Beatriz Gonzalez knows firsthand the difficulty in securing housing as a trans person in Missouri. When he needed to seek emergency shelter with his children, Alternatives to Living in Violent Environments, a.k.a. ALIVE, supported Gonzalez with space in a motel while he made a multitude of calls to 211, the hotline for getting help with community services.  Gonzalez was repeatedly told there wasn’t space available in local shelters. Finally, when a spot did open up, Gonzalez was ultimately turned away due to his gender identity. Eventually, he was able to find a different space in a shelt ..read more

For Zach Towers, growing up queer in a religious household in Missouri predestined his own sex life to be … a journey, to put it nicely. Today, Towers hopes to make conversations around sex more accessible to those who need it. That’s why the St. Louis-born comedian, writer and actor started After Hours with Zach Noe Towers on Sirius XM, a new sex positive talk show that premiered on June 15 on the Netflix Is A Joke Radio station. After Hours creates a space for everyone to laugh at sex, Towers says. He brings on stand-up comedians as guests including Billy Wayne Davis, Bob the Drag Queen, Dav ..read more

Upon entering the sliding doors at my home-away-from-home, you’ll first notice the smell. The vetting process, when you’re verbally given directions to this clandestine spot and finally understand where you’re going, probably already filled you with apprehension and anticipation, and those feelings return now as you realize you’re breathing in the acrid air of your ancestors. You know you’re not on the right floor, but you don’t dare try to operate the ancient elevator, with its levers and contraptions you’ve only ever seen in black-and-white movies. So instead, you take the stairs, which were ..read more

This Sunday, Bella’s Sweet Treats & Boozy Shake Shop and Naughty Bits STL are hosting the first opening review of the Rooftop Revue Drag Brunch at Hotel St. Louis (705 Olive Street, St. Louis). The brunch kicks off at 10 a.m. with unlimited mimosa and Bloody Mary packages, followed by a drag show that runs from noon to 2 p.m. with performances by Akasha Royale, Trixie Larue, Vega, DJ Meggo and the newly crowned ‘All American Goddess 2023’ Tabbi Katt, who will be co-hosting the event. The brunch buffet features a wide selection of food, including a chicken and waffle station with red velvet ..read more

Until I competed in my first pride pageant on May 28 at River City Casino, all I really knew about pageants came from watching the iconic 2006 film Little Miss Sunshine and occasionally mining YouTube for the worst beauty pageant responses to the on-stage Q&A. My working class roots and the fact that I was raised to scorn anything that could be deemed “frivolous” — manicures, bubble baths, fancy dresses — meant that I had suspicions and preconceived notions about what a pageant could be. But after stepping on stage at Prism for the weekly Rising Stars show on Sunday nights, I quickly learn ..read more

As home to one of the largest networks of regional Pride celebrations, St. Louis has a calendar already jam-packed with events, but the party keeps going throughout the summer and fall across the region. Soulard Pride kicked things off with its golf cart parade, and our extended season wraps up with the beloved Tower Gove Pride in September. This year, it seems Pride celebrations are more crucial than ever. Missouri’s state legislature could barely pass any legislation (which is definitely for the best), but it did manage to pass a ban on minors starting transgender health care and a ban that ..read more

In 2015, joyful crowds hugged outside of the Supreme Court Building when the Justices inside struck down same-sex marriage bans, making it legal across the country. It was the latest restriction to LGBTQ+ rights to fall after sodomy laws were struck down in 2003 and the military allowed people to serve openly in 2011. For many, it seemed like the fight for LGBTQ+ rights was nearly won. But since that day in 2015, things have only regressed. It began with fights over wedding cakes for same-sex couples and who uses which bathroom and has culminated in an onslaught of anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination ..read more