LGBTQ+

Gender-affirming healthcare for transgender minors and participating on sports teams that align with trans athletes' gender identity are currently prohibited in Missouri. Those bans are set to expire in 2027, unless the state legislature opts to extend them indefinitely.

Plaintiffs had argued the prohibition violates the equal protection and due process clauses of the Missouri Constitution. The state's highest court unanimously ruled that restricting gender-affirming care does not violate the rights of transgender children.

Democratic state Rep. Ray Reed introduced legislation that would make grant funding available to houses of worship and LGBTQ community centers for safety improvements. He said the bill is a response to a rise in antisemitism.

Studies are showing that Missouri's laws targeting gay and transgender people have already pushed LGBTQ+ residents to move — taking their tax dollars, and even businesses, elsewhere. One analysis estimates that Missouri has lost between $362 million to $879 million in household income, and that's expected to increase.

Indian Heights United Methodist Church plans to keep replacing its "All Are Welcome" sign, which has been vandalized and stolen multiple times since first going up in 2019.

Missouri-born artist Chappell Roan is launching a project supporting LGBTQ+ communities throughout the country — including two community centers in Missouri.

The Kansas Supreme Court’s decision to reject an appeal from Attorney General Kris Kobach allows the state to resume a process that had been in place for more than 20 years.

Roan belted out “Casual,” “Good Luck, Babe!” and other favorites for a sold-out crowd of 30,000 on the lawn of the National WWI Museum and Memorial.

Kansas City is one of just three U.S. cities on Chappell Roan’s current tour, and local fans say it’s a reminder to everyone that the Midwest has its own vibrant queer communities. Much of the city’s LGBTQ+ arts scene has been on display this week ahead of the concerts.

Fans and artists around Kansas City are embracing the excitement around Missouri-born Chappell Roan, who will perform two sold-out concerts this weekend. Two local drag performers, Karmella Uchawi and Minti Varieties, were tapped to help open the shows.

Kansas City is one of just three cities on the U.S. leg of Chappell Roan’s “Visions of Damsels and Other Dangerous Things” tour — and it's something of a homecoming for the Missouri-born pop star. Ahead of this weekend’s shows, local businesses are celebrating with parties, special drinks and menus, and a “Pink Pony Express" streetcar.

The case before the Missouri Supreme Court comes after the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a similar law in Tennessee that bars transgender minors from getting gender-affirming care.