LGBT culture in St. Louis is strongly influenced by larger regional divisions, such as racial division and the city/county divide. Recorded history and resource flow have tended to prioritize white individuals and the city's central corridor, creating a perception of LGBT culture in St. Louis that does not always align with regional demographics. For the purposes of this article, St. Louis describes the metropolitan area, including neighboring counties in Missouri and Illinois.
Despite many cases of injustice in the past, St. Louis is nowadays regarded as a suitable city for LGBT individuals. It is a progressive and very liberal city, and holds several "gayborhoods," like The Grove, as well as many LGBT organizations. In 2019, Realtor.com dubbed St. Louis the 8th most LGBT-friendly city.
Pride festivals
There are three different LGBT Pride festivals every year in St. Louis city. St. Louis PrideFest takes place at Soldiers' Memorial downtown over two days in the last weekend of June. PrideFest previously took place in Tower Grove Park with a parade on South Grand Avenue until 2013. Neighborhood residents established Tower Grove Pride to continue the neighborhood festivities, which annually occurs on the Saturday of the same weekend. St. Louis Black Pride takes place in August, and is believed to be the second oldest Black pride in the country. The first Trans & Gender-Free Pride March preceded the PrideFest and Tower Grove celebrations in June 2019.
Other pride festivals in the metro area include Pride St. Charles in St. Charles, Missouri and Metro East PrideFest in Belleville, Illinois.
Legal protections
In 2019, Missouri was ranked in the lowest category of the HRC state equality index “High Priority to Achieve Basic Equality” with 28 other states. The statewide laws and policies identified as beneficial for LGBTQ populations are hate crime laws, a non-discrimination law specific to college and universities, non-discrimination policy for state employees on the basis of sexual orientation, an anti-cyber bullying law, transgender inclusion in sports, and changes for name and gender marker on drivers licenses.
St. Louis City Ordinance No. 67119 extends the city anti-discrimination policy to protect individuals on the basis of gender identity and sexuality. The Civil Rights Enforcement Agency (CREA) is responsible for processing claims.
St. Louis County also has anti-discrimination protections for LGBT residents. In 2017, a sergeant in St. Louis County Police Department filed an EEOC discrimination lawsuit alleging that he was told to "tone down your gayness" in order to be eligible for promotion. Shortly thereafter he was transferred to another precinct and assigned to night shift. St. Louis County argued against the case on the basis that discrimination against sexual minorities is not illegal in Missouri. The officer agreed to a $10.25 million settlement in 2020.
History
pre-1950
Prior to European colonization, the region was inhabited by members of the Mississippian, Illini, Missouria, and Osage peoples. Understandings of gender and sexuality differ among indigenous cultures. While much ancestral knowledge has been lost through colonization and forced assimilation, it is known that the Osage recognized Mixu'ga, one of the identities under the modern two-spirit umbrella. Despite the Indian Removal Act and other attempts to displace indigenous people, members of the Osage nation continue to reside in the area and are working to preserve Sugarloaf Mound.
A St. Louis medical textbook publisher released The Story of a Life, the first recognized American homosexual autobiography in 1901. The author, using the pseudonym Claude Hartland, wrote about his mental health and experiences with doctors related to sexuality and gender identity as well as descriptions of homosexual social life in downtown St. Louis.
1950-1960s
In the late 1950s, a competition for "female impersonators" called Miss Fannie's Ball was organized by the Jolly Jesters social club, with proceeds going to St. Louis African American institutions. The event is a continuing annual Halloween night celebration that has been hosted at various venues, including Masonic Prince Hall Grand Lodge and Chase Park Plaza.