It’s about 5:30 a.m. and I’m up early trying to finish the final task of the massive, unwieldy undertaking that is the Out in STL Influence Issue: a profile on theater guru and activist Joan Lipkin. “You’re writing the Joan piece? Good luck with that,” laughs a mutual friend I will not name. So much…
Jeff Small: The Comeback
We’d be hard pressed to think of a local LGBTQ+ celebrity who fell as far and as publicly as Jeff Small. A household name in St. Louis due to his years as a KDSK reporter and anchor, his January 2018 drug arrest made for shocking headlines and viral posts. While his life had seemed ideal…
Christine Elbert: “Lesbian Jesus”
In 2010, Christine Elbert was walking through the Pride Festival with a friend, and it took her 45 minutes to get through the throngs of folks wanting to say hello. Impatient to get another drink, the friend quipped, “We gotta wait for Lesbian Moses over here parting the Red Sea.” Somehow, “Lesbian Moses” quickly morphed…
Nicci Kincer: Pride With Purpose
It was the early ’90s when a fourteen-year-old Nicci Kincer came out of the closet. And what she found outside that closet was hostility and fear — and, ultimately, inspiration for her life’s work of making the way easier for the kids coming out today. “Back then if you were gay, you were the reason…
Here’s your one chance Andy, don’t let us down!
Photographer Andreu Wade Blackwell Talks OnlyFans In our lifetimes, side hustles have never been more important to survival than they are right now. Even The New York Times has examined how people are turning to subscription sites like OnlyFans to make ends meet. Andreu Wade Blackwell, widely known in St. Louis for his acclaimed drag…
Letter from the Editor: Chris Andoe
When we rang in the year 2000, it wasn’t about a new year or even a new decade. We were celebrating a new millennium (setting aside the boring technicality that the millennium actually began in 2001). Prior to that, it felt like each decade was distinctive from the last. Visuals come to mind when someone…
Men of the Match: Kevin Hayes, Jr. & Mike Lehmkuhle are Bringing Dating Back
What is it about new romance that captivates us? Supermarket checkout lanes are lined with cover photos of attractive, freshly minted couples. We even went through a phase of coming up with cute names for them, like TomKat and Brangelina. Whatever the reason, public interest is undeniable. The dominance of hookup culture has made getting…
Black Tulip Chorale Celebrates 500 Years of LGBTQIA2+ Music With Free Concert Nov. 16
Black Tulip Chorale closes its second season with a performance celebrating more than 500 years of music from LGBTQIA2+ artists, ranging from art songs and arias to 21st century pop music. Featured artists for the “Our Song” concert include Grammy award winner Christine Brewer and members of the St. Louis Wind Symphony. Production manager Ken…
New Cabaret Venue Blue Strawberry Showroom & Lounge Opens with Ken Haller Oct. 31
Twenty years ago pediatrician and cabaret favorite Ken Haller started a special fund for a yet-to-be-determined retirement passion. Although he has no plans to retire at the moment, when producer and entrepreneur Jim Dolan invited him to invest in a Central West End cabaret venue this past March, Haller basically said, “Take my money!” See…
Bear Season in St. Louis Begins Oct. 31: HiBearNation 25
Hundreds of rooms are booked at the host hotel, and guests from as far away as Australia are making their way to St. Louis for one of the world’s largest bear gatherings: HiBearNation 25. This will be the 25th year the Show Me Bears have put on this major event, and HiBearNation 25 Chairman D.…