The history of drag in St. Louis is both colorful and politically important. The St. Louis LGBT History Project has unearthed examples of “female impersonator” news stories dating as far back as the 1870s — including one of a man who died from wearing a corset too tight, crushing his organs. St. Louis’ masquerading laws,…
FILTHY FILTH FEST
GET FILTHY As queer culture goes mainstream, its “edgy underground nature” dissipates, says Maxi Glamour, a fashion designer and event planner for Qu’Art (a.k.a. Queer Art). To keep the rebel vibe alive, Glamour and DJ Monsieur Gaston have announced the first annual Filthy Filth Fest for the night after Thanksgiving. It aspires to be a…
Poet Eileen Myles to Speak at Left Bank Books on Thursday
Lovers of belles lettres can enjoy a feast of literary discussion at Left Bank Books this Thursday, September 28. In the back of the shop, nationally renowned lesbian poet Eileen Myles will be discussing her most recent work, Afterglow (A Dog Memoir). Ostensibly it’s a love letter to her late pit bull Rosie, whom she…
‘Every Breath We Drew’ Shows the Gentle Side of Masculinity
When artist Jess Dugan began shooting portraits of her friends in 2011, she says, she gravitated to those who had “found a way to be masculine that’s more gentle and more vulnerable than the mainstream version of it.” In 2015, she published a book of those photographs, Every Breath We Drew. Now she’s exhibiting 30…
Illinois’ Ban of the ‘Gay Panic’ Defense Won’t Solve a Problem — But It May Prevent One
If a man were on trial for murder and adopted the “gay-panic defense,” it would sound something like this: I’m sorry I killed the victim, your honor, but he winked at me, and he’s gay, so that’s provocation. I deserve a lesser charge. On August 25, Illinois joined California as one of only two states…
We Need To Talk About Health Care, Fam!
Sick of hearing about health care? In late July, after seven years of promises and drama, congressional Republicans failed to pull off a wholesale repeal and replacement of the Affordable Care Act, a.k.a. Obamacare. Now this week, they’re trying once again. But even if this most recent effort loses steam, that’s no excuse to tune…
Meet Our Cover Model, Cheyenne Devereaux
Dexter Peebles may be a 29-year-old St. Louis boy, but his alter ego, Cheyenne Devereaux, is a Southern belle relatively new to town. “Before, she was just mine,” says Peebles. “Now, sharing her with other people is incredibly freeing.” Photographed by Susan Bennet in her studio on Lemay Ferry Road, Devereaux danced to Florence +…