Aretina Hamilton is a third year doctoral student in the Department of Geography at University of Kentucky, researching issues related to race, space and sexuality in the cultural landscapes of the American South. She received her Bachelor’s of Arts degree from Kentucky State University with a major in Political Science and a Masters in Arts from the University of Delaware’s School of Urban Affairs and Public Policy (with a concentration in Urban and Regional Planning).  At present, she is interested in understanding how sexual minorities in the South claim space and how cultural landscapes are changed by these presences. She is particularly interested in understanding how African American gays and lesbians negotiate their identities in cities like Atlanta, Charlotte and Miami.