Is this you? As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.
Claim your profile
Articles by Nick Sheaffer
Kellen Sapp: “There is love in the Great Plains, in the Midwest, in the South - we are not a lost cause out here.
Kellen Sapp is a young transgender woman who grew up in Columbia. She spoke about the existence — and resilience of the queer community in the Midwest. Alphabet Soup shares LGBTQ+ Missourians’ stories through portraiture and personal narratives. Kellen Sapp: This summer, I got to work with a bunch of 16-year-olds from all over Missouri and a lot of them were queer.
Emma Rohan: "Every gay person should feel that they are worth hoping for, and they deserve to have hope."
Emma Rohan is a 20-something gender non-conforming lesbian. They spoke about the difficulties of having family members that do not accept them, and about how they stay hopeful despite that hurt. Alphabet Soup shares LGBTQ+ Missourians’ stories through portraiture and personal narratives.
Nick Nack: "The biggest reason for the gender euphoria with the top surgery is knowing I will never have to worry about this again."
Nick Nack is transgender man who underwent top surgery. He spoke a little about the process and about the happiness and euphoria he now feels. Alphabet Soup shares LGBTQ+ Missourians’ stories through portraiture and personal narratives. Nick Nack: From the get-go, I mean, from the start, I knew that I wanted top surgery — having boobs has always been a problem, so I knew that that was gonna happen eventually. Because I had a small chest, I had made the decision that I was gonna wait a few years.
Audra Sergel: “Joy is different than happy… Joy feels like that massive river of just love and acceptance.
Audra Sergel is a queer woman in her late 40s who's an active member of the community through her role as the artistic director of the Quorus, an LGBTQ+ choir. She spoke about the importance of love, support and music in hard times. Alphabet Soup shares LGBTQ+ Missourians’ stories through portraiture and personal narratives.
Tisya Cooke: "I've never felt a pressure to, necessarily, perform my queerness for anyone, certainly not to prove my queerness to anyone."
Tisya Cooke is a Jewish transgender woman and spoke about her experiences coming out and about how she personally defines gender affirmation. Alphabet Soup shares LGBTQ+ Missourians’ stories through portraiture and personal narratives. Tisya Cooke: I think, for me, I knew very early on — when I was probably still in elementary school — that I was interested in men and women.
David Hall on his bisexuality: “I didn't understand those feelings, know how to process it, until I got to college.”
David Hall is a bisexual man of color. He spoke about coming out and the challenges of having others affirm his bisexuality when he's in a relationship with another man. Alphabet Soup shares LGBTQ+ Missourians’ stories through portraiture and personal narratives. David Hall: I didn't come out until I was 18. I was kind of pushed to come out by my brother, but I didn't really live to, like, my fullest extent until I came here.
Hallene Darland & Tina Sherman: "[It's] such a similar experience that maybe that's why so many neurodivergent kids find themselves to also be in the queer community."
Hallene Darland and Tina Sherman are a married autistic and ADHD queer couple. They spoke about the similar unmasking processes they went through when figuring out they were queer and when they got their ADHD and autism diagnoses. Alphabet Soup shares LGBTQ+ Missourians’ stories through portraiture and personal narratives.
Abby Dickinson: “There's not really a way to say ‘That is my identity’ until you have worn it.”
Abby Dickinson is a 23-yea-old bisexual person. They spoke about how they're casually exploring their gender identity — without putting too much pressure on themselves. Alphabet Soup shares LGBTQ+ Missourians’ stories through portraiture and personal narratives. Abby Dickinson: Gender, and the concept of it, for me, has kind of taken a back burner, in that, I'm very busy and I don't want to think about it.
Carol Snively: " I want to make sure that that history doesn't get lost."
Carol Snively is a queer woman in her 60s, and spoke about the birth of the Center Project, mid-Missouri’s LGBTQ+ community center. Alphabet Soup shares LGBTQ+ Missourians’ stories through portraiture and personal narratives. Carol Snively: So, I was a slow burn in this regard. Laughter It took me a very long time to figure things out, and then once I came out — I came out loud and strong, and there's been no turning back.
Trent Rash: "I can go back now and, in retrospect, see the signs."
Trent 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. Alphabet Soup shares LGBTQ+ Missourians’ stories through portraiture and personal narratives. Trent Rash: Since I've come out, I can go back now and, in retrospect, see the signs. Because I have always had a higher voice, I've been a little effeminate — in the 80s and 90s, other guys were not very nice.
Sarah Mosteller: "I kind of feel like my body and my mind knew that I was gay before I did."
Sarah Mosteller is a lesbian in her early 20s. She spoke about how she came out somewhat unexpectedly in her teens, and about how her church community reacted. Alphabet Soup shares LGBTQ+ Missourians’ stories through portraiture and personal narratives. Sarah Mosteller: My church never really took a stance on queer people. They just never spoke about it, and they didn't really say anything about gay people being wrong or whatever.
Cynthia Martin: "I've always known I was a woman on the inside, or at least in my brain."
Cynthia Martin grew up and still lives in very rural Missouri. She’s a transgender woman that began transitioning later in life – as she approached 40. She spoke about some of the challenges she’s faced and about her hopes for her future. Alphabet Soup shares LGBTQ+ Missourians’ stories through portraiture and personal narratives. Cynthia Martin: I had trouble when I was, like, two or three years old of – I didn't know. I can remember not knowing really what the difference was between boys and girls.
Jeff Terry & Travis Griffin: "You can have different viewpoints and still be a Christian, still be gay, still follow Christ."
Husbands Jeff Terry and Travis Griffin live in Jefferson City. They met growing up in Joplin, but didn't reconnect or fall in love until after the 2011 Joplin tornado. They spoke about their long and sometimes complicated relationships with God and about the joys of finding a supportive faith community. Alphabet Soup shares LGBTQ+ Missourians’ stories through portraiture and personal narratives. Jeff Terry: I lost my faith probably in my mid 20s.
Sophie Freeman: "Do what you want to do because it's your life - no one's taking your place in the grave."
Sophie Freeman is a queer woman who grew up in a very small, rural conservative town in the Missouri Bootheel who spoke about how she's found a supportive family of her own since coming out. Alphabet Soup shares LGBTQ+ Missourians’ stories through portraiture and personal narratives. Sophie Freeman: My family – not the vibe. So, I started with friends, like, “Hey, you know, I think I like doing this. How do you feel about that?” “No biggie.
Rosie Geiser & Dottie Mathews: Faith is 'one of the things that bonds us.'
Wives Rosie Geiser and Dottie Mathews are in both in their 70s and have been together since the 1990s. They spoke about the importance of faith in their lives and in their relationship. Alphabet Soup shares LGBTQ+ Missourians’ stories through portraiture and personal narratives. Dottie Mathews: I was raised Catholic, and faith has been a part of my life, various forms of faith. I'm an ordained minister, retired now.
Jane Lavender & Hudson Giles-Lavender: "We both develop practices to try to keep our spirits lifted."
Jane Lavender and Hudson Giles-Lavender have been together for decades and were legally married in 2015. They spoke about how they find joy and happiness – even in the face of negativity and political uncertainty. Alphabet Soup shares LGBTQ+ Missourians’ stories through portraiture and personal narratives. Jane Lavender: Our life is so rich, so full – so full, so many blessings. Our mom, my mom, is living with us half of the year kind of scenario. We have grandkids.
Kat & Aly Wright: "Let's have this gender crisis together."
Kat and Aly Wright are a queer married couple in Columbia. Kat is queer and nonbinary, and Aly is a bisexual transgender woman. They spoke about their different – yet overlapping – journeys with gender and how they’ve supported each other along the way. Alphabet Soup shares LGBTQ+ Missourians’ stories through portraiture and personal narratives.
Willow Wilson: "There was... a line graph in terms of my transition versus the transition of my characters."
Willow Wilson is a transgender woman in her mid-20s. She spoke about the role – no pun intended – that Dungeons & Dragons has played in her transition. Alphabet Soup shares LGBTQ+ Missourians’ stories through portraiture and personal narratives. Willow Wilson: There is essentially there is like a line graph, I would say, of the characters that I’ve played in the past.
Dani Emma Devine & Cheryl Barbero: “I'm just glad I found out who I am, and I'm able to live this.”
Dani Emma Devine and Cheryl Barbero are girlfriends in their mid-60s. Dani is a transgender lesbian and Cheryl is pansexual. They spoke about Dani deciding to take action and transition later in life. Alphabet Soup shares LGBTQ+ Missourians’ stories through portraiture and personal narratives. Dani Emma Devine: Basically, I was losing my job. My wife, at the time, was not happy. She sensed that I was different, and I was different. I was changing right before her eyes.
Former Mizzou center Majak joins coaching staff as graduate assistant
By Jacob Luebbert/Missourian,Nick Sheaffer/Missourian,Andy Theobald Former Mizzou center Mabor Majak will return to Columbia and join coach Dennis Gates' staff as a graduate assistant for the 2025-26 season. The addition was first reported by Drew King of PowerMizzou and later confirmed to the Missourian by an MU spokesperson.
Sherrill on being outed by others: "The tragic part is that I really didn't know these truths about myself."
Sherrill is a bisexual, non-binary young adult living in Columbia who grew up in a conservative part of the state. They spoke about the relentless bullying they experienced in high school all while trying to figure out who they were for themself – they have since found a supportive community in Columbia. As a note, this piece contains some vivid descriptions of bullying and its impacts on mental health. Alphabet Soup shares LGBTQ+ Missourians’ stories through portraiture and personal narratives.
Julie Rosenfeld on same-sex marriage: ‘The state sanction is just another way of affirming that our love matters.’
It’s been 10 years since same-sex marriage became legal nationwide following the U.S. Supreme Court’s Obergefell v. Hodges decision. Julie Rosenfeld in Columbia describes herself as a “Jewish lesbian violinist baker.” She and her wife have been together for about 40 years. She spoke about her and her wife’s many weddings – both legal and not. Alphabet Soup shares LGBTQ+ Missourians’ stories through portraiture and personal narratives. Julie Rosenfeld: So, we had three ceremonies.
David Hall: "Almost every time that I've been at the Capitol, I've had a crown on my head, representing... the drag community of Missouri."
David Hall is a bisexual man who performs as drag queen of color, Kaycee Adams. He spoke about the importance of showing up and speaking out for himself and his fellow LGBTQ+ community members. Alphabet Soup shares LGBTQ+ Missourians’ stories through portraiture and personal narratives.
Hallene Darland & Tina Sherman: “It is possible to be neurodivergent and to be an active member of your queer community.”
Hallene Darland: I have autism and I'm ADHD, so going to those events are very overwhelming for me.
Holly and Kaz Hazell: "Once I met Kaz, I knew exactly that she was the one I wanted to fight for."
Kaz and Holly Hazell have been married for seven years, but said it took them a couple of times meeting and missing each other before they got together and started building their life together. Alphabet Soup shares LGBTQ+ Missourians’ stories through portraiture and personal narratives. Holly Hazell: I didn't really like boys or girls or notice them until like eighth grade, but all through school, I just knew that I wasn't going to be able to pursue women, be with women.
Trent Rash: "Your definition of how you're gonna live as a queer person is just as valid as the next person's."
Trent Rash is a gay man who didn't come out until mid-life. He spoke about the fear he felt about coming out in his youth during the height of the AIDS epidemic, but also about how important he believes it is to remember the people who lived and died before us. Alphabet Soup shares LGBTQ+ Missourians’ stories through portraiture and personal narratives. Trent Rash: You know, I very deeply know the fear of AIDS.
Anna Porter & Lydia Bennett: "I think we just naturally fell into this very deep and loving and caring relationship."
Partners Lydia Bennett and Anna Porter are both queer and polyamorous. They spoke about finding joy and comfort in a loving relationship grounded in friendship and shared experiences. Alphabet Soup shares LGBTQ+ Missourians’ stories through portraiture and personal narratives. Anna Porter: I guess Lydia kind of was my introduction into a polyamorous relationship.
Nick Nack: "I didn't get male puberty, and instead, I got a bunch of other stuff that I didn't want."
Nick Nack is a transgender man and spoke about the challenges of going through a puberty that didn’t align with his gender. Alphabet Soup shares LGBTQ+ Missourians’ stories through portraiture and personal narratives. Nick Nack: In the sixth grade, we did a class strength competition, and I was the strongest person in our class, and I was so happy. I started puberty earlier than a lot of other people, as well, but I was really strong.
Perrin Dowse: Being transgender 'is my home, and no one will take me away from it.'
Perrin Dowse is a transgender lesbian and spoke about exploring – and accepting her gender identity and expression. Alphabet Soup shares LGBTQ+ Missourians’ stories through portraiture and personal narratives. Perrin Dowse: At the beginning, it was more like I was feeling a disconnect from masculinity. I had always considered myself, like, “Oh, I'm an effeminate guy.” I'm comfortable in being a non-masculine dude and turns out that was cope.
Carol Snively: Columbia feels like "an oasis of safety in a very unsafe state for LGBTQ folks."
Carol Snively is a queer woman in her 60s. She spoke about being politically active and advocating for LGBTQ+ Missourians’ rights during the early 2000s. Alphabet Soup shares LGBTQ+ Missourians’ stories through portraiture and personal narratives. Carol Snively: I actually was very involved with the gay marriage political scene. Missouri was the first state to actually pass a constitutional amendment banning same sex marriage.
Sam Collins & Cricket Osborn: "The day I realized we could work as a relationship, we had a really awesome Valentine’s Day.”
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. Cricket Osborn: Our story started on Tinder in 2021. Sam Collins: Yeah, in Chicago, and – Cricket Osborn: You slid into my Tinder. Sam Collins: Yeah, I messaged Cricket, and I think I was on Christmas break, so we, like, talked for a while, and then – Cricket Osborn: It was really awkward.
Sarah Mosteller: "Being around other queer people automatically makes me feel safe."
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. NOTE: This piece includes a description of interpersonal violence. Alphabet Soup shares LGBTQ+ Missourians’ stories through portraiture and personal narratives. Sarah Mosteller: I’m gonna lie, it's hard out here. It's rough.
Earthquakes are New Madrid's claim to fame. But that's the last thing on residents' minds.
NEW MADRID - The town of New Madrid seems obsessed with the fault lines that loom under its surface. Signs with the slogan "It's Our Fault" line the road into town, past the cotton fields and defunct factories that were once reliable employers.
Students return to town
As the start of the spring semester for the University of Missouri nears, thousands of students will return from winter break to Columbia. The sidewalks become more crowded, open parking more elusive and the city a bit livelier. Friday marks the first day of move-ins for most student housing, though some students were allowed an early move-in this week.
Teamwide effort wills Mizzou past resilient Vanderbilt
Missouri men's basketball graduate guard Caleb Grill stole the ball from Vanderbilt junior guard Jason Edwards, threw the ball up the court to Tamar Bates, and the senior guard punched in an emphatic left-handed dunk on the fast break to lead the Commodores 63-60 with 4:50 remaining in the second half. The slam injected life into the sold-out Mizzou Arena crowd, broke a 3:32 scoring drought and helped ignite a 14-6 game-sealing run to push the Tigers past Vanderbilt 75-66 on Saturday afternoon.
Country Music Fest plays in Columbia
By Audrey Stanard/Missourian,Nick Sheaffer Country music lovers gathered Friday evening at Rose Music Hall for the highly anticipated Missouri Country Fest. The event featured a lineup of many talented local Missouri musicians, including Nick Gusman & the Coyotes, Ty Toomsen, MarDe Brooks and Chloe Hoecker, who each brought their own sound and energy to the stage.
An intentional community in Columbia shares their caring way of life
Traditionally, this longstanding colony of neighbors and friends in west Columbia puts together a potluck for the holiday, much of it with produce they have grown in a common backyard garden.
An intentional community in Columbia shares their way of life
Traditionally, this longstanding colony of neighbors and friends in west Columbia puts together a potluck for the holiday, much of it with produce they have grown in a common backyard garden.
An old-school Republican explains why he's sticking with Trump
To some supporters of former President Donald Trump, Brian Carl might qualify as a "RINO" - a Republican in name only. To some Democrats, he might be a target of opportunity. The 66-year-old Columbia resident is a self-described political junkie and "mainstream Republican." He reveres former Presidents Gerald Ford and George H.W. Bush, as well as Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah. In 2016, his first choice in the presidential election was Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla. This year, it was Nikki Haley.
Community support is a key element to scaling regenerative agriculture
By Cory W. MacNeil/Missourian,Jana Rose Schleis, KBIA,Nick Sheaffer Around mid-morning each day on Green Ridge Family Farm in south central Iowa, eight lower doors to the hen house swing open. Rising from their roosts inside the 500-foot-long barn, auburn feathered chickens make their way to the ledge, pause as if taking in the morning and hop down into the 52-acre pasture they'll roam all day.
'A sweet little business:' Peach Tree Farm to continue under new owners
By Nick Sheaffer/Missourian,Cristal Sanchez,Anna Colletto,Evy Lewis Judy and Bruce Arnett didn't think their retirement from Peach Tree Farm would be a big deal, but over the last few weeks the couple has been receiving endearing messages. After 32 years of operation, the Arnetts decided to retire and sell the Boonville farm, which grows peaches in the summer and pumpkins in the fall, to new owners.
How Missourians can help Hurricane Helene and Milton relief
By Nick Sheaffer,Kate Cassady,Anna Colletto Hurricane Milton slammed into a the Tampa area, drenching counties with torrents of rain, downing power lines and bridges and kicking up dangerous storm surges. As the nation watches the progressing damage, and the damage left over from Hurricane Helene, many Missouri residents may wonder what they can do to help.
Collectors display model trains at showcase
The rattling of model trains clacking over tracks filled the Rock Quarry House on Saturday, as the Central Missouri Chapter of the Train Collectors Association held their model train show. Visitors were greeted with multiple models that could emit steam, various horn sounds, lights and more. Dennis James, president of the Central Missouri Chapter of the Train Collectors Association, has been passionate about model trains since he received his first one as a kid in 1956.
Show More
loading
Actions
Is this you?
As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.Get in touch with Nick
Contact Nick, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack