30-year-old Hezekiah Williams III is an influencer and a life coach for those newly diagnosed with HIV, and his words have reached millions. He’s the project coordinator at Project THRIVE, a culturally affirming health program. In partnership with Southampton Healthcare, Project THRIVE provides mental health services, HIV/STI testing and prevention, and community-based support, all in…
Activism
From Friendship to Revolution: A St. Louis Lesbian Love Story
The other day, as I drove down Manchester Road toward Maplewood, I remembered there was a partially queer-owned coffee shop called The Living Room. I made a mental note to stop in and support them. I love how, these days, my straight friends are often the ones telling me about queer-owned businesses. It…
PROMO to Host Event at Platypus on May 13
LGBTQIA+ communities all over the state are rising to meet the moment. At a time when face-to-face connection to our community feels both urgent and powerful, a series of gatherings is working to carve out space for community, visibility, and action across Missouri. PROMO Missouri’s “We’re Queer + We Live Here” series, started in 2024,…
THISTL (Trans Housing Initiative St. Louis) is seeking donations for its Mutual Aid Fund
THISTL (Trans Housing Initiative St. Louis) is seeking donations for its Mutual Aid Fund, the organization’s longest-running program and a critical winter lifeline for transgender and gender-nonconforming TGNC people in the St. Louis region. Each year, the Mutual Aid Fund provides low-barrier rental assistance and emergency aid to TGNC community members facing housing instability. Aid…
Black Pride St. Louis to Hold Rally Defending Trans Youth
On January 13, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in Little v. Hecox and West Virginia v. B.P.J., landmark cases challenging bans that discriminate against transgender students under the Equal Protection Clause and Title IX. In response, the ACLU has called on Black Pride and TFAM organizations nationwide to host community activations…
Year-In-Review: The Community Remembers Stephen Houldsworth
To many, movements for civil rights appear to change with each generation, topically shifting focus as new social issues arise year by year. We often fragment movements chronologically, forgetting the expertise of elders who, like ancestral chords, sonically bind movements together through time. Rooted in the legacy of those who came before us, we stand…
2025 Luminary Awards: Joe Hedley
At 80 years old, beloved bartender Joe Hedley describes the three defining eras of his life as the three legs of a tripod: his time in the US Army, his years in San Francisco at the dawn of the AIDS crisis, and his 14 years at Just John. Though he has received awards from Fair…
The Luminary Awards: Randy Rafter
Black Pride’s Randy Rafter was sitting in church when something the pastor said stuck with him: “It’s no longer time for moments. It’s time for a movement.” A man of service, Rafter took that message to heart—and made it his organization’s motto. In many ways, Rafter and Black Pride St. Louis are one and…
The 2025 Luminary Awards: Joan Lipkin
Editor’s note: Join us for the Out In STL Luminary Awards on December 4. Joan Lipkin has been designated an Icon by St Louis Magazine, profiled in 50 Key Figures in Queer US Theatre, received numerous local and national awards as a visionary and community leader, and last spring was elected into the prestigious College…
St. Louis Coalition Rallies on World AIDS Day Amid Funding Threats
ST. LOUIS – Vivent Health, in partnership with the mayor’s office and a broad coalition of community-based organizations, invites St. Louis communities to join them in observing World AIDS Day on Monday, December 1. They are hosting a march, rally and more powerful events dedicated to remembrance, advocacy, and a renewed commitment to a world…