St. Louis’ LGBTQ community has fought through injustice and celebrated triumphs. It was 1980 when St. Louis had its first Gay and Lesbian Pride Celebration.
San Francisco may be more than 2,000 miles from St. Louis, but a new history project is revealing the many ties between the LGBTQ communities in California and Missouri.
It doesn t take long when delving into the Missouri Historical Society s new virtual Gateway to Pride exhibit it launched in late January to discover connections to the Golden State. One of the timeline entries notes how in spring 1988 the AIDS quilt, created by the San Francisco-based Names Project, was exhibited for the first time in St. Louis.
St Louis participants at the 1990 Gay Games in Vancouver, British Columbia wore this pin. Photo: Courtesy Missouri Historical Society
The Missouri Historical Society has a major project underway to document and preserve aspects of LGBTQ history in St. Louis. To help prepare for a special exhibition on the LGBTQ community that will open in 2024, the Missouri History Museum is first presenting a virtual exhibit, which launches Thursday, to kick-start the effort.