Oral Histories Celebrate the LGBTQ Community in St. Louis

Despite progress in the area of LGBTQ rights nationally, AARP is continuing to do its part to help eradicate misconceptions and discrimination that many people still face. 

This month, AARP in St. Louis is collaborating with the nonprofit StoryCorps to host the webcast “Listening OutLoud: A Celebration of LGBTQ Voices.”

It will feature individuals sharing moments of pride and celebration as well as the frustrations and hurdles of living as part of the local LGBTQ community. The metro St. Louis area has about 79,000 LGBTQ residents, or 3.7 percent of the population, according to the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law.

Register for free to watch the on-demand webcast at aarp.org/outloudstlouis. StoryCorps OutLoud is documenting and preserving stories from the LGBTQ community across the country.

AARP in St. Louis is also sponsoring the Gateway to Pride virtual exhibit on LGBTQ history presented by the Missouri History Museum. The museum’s website includes personal histories from local LGBTQ people, along with donated memorabilia, such as books, photos and music. 

Online visitors may share their own stories while viewing the exhibit, which continues through October 2022. Learn more about participating in this experience at aarp.org/stlouis. 

—Kim Ferraro