No other road has captured the American imagination quite like Route 66, the iconic 2,400-mile corridor stretching from Chicago to Los Angeles and running directly through our region. “Growing up in St. Louis, we heard as much about Route 66 as we did the Mississippi — the lore of both is embedded. Both promise adventure…
Leading the Way: Dale Wrigley on His Career Journey and Novus Health’s Transformative New Facility
St. Louis has maintained an uncommonly robust LGBTQ healthcare ecosystem for decades. Nationally, much of HIV care has been relegated to large, impersonal university hospitals or federally qualified health clinics. In St. Louis, however, LGBTQ practitioners stepped up long ago to create community-centered practices such as Southampton Healthcare, University Club Medical, and Central West Health…
Lawn Care Owner Apologizes, Blames Alcohol After Sending Vulgar, Homophobic Texts to West County Woman
Tori, who requested that only her first name be used, says a simple text message to her landscaper sparked an unexpected and vulgar response. The West St. Louis County resident texted her landscaper to ask that her lawn be mowed every other week instead of weekly. The request prompted a barrage of hostile text messages…
Joan Lipkin Receives National Award at Sunday Evening Event
Theatre artist and activist Joan Lipkin was honored Sunday evening with the 2026 Margo Jones Award, one of the most prestigious recognitions in American theatre. The award, which had never previously been awarded to a St. Louis resident, celebrates a lifetime of achievement, honoring individuals who have made a profound and lasting impact on the…
La Voûte’s Flag Rises
Standing on the podium at the 2025 Winter Guard International World Championships, bronze medal dangling from his neck, tears running down his face, and confetti falling all around, La Voûte founder Brandon Fink looked at his young team (ages ranging from 18-27) and was filled with pride that he’d helped facilitate the next generation reaching…
From The Little Bevo to the Belles of the Bevo to their Drag Embassy, the Fruends’ empire thrives
When Nick Fruend, 36 (Janessa Highland when in drag), travels the region, the Miss Gay Missouri America naturally scouts talent, especially in smaller cities like his native Springfield, Missouri. He’s proved to be an effective recruiter. “When I was traveling and performing frequently, I did a ton of shows all over,” Fruend says. “I’d talk…
“Mayor of Gay OKC” Floyd Martin to Celebrate His 60th on Saturday
He eats terribly. He drinks like a fish. He never has any money—if an employer won’t give him time off for an event, he simply quits. He’s tumbled through a second-story plate glass window at The District Hotel. He’s been run over by a car. He’s been struck by lightning—twice. It’s almost incomprehensible that “Mayor…
Rain Can’t Stop Soulard Mardi Gras’ Sequin Circuit
Each Soulard intersection has its own tribe and vibe during Mardi Gras, and the stretch of Russell near Menard is ground zero for LGBTQ+ folks and those who love the spectacle we put on. Known as “The Sequin Circuit,” the compact area is bookended by Bastille and The Hi-Hat Lounge, offering options for shelter should…
I Believe Cori Bush is the Fighter We Need
The Epstein Files have pulled back the curtain on how power often operates — dividing and distracting the public while wealth and influence concentrate at the top. At a moment like this, it’s critically important that we scrutinize our candidates and ask where their loyalties truly lie. When you follow the money, the contrasts in…
Year-In-Review: Remembering Bonnie Blake
At 89 years old, sitting behind her big wooden desk at the front of her sleepy South Broadway antique store, Bonnie Blake could have never imagined how interesting her life was about to become. In walks Geoff Story, a documentary filmmaker seeking to interview her for a documentary about found footage of a 1940s gay…