals.
LMK: Returning to your human self and in closing, can you offer a few words of encouragement to our LGBTQ youth readership?
CM: <Thoughtful pause> It’s undeniable that we are living in times where we worry. The fear is extremely valid. But, to find hope and not get lost in the despair we have to lean on each other, show up for each other and engage in community. It’s so powerful. It’s not something you can quantify or see online. It’s [within community] when you’re with people and having tough conversations – that’s when you find the hope, the idea, the creativity and the comfort to keep trying and moving forward.