Author Jeff Copeland was not like the other boys growing up in exurban St. Louis in the 1970s. Rather than playing sports, he was fascinated by the glitz and glamour of Hollywood. Copeland decided early on that he wanted to write about celebrities, and with the help and encouragement of his resourceful mother, who came…
Picture it, a stretch of I-40 at night. I’m one of only a few cars on the road. I am driving to my hometown from Oklahoma City to feed the animals at my mother’s house. Inside the car I am coming to a decision. Do I live as myself? Or do I continue to live…
In the early 1990s, Oklahoma City was adrift. Struggling with a stagnant economy, a sleepy, dated downtown that closed at 5:00 pm, and little national recognition, civic pride was hard to come by. Old-money Tulsa, 90 miles to the northeast, and the booming, glitzy Dallas, 200 miles south, looked down on Oklahoma City as being…
Rejection is a universal experience—whether romantic, social, or professional, most people can recall a time when they were passed over, turned down, or excluded. But for some, rejection doesn’t just sting—it detonates. Their reaction is disproportionate and can create fallout that affects everyone around them, including friends, family, and even innocent bystanders. Understanding these intense…
A meditation on dreams, ambition, and the price of spectacle. Reviewed by Adam Josephs, Out in STL May 2025, Lincoln Center Theater – Vivian Beaumont Theater The secret to great performance art is that it makes you care about the characters, no matter how abstract or unconventional. Lincoln Center’s revival of Floyd Collins Hooks you…
In recent years, the Republican Party has aggressively advanced a slate of policies and rhetoric aimed squarely at transgender Americans—particularly youth—under the guise of protecting children, preserving fairness in sports, and defending “parental rights.” But beneath these talking points lies a more calculated political strategy: to divide and weaken the broader LGBTQ coalition by isolating…
“Who’s fighting for us?” It’s the question that has echoed across the nation in the wake of the election. Our rights and our very democracy are being dismantled, and we’ve often seen tepid responses from those we look to for action. We’re demanding more, and we’re seeking to regroup and rebuild. At the dawn of…
Spectrama Lighting and Production, the company run by thruple Christopher Taber, Rusty Warning, and Evan Rose, has elevated our local nightlife scene with world-class production skills that wow audiences and pack dancefloors. Their work was a factor in their home bar, Rehab St. Louis, being voted “Best Gay Bar” by Riverfront Times readers during the…
Spirituality these days is often marketed like a solo journey with a crystal starter pack. You meditate alone, journal alone, light your candles alone, and if anyone disrupts your peace? Cut them off. Block. Banish. Repeat. But what if the spirituality of isolation they are marketing to us is not very spiritual at all? Throughout…
In the heart of St. Louis, a new creative force is emerging one that redefines what it means to be a social fraternity. Founded in 2025, BLQK x ΦΛΚ (pronounced “BLQK Phi-Lambda-Kappa”) is not just a collective of friends or a social group. It is an intentional, curated space created by and for Black queer…
