Partners Sam Collins and Cricket Osborn met in Chicago and have been together for about three years. They spoke about the somewhat chaotic start to their relationship and their decision to choose love over fear.

Sarah Mosteller is a lesbian in her early 20s, and spoke about her desire for more safe, queer – and especially sapphic spaces – in mid-Missouri.

Husbands Jeff Terry and Travis Griffin met growing up in Joplin, but didn’t reconnect – or fall in love – until after the 2011 Joplin tornado. They spoke about some of the differences in their upbringings and about learning how to love each other during the early years of their marriage.

Eli is a 16-year-old teenage member of the LGBTQ+ community who uses any pronouns. They spoke about not needing to confine their queerness to a specific label, and the importance of allowing young people to fluidly explore their identity.

Sophie Freeman is a queer woman who grew up in a “very small, rural, conservative town” in the Missouri Bootheel. She spoke about exploring her sexuality during the COVID-19 pandemic and unlearning harmful LGBTQ+ stereotypes.

Sherrill is a bisexual, nonbinary Missourian in their mid-20s who describes themself as an “avid geek.” They’ve been playing Dungeons & Dragons for years and spoke about how the fantasy tabletop role-playing game helped them find acceptance and a truer understanding of themself.

Raine Atkinson is a trans/nonbinary college student in their early 20s. They spoke about the process of coming out to the important people in their life and about value of unconditional acceptance.

Emma Rohan is 23-year-old gender non-conforming lesbian. They spoke about affirming their queer identity – and rejecting the gender binary – through fashion.

Jeff Terry and Travis Griffin both grew up in Joplin and met in middle school. They met in middle school growing up in Joplin, but didn’t reconnect – or fall in love – until their 30s after living through the 2011 Joplin tornado.

Anna Porter is a 30-year-old bisexual and polyamorous woman. She spoke about how going to college – and moving away from her religious upbringing – gave her the space to explore her identity.