We asked members of the community to VOICE Their Choice in our fourth annual
reader's poll.
Here are some selected responses:
Monique
Maxey
Nailah of Sistah Speak/self-proclaimed black lesbian Diva Extraordinaire
Bookstore: Left Bank Books
TV Personality: None
Radio Station: FOXY 95.5
Sport/Activity: African dance
Restaurant: Cafe Brasil
Healthcare Provider: None
Bar: Tie between Absolutli Goosed and Pepper Lounge
Neighborhood: Soulard
Love to Change About St. Louis: To eliminate antiquated racism
and become more progressive and cohesive.
Favorite Thing About St. Louis: The question "What high school
did you go to?”
Carole
Trissell
Pastor, Metropolitan Community Church
Bookstore: Left Bank Books
TV personality: Jennifer Blome and Art Holliday on the Channel
5 morning news
Radio Station: 106.5 FM, The Arch
Sport/Activity: St. Louis Cardinals
Restaurant: Zia's, on The Hill
Healthcare Provider: Premier Dental, Dr. Jay Hauser
Bar: Honestly, I don't go to bars.
Neighborhood: Central West End — I love the restaurants!
Love to Change About St. Louis: The racial segregation and
tension —God loves us all!
Favorite Thing About St. Louis: The friendly culture of living in a big "small
town"
Scott
Emanuel
LGBT Project Coordinator, ACLU of Eastern Missouri/ Advisor,
Growing American Youth
Bookstore: Left Bank Books, of course
TV Personality: Becky Queen of Carpets
Radio Station: KWMU or KDHX, both good for the brain
Sport/Activity: St. Louis Bike Federation aka Bike St. Louis
Restaurant: Tortillaria Mexican Kitchen in the Central West
End.
Healthcare Provider: Rochelle Poulson, Massage Therapist
Bar: Anywhere there is karaoke
Neighborhood: The Washington Loft District
Love to Change About St. Louis: I would love to erase the city/county
line that will forever divide us.
Favorite Thing About St. Louis: I can meet progressive-thinking
people everyday, despite our conservative mystique.
Nancy
Novak
Novak’s Bar and Grill
Bookstore: I like going to any of the big chain bookstores
and getting an iced mocha while I browse.
TV Personality: Well, we have a couple of regulars that come
to Novak's that I love. But I can't say their names — not sure they are out
to their employers.
Radio Station: Love the new Arch station. Lots of variety.
Sport/Activity: I love softball, I love Washers, I love football,
but there will never be anything that compares to rugby, a sport I played for
ten years. We used to say, we would rather lose a rugby game than play softball.
Restaurant: I love all Mexican restaurants. I like Mexican
food so much I wish someone would open one on the Manchester Strip, next door
to Novak's would be perfect.
Healthcare Provider: BJC all the way!!
Bar: I love my old SPOT because it's my old spot, I love Freddies
because they are my brother bar, I love Bubby & Sissy's because I love Deb
and Michael, I love the Complex, because I love all the boys, especially Howard
even though he never comes to see me, I love Mags because John took good care
of us, I love Faces, because that is where I grew up, but truly I love Novak's.
Neighborhood: I just moved to Tower Grove and love it so much.
Love to Change About St. Louis: I hate the crime. It makes
me scared for all of us all the time. I only feel safe behind locked doors.
Favorite Thing About St. Louis: I love the fact that I grew
up in St. Louis, because of all the wonderful people that I have met.
Carmen
Rivera
Founder Homosexuales Latino/as (HOLA)
Bookstore: Left Bank Books
TV Personality: Karen Foss
Radio Station: My Ipod or Y98 FM
Sport/Activity: Rams football, movies, dining out
Restaurant: Cafe Brasil
Healthcare Provider: Catherine Williamson
Bar: Novak's Bar and Grill
Neighborhood: South Grand
Love to Change About St. Louis: Heat, close-minded St. Louisans
and downtown area after 5 p.m.
Favorite Thing About St. Louis: Summer festivals, Botanical
Garden and the City Museum
A.J.
Pupillo
Communications Director, Gateway Stonewall Democrats
Bookstore: Left Bank Books in the Central West End. I love
the "indy" feel of it.
TV Personality: Newschannel 5’s Jennifer Blome. She makes me
laugh in the morning.
Radio Station: Red 104.1. I’m all about the jazz lately.
Sport/Activity: Cardinals Baseball, Baby!
Restaurant: Anthonino's Taverna on "The Hill." Wonderful Greek
and Italian food, with a belly dancer on weekend nights.
Healthcare Provider: I know South Hampton Healthcare does great
work. I applaud what they do for the LGBT Community.
Bar: The Upstairs Lounge on South Grand. Go see Billy. He'll
treat you right!
Neighborhood: I’m Italian; gotta go with "The Hill."
Love to Change About St. Louis: County folks need to spend
more time in the city!
Favorite Thing About St. Louis: If you’re willing to look,
you can find it here!
Jarek
Steele
Left Bank Books employee
Bookstore: Left Bank Books!!!!!
TV Personality: Clara and John from Laborvision on DHTV
Radio Station: Covenant Network WRYT — Just kidding, KWMU and
KDHX —it's a tie
Sport/Activity: Riding my motorcycle.
Restaurant: El Burrito Loco
Healthcare Provider: Catherine Williamson!!! Southampton Healthcare.
Bar: Tap Room
Neighborhood: Central West End (of course)and the Loop
Love to Change About St. Louis: Ribbon shaped magnets on the
backs of cars.
Favorite Thing About St. Louis: Sledding Art Hill, LBB, Tower
Grove Park, and the Tivoli
