A recent piece by Jamie Reed titled “I Thought I Was Saving Trans Kids. Now I’m Blowing the Whistle” frames itself as an exposé of the Washington University Transgender Center at St. Louis Children’s Hospital, suggesting the program is “morally and medically appalling.” But dig deeper and it becomes clear that this article is filled…
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The Hearse Chaser: Steven Brawley Preserves LGBTQ History
The nickname came up for the first time this past summer. When I heard of my friend Ed’s passing, in addition to being saddened by the loss of a special person, I was immediately concerned about his personal collection of local LGBTQIA+ history. What would happen to it? I got nervous. While I was researching…
Pod Help Us All
The best podcasts feel like being at a party with your cleverest friends, and Eric Williams’ That’s a Gay Ass Podcast hits the sweet spot. The podcast goes deep with comedians and celebrities, posting the provocative and fully tongue-in-cheek question: “Whose fault is it you’re gay?” Muny Kids alum Williams is NYC-based these days but…
What Skinny-Dipping in Sweden Taught Me About Life
I’m a proud, homegrown St. Louisan. This city is like my own emotional hot-tub party: The water is warm and full of all my favorite people. I’m comfortable and relaxed. I feel validated here, too, in certain ways, but there’s another type of validation that’s rarer — and requires venturing into the unknown. Last winter,…
5 New Year’s Resolutions For St. Louis’ LGBTQ Fam in 2018
It’s that time of year again, and St. Louis is sparkling with that Midwestern holiday glow. While you’re hanging Christmas lights, shopping for Hanukkah presents and lighting the Kwanzaa kinara, don’t forget that the ultimate test comes at the end of the month with New Year’s Eve. Sure, there’s the task of finding the perfect…
Out to Prove LGBTQ Media Isn’t Dead
Twenty years ago, I was living in Oklahoma City and decided to spread my wings and move to a larger metropolitan area. I wanted to be within a comfortable day’s drive of my family in Tulsa, and I had a few options, none of them ideal. There was no adventure in moving to Dallas. It…
Drawing a Map to LGBT History
A spiffy new enterprise is making use of technology and research to tell tales of the past. It’s an online map that shows you exactly where — to the pinpoint — LGBT history happened in St. Louis. Mapping LGBTQ St. Louis is an interactive digital history project that combines the mapping and research efforts of…
Navigating the Weirdness of Alton, Illinois
I consider Alton, Illinois, the undiscovered Sausalito of the Mississippi River. It’s a picturesque town about 22 miles north of the Arch, a place with dramatic topography and grand vistas. It also happens to have mysteries below the surface. And a Historic Museum of Torture Devices. The museum’s proprietor is Janet Kolar, Alton’s hearse-driving (and hearse-racing)…