LGBT Issues

Mizzou Athletic Department Says "You Can Play" to LGBT Students (VIDEO)

If you're a Tiger, you're a Tiger -- and if you can play, you can play! Such is the message of a newly released promotional video from the University of Missouri's Athletic Department, promoting LGBT rights and diversity on their sports teams. "The Mizzou Athletics Department strives to provide a ... More >>

Missouri High School Faces Lawsuit Over Policy Banning Same-Sex Prom Dates [UPDATE]

Update: Dawson received word today that he'll be able to bring his boyfriend to prom. The Southern Poverty Law Center is challenging a rural southeast Missouri high school for allegedly telling a student he can't bring a same-sex date to prom. Scott County Senior High School student Stacy Dawson s ... More >>

Boy Scouts Anti-Gay Policy: Will St. Louis Organizations End Discrimination?

Last summer, we wrote about Eric Jones, an Eagle Scout at a camp in St. Joseph who was forced to leave the organization after twelve years, because he told the camp director he was gay. That violated the Boy Scouts of America's clear anti-gay policy, though Jones, a sophomore at Missouri State at th ... More >>

Reps Russ Carnahan, Jerry Costello Don't Join House Dems on Anti-DOMA Brief

Representatives Russ Carnahan and Jerry Costello broke with House Democrats yesterday and kept their names off a brief urging a federal appeals court to strike down the Defense of Marriage Act, which prohibits the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages. Carnahan says he's committed t ... More >>

Laura Jane Grace, Against Me!, and the Punk Rock Politics of Gender Identity

Art and life co-habitate, informing, imitating, and enriching each other constantly. Each week in Better Living Through Music, RFT Music writer Ryan Wasoba explores this symbiotic relationship. Tom Gabel is dead. In March, the lead singer of Against Me! came out publicly as a transgender female. Th ... More >>

Ethan Barnett: President of Pride St. Louis Criticized for Relationship with Teen

The leader of Pride St. Louis, the region's most visible LGBT organization known for its annual June parade and festival in Tower Grove Park, is causing a stir in the gay community for his romantic relationship with a high-school student.Ethan Barnett, 30, was elected president of Pride St. Louis la ... More >>

Obama Endorses Same-Sex Marriage, Internet Responds with a Quickness

Well that was fast. President Obama officially came out in support of same-sex marriage today, immediately touching off shouting and gnashing of teeth and cheers and whatnot nationwide. People are gettin' emotional out there. Almost immediately, Tumblr leaped into the breach with the crowd-sourced s ... More >>

Opposition Mounts to Missouri's "Don't Say Gay" Bill for Schools

A week after Republicans sponsors in the Missouri House referred it to committee, a bill that would severely restrict conversations about sexual orientation in public schools is under attack from a growing number of detractors including educators, doctors and fellow politicians. HB 2051 would permit ... More >>

Richmond Heights Approves Protections for LGBT Community

​The Richmond Height City Council last night approved an ordinance providing discrimination protection for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered residents. The measure passed by a vote of 6-2, making Richmond Heights the fifth city in the region to offer such protection. St. Louis, Clayton, Oli ... More >>

Westboro Baptist Church Wins Another Legal Battle in Missouri

​Whatever your thoughts are about the "God Hates Fags" mantra of the Westboro Baptist Church, it cannot be said that the organization does not know its rights and how to defend them in court. Once again the controversial, Kansas-based church has won a legal decision in Missouri. The latest came ye ... More >>

When the Reverend Katy Hawker headed to the altar, her church came, too

Internet Filter for Missouri Schools Censored LGBT Websites

The Trevor Project was one of at least 23 LGBT issue sites blocked by Netsweeper.​Internet security software used by dozens of school districts in Missouri censored students from accessing websites dealing with LGBT issues. The Missouri Research & Education Network (MOREnet), a division of the ... More >>

Check out the Grand Re-Opening of the St. Louis LGBT Center

A work in progress--it's ready now!​It's bigger. It's better. And you're invited.The LGBT Center of St. Louis has moved to new digs on Manchester Avenue in the Grove, and this Sunday is an open house. From 2 to 6 p.m., stop on by the new home of the community resource for the lesbian, gay, bisexua ... More >>

LGBT History? Readers have lots to say about "Gay Old Times"

Comment of the Day: Bible Thumpers Grow Up

Today's comment comes in response to a post about how a Catholic diocese in Illinois is choosing to end its adoption and foster care program out of concern that it could be required to place children with gay parents now that Illinois allows homosexuals to commit to civil unions. Reader SMDrPepper c ... More >>

Comment of the Day: Keep Government Out of Religion

Today's comment comes in response to a post today on Congressmen Todd Akin's (R - Town & Country) attempt to stop Navy chaplains from performing same-sex marriages now that the miltary's Don't Ask Don't Tell has been repealed. Reader "the REAL kitty" responds: one minute, Conservatives are all a ... More >>

Treasure Hunters Seeking St. Louis LGBT History

An old St. Louis lesbian bar poster​The lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community in St. Louis has a storied history -- are you holding on to any of it? The St. Louis Gay History Project wants to know.The project is brainchild of blogger Steven Brawley, a longtime history buff. It seeks to ... More >>

Homophobia is Protected Speech

It's a marketplace of ideas. Some of them are terrible.​It's been a great week for folks who hate lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender people -- and want the world to know about it.The Supreme Court today ruled 8-1 that those hate-spewing assholes from Westboro Baptist Church in Kansas are pr ... More >>

New President for St. Louis Black Gay and Lesbian Pride

​After more than a decade with its original founder, the St. Louis Black Gay & Lesbian Pride Committee has a new president. Audrey Pearson is taking the reins from Erise Williams, and she's got some new ideas for energizing the festival and acting as a resource for the community."We have to be ... More >>

Westboro Baptist Church Sues St. Charles City; Wins Injunction vs. St. Charles County

Plaintiff Megan Phelps-Roper protesting in St. Louis last summer.​It took the Westboro Baptist Church just one day to sue St. Charles after the city last week enacted an ordinance restricting when and where protesters can picket during funerals. Westboro Baptist Church has made a name for itself i ... More >>

Phyllis Schlafly: The Problem With Gays? "They Are Trying to Make Us Respect Them"

Phyllis Schlafly​We here at Daily RFT were reading a somewhat wonkish wire story this weekend about gay marriage when we came across the following bombshell from St. Louisan Phyllis Schlafly, president of the Eagle Forum. Schalfly, as quoted in the article, believes that the national dialogue abou ... More >>

Readers argue whether gays deserve the right to divorce

Catholic Blogger Tutors RFT on Headline Writing, Moral Law

​The blog St. Louis Catholic has responded to a story Daily RFT posted last week concerning the archdiocese's lawsuit against St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish. As we revealed, attorneys for the St. Louis archdiocese sought and received the recusal of a gay judge who was to hear an appeal involving its ... More >>

Wondering About Illinois Civil Unions?

​Got questions about the recently-passed bill allowing civil unions for same-sex (and opposite-sex) couples in Illinois? Sure you do.So head on over to Bellville, Illinois, on Thursday to hear some experts speak and answer any questions you may have about the unions, which will be available to fol ... More >>

Illinois Legalizes Same-Sex Civil Unions

​Today in Illinois, both houses of the state legislature approved a bill granting civil unions to same-sex couples. Governor Pat Quinn is expected to sign the bill into law, as he said he would support the unions while campaigning.The bill says that a civil union, expressly stated as between "two ... More >>

Are You Wearing Purple Today?

​If you're noticing a lot more royally-hued clothing around you today, it's a good thing. Today's been declared Spirit Day, when people can show their support for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youths who suffer bullying in school.Today's purple-fest is the brainchild of Canadian teenager ... More >>

Son of Avowed Wash. U. Homophobe Comes Out in Post-Dispatch

image viaIsaac Katz​Back in 2003, Washington University physics professor Jonathan Katz published an essay on his departmental web page called "In Defense of Homophobia". In a stroke of what some might call poetic justice, Katz's 22-year-old son Isaac came out publicly yesterday in an essay th ... More >>

Hey, LGBT Folks: Sound Off!

​You may have noticed a survey floating around Facebook or other corners of the intertubes. (We found it on our pal Ed Reggi's page.) If you're a member of the lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender community, for heaven's sake, take it!The survey, which is being conducted by Services and Advocacy ... More >>

Lady Gaga Can't Save "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"

Image ViaLady Gaga at Monday's rally.​Missouri Senator Kit Bond joined his Republican colleagues and three Democrats yesterday in defeating a defense spending bill that would repeal the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy allowing gays to openly serve in the armed forces. (Sen. Claire McCask ... More >>

This Land Was Made for You and Me...But Not for Gay Marriage Haters

Peter, Paul and Mary...and no gay marriage foes​Gay marriage foes the National Organization for Marriage, who made a stop in St. Louis in early August, got a friendly little note from Peter Yarrow, the surviving member of the 60's folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary.In the note, addressed to NOM execut ... More >>

Westboro Baptist Church Wins Lawsuit vs. Missouri; Free to Protest Funerals Unrestricted

Rev. Phelps: Open for business in Missouri.​Two Missouri laws aimed specifically at controversial Rev. Fred Phelps and his Westboro Baptist Church were struck down yesterday in federal court in Jefferson City. State legislators passed the laws back in 2006. One prohibited protests near a church or ... More >>

Local Gay Activists Honored by Human Rights Campaign

Ed Reggi and Scott Emanuel​Congratulations are in order: Husbands Ed Reggi and Scott Emanuel are being honored next month with the Equality Award at the 2010 Human Rights Campaign St. Louis Dinner Gala. The HRC is the nation's largest group working toward equal rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual an ... More >>

Newsflash: Gay People on Government Payroll

image viaKathleen's little black book.​In a daring act of citizen-journalism, Kathleen Branson of Pacific has published a letter to the editor of the Washington Missourian purporting to out all the gays who work in President Obama's administration. "The following names are people who now have ... More >>

Loud and Proud

Jonathan Katz: Wash U Prof Tapped By Obama to Solve Gulf Oil Crisis is "Homophobe, Climate Change Denialist"

Image sourceJonathan Katz describes himself as "a homophobe and proud"​Washington University physics professor Jonathan Katz is part of a five-man team of the nation's "best scientific minds" assembled by the Obama administration to help BP stem the flow of oil gushing into the Gulf of Mexico. He' ... More >>

¡Ask a Mexican! Special Sexy Edition

Missouri Congressman Ike Skelton: The Roadblock to Changing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"

Skelton: Wants to keep the military ol' school.​Yesterday Daily RFT poked fun at Missouri legislators tripping over themselves in Jefferson City to support (or oppose) the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy toward homosexuals serving in its ranks. These state lawmakers essentially have no b ... More >>

Two-faced: Readers debate the actions of Jeff Smith, Kurt Greenbaum and Rachel, a transgendered woman headed to jail

Gay Marriage Proponents to Rally Tonight at City Hall

Supporters of gay marriage plan to gather this evening at St. Louis City Hall to voice their concern over a California Supreme Court decision today upholding that state's ban on gay marriage. The rally begins at 5:30 p.m. tonight, and follows a similar downtown gathering last November that drew 1,00 ... More >>

Satire Alert!

Time to come clean, dear reader: Sometimes Unreal makes stuff up!

Bittersweet Symphony

Band Together, a local orchestra that performs for free, does much more than represent the gay and lesbian musical community

Meat Treatment

A Webster University professor is delivered some food he didn't order

Dress Rehearsal

Scott Matheis thought he'd found a great place to work -- until he asked to wear a dress

Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Don't Fight

Even before the military started shelling, Washington University hoisted the white flag

But I'm a Cheerleader

Directed by Jamie Babbit

BETTER THAN CHOCOLATE

Directed by Anne Wheeler

ST. LOUIS INTERNATIONAL LESBIAN AND GAY FILM FESTIVAL

A schedule and capsule reviews of the fest's offerings

St. Louis International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival

A schedule and capsule reviews of the fest's offerings

Out and About

A preview of the St. Louis International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival

Sins of Omission

St. Louis is welcoming Pope John Paul II, but many devout Catholics don't feel so welcomed by him. They say he's blocking the light for women, intellectuals, non-Westerners, gays, lesbians and remarried Catholics -- and dimming the prospects for an inclus