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![Trent Rash sits at his piano on Monday, April 7, 2025, at his home in Columbia. “[My partner David Hall and I] were at this event for Planned Parenthood, raising money, and it's kind of a desert around here, right? We're so lucky to have it here in Columbia. And I said, ‘Anytime we get together like this in a room, and we are with each other, and we're united and we're laughing, that's what queer joy is.’ And it's so important now because it makes people so upset, which is funny to me, that they — but guess what? Guess who's really unhappy? They are. It's not us. They're just unhappy because they see what we have and they can't. I wish they'd find it for themselves because I think they'd back off,” Rash said. “Queer joy is the fact that people have fully embraced and accepted their authentic self. And that is such a burdenless place that you can't do anything but be joyful, you know? … I see trans people. I see non-binary people. I see bisexual people. I see gays, lesbians. They're just exuding who they are. And so, if you're doing that, that's queer joy. It's the intersection of your authenticity and how you're showing up in the world. And I think when those things align, you're going to be joyful, for anyone.”](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/0d1a89d/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1750x984+0+0/resize/480x270!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F2b%2F95%2F418b4ac54824a63216062dfd1db2%2F20250407-bas-queer-joy-trent-rash-0282.jpg)
Bailey Stover/KBIATrent Rash is a gay man who spent many years trying to convince himself that he wasn't gay. He spoke about coming out in midlife and how he had that conversation with his kids. -
Luis Tosta/UnsplashThe City of Columbia has until Nov. 15 to submit a more specific stormwater plan to the state agency.
![Trent Rash sits at his piano on Monday, April 7, 2025, at his home in Columbia. “[My partner David Hall and I] were at this event for Planned Parenthood, raising money, and it's kind of a desert around here, right? We're so lucky to have it here in Columbia. And I said, ‘Anytime we get together like this in a room, and we are with each other, and we're united and we're laughing, that's what queer joy is.’ And it's so important now because it makes people so upset, which is funny to me, that they — but guess what? Guess who's really unhappy? They are. It's not us. They're just unhappy because they see what we have and they can't. I wish they'd find it for themselves because I think they'd back off,” Rash said. “Queer joy is the fact that people have fully embraced and accepted their authentic self. And that is such a burdenless place that you can't do anything but be joyful, you know? … I see trans people. I see non-binary people. I see bisexual people. I see gays, lesbians. They're just exuding who they are. And so, if you're doing that, that's queer joy. It's the intersection of your authenticity and how you're showing up in the world. And I think when those things align, you're going to be joyful, for anyone.”](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/9798f87/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1750x984+0+0/resize/960x540!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F2b%2F95%2F418b4ac54824a63216062dfd1db2%2F20250407-bas-queer-joy-trent-rash-0282.jpg)
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The U.S. Women's National Team coach named forwards Michelle Cooper and Ally Sentnor and midfielder Claire Hutton to her roster for three October games, including the Oct. 29 match against New Zealand to be held in Kansas City. -
As the shutdown of the federal government stretches into its third week, employees are starting to feel the financial strain of being furloughed or working without pay. Many federal workers live paycheck to paycheck, and food assistance programs in the region are starting to prepare for an influx of need. -
The lawsuit is part of the fallout stemming from a controversy over former Police Chief Gabe Edwards' resignation in 2023. -
Missouri Republican Secretary of State Denny Hoskins said any signatures gathered before Wednesday to place a new congressional map up for a vote won't count. Proponents of the redistricting referendum say that's an unlawful attempt to shorten the signature gathering window. -
The university held a naming ceremony Tuesday for the Billy Long Advanced Technology Suites at the Jordan Valley Innovation Center. -
Gov. Mike Kehoe has repeatedly said the plan was drafted in his office. A filing by the attorney general's office says only that 'various governmental actors' worked on the plan to give a seat to the GOP. -
Former Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey argued that reinstating the state's abortion regulations would not cause "irreparable harm" to patients. The appeals court rejected that claim, allowing Planned Parenthood clinics in Kansas City, Columbia and St. Louis to continue offering services. -
A jury found Lance Shockley guilty of a 2005 murder but deadlocked on the punishment. A judge in Carter County issued the death sentence. -
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Office of Childhood began transitioning from subsidy reimbursements based on attendance to prospective enrollment-based payments at the start of fiscal year 2026, which began on July 1. Child care providers are still receiving payments based on attendance while the department works through technical changes. -
Aerial crop planting and treatment takes off across the Midwest.
