When my father died, I didn’t know how to feel. We weren’t close. We hadn’t spoken in years. There was no big dramatic fallout just a slow, quiet fade. Phone calls that stopped coming. Texts were never answered. Time stretched the distance wider until we were strangers who shared a last name. Then came the…
Long before Keith Boykin stood in the East Room of the White House helping orchestrate the first-ever meeting between a sitting U.S. president and LGBT leaders, he was just a kid growing up in St. Louis. It’s easy to forget that icons often start right next door. Boykin, who lived here until high school before…
Downtown Alton has become a magnetic refuge for visual artists seeking community, inspiration, and creative rebirth. Since the pandemic, artists have been moving to Alton in droves—finding not only affordability, but an invigorating environment where art and culture are thriving. Long known for its legendary music scene, the city is now exploding with visual arts…
WerQFest is back, and it’s bigger than ever. With R&B star and breakout Broadway talent Avery Wilson headlining, and a stacked lineup of local artists, this year’s festival is shaping up to be one for the books. Avery isn’t just known for his powerhouse vocals that have landed him on stages around the world he…
On April 13, Jesse “Grim” Woods walked to the corner store in his Dutchtown neighborhood and was shot and killed. Homicide Detectives have now identified suspects. Anyone with information about the incident is urged to call the Homicide Division directly at 314-444-5371. Anyone with a tip who wants to remain anonymous and is interested…
Missouri History Museum’s groundbreaking exhibit, Gateway to Pride, the first-ever full-scale exhibit on St. Louis’s fascinating and powerfully relevant LGBTQIA+ history, will celebrate it’s closing this weekend, July 5th and 6th, with a range of celebratory activities. The exhibit has drawn over 100,000 visitors since it opened and has been featured in USA Today. Event…
Let me be clear: Queer joy isn’t just a vibe—it’s a full-blown magical working. A spell. A hex against hopelessness. It is a monkey wrench tossed into the gears of A system that says we aren’t allowed to exist, let alone find joy in this life. We live in a system of oppression that would…
This Pride Month, Flight Club Darts in Clayton is hitting the bullseye with a festive celebration that’s equal parts playful, flavorful, and fabulously supportive. Partnering with the beloved queer-owned ice cream sandwich shop Sugarwitch, Flight Club is serving up an irresistible limited-edition treat: The Ursula. Inspired by everyone’s favorite sea witch with a twist of…
Author Jeff Copeland was not like the other boys growing up in exurban St. Louis in the 1970s. Rather than playing sports, he was fascinated by the glitz and glamour of Hollywood. Copeland decided early on that he wanted to write about celebrities, and with the help and encouragement of his resourceful mother, who came…
Picture it, a stretch of I-40 at night. I’m one of only a few cars on the road. I am driving to my hometown from Oklahoma City to feed the animals at my mother’s house. Inside the car I am coming to a decision. Do I live as myself? Or do I continue to live…
