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Boys in the Band theatrical art.

Laurence Luckinbill Is a Straight Man Who Helped Make Gay History

Laurence Luckinbill Is a Straight Man Who Helped Make Gay History

The first series of events organized in October 1994 for the inaugural LGBTQ+ History Month was a film festival on the campus of the University of Missouri-St. Louis, where I was completing a graduate degree in history. Ten films were screened on four successive Monday nights: October 3, 10, 17 and 24. Among the selections

Protesters gathered in Jefferson City to protest trans rights last month. | REUBEN HEMMER

Metro Trans Umbrella Group: Missouri AG Leads Misguided Attack on Trans Rights

Metro Trans Umbrella Group: Missouri AG Leads Misguided Attack on Trans Rights

On April 13, 2023, the Missouri attorney general issued an emergency order effectively barring access to gender-affirming care for transgender individuals in our state. This stunning and profoundly concerning decision undermines the well-being of a vulnerable population and sets a dangerous precedent in allowing the state to intervene in personal medical decisions. Gender-affirming care is

Trans Kids Don’t Need a Savior. They Need Access to Evidence-Based Care

Trans Kids Don’t Need a Savior. They Need Access to Evidence-Based Care

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

The Hearse Chaser: Steven Brawley Preserves LGBTQ History

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

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

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

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

Navigating the Weirdness of Alton, Illinois

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)

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