CLAYTON, Mo. — For nearly two decades, Pride St. Louis has been providing the community with a free, hot meal on Thanksgiving Day. It's part of the group's effort to ensure no one goes hungry on the holiday.
"We did 300 meals last year and we'll do 300 meals this year. This is our 18th year of doing this," said Jordan Braxton, Pride St. Louis' director of diversity, inclusion and outreach
Braxton said no matter a person's sexuality, they're welcomed and will be loved inside the doors of St. Paul's Episcopal Church in the Tower Grove neighborhood, where Thursday's event was held.
Braxton said people in the pride community suffer this time of year.
"Unfortunately, people in the LGBTQIA+ community can't go home for Thanksgiving or might be transitioning. Your family has questions they want to ask you that are not really relevant to you. So we just do this so that people in the community know that they don't have to be alone on Thanksgiving," she said.
The inspiration for the event came from Braxton's mother. She said over the years, the community's support has been overwhelming.
"Especially with all the rhetoric that's out there, all the anti-LGBT laws (that) are being passed. This is just a moment in time for us to get together and support one another and show some love," Braxton said.
Braxton's fight for the pride community will never end, she said.
"I'll be damned if I'm going to leave Missouri over some laws—that's why I go to Jefferson City," Braxton said.
Braxton said another similar event will be held on Christmas Day.