About Us
Our Mission
Created by and for the trans community, MTUG serves, supports, and empowers transgender, nonbinary, intersex, and gender-expansive people in St. Louis and beyond through advocacy, education, direct support services, and community-building.
Our Vision
In solidarity with our partners throughout the region, MTUG seeks to empower transgender, nonbinary, intersex, and other gender-expansive people to not only survive, but thrive in the Midwest.
The People Behind It All
The team that keeps the doors open and the lights on.
Nokie
they/any
Executive Director
Abby
they/them
Director of Community Partnerships
JT
he/him
House Manager
Luna
they/she
Operations Manager
Alex
she/her
Community Engagement Coordinator
Board of Directors
Community members guiding the mission.
Cole
they/them
President
Jessica
she/her
Vice President
Ray
they/them
Secretary
Karsyn
they/them
Treasurer
Ryan
he/him
Events
Leah
she/her
Member
Arin
she/her
Member
"MTUG was built by trans people who decided to take care of each other when no one else would. My job is to make sure what they built lasts, grows, and belongs to more of us."
How We Got Here
From a coffee shop to a community center.
Founded
After PrideFest 2013, a group of community members founded MTUG to build a larger trans presence in St. Louis. It started with peer support groups and Trans 101 trainings in coffee shops.
Memorial Garden
MTUG helped create what's believed to be the first memorial garden in the U.S. dedicated to transgender lives lost to violence. Dedicated on Transgender Day of Remembrance in The Grove, its entrance read: "They tried to bury us. They didn't know we were seeds."
A Home of Our Own
A two-story house on Oregon Avenue was donated to MTUG by a family whose daughter is transgender, replacing a basement office and giving the community a real home base.
Pandemic Pivot
When COVID closed the center, MTUG pivoted to delivering food and supplies across the community. The pantry program grew rapidly. That same year, MTUG received its first major grant, allowing staff to be paid for the first time.
Saved by Community
Like a lot of small nonprofits, MTUG hit a rough patch. Community members stepped up with funding and new leadership, and the organization came out the other side stronger.
Rebuilding
New funding, new partnerships, and a growing team stabilized the organization. Critical grants were secured, relationships rebuilt across the region, and MTUG grew from near-zero to sustainable operations.
Where We're Headed
2026 and beyond.
MTUG has spent 13 years building community infrastructure. Support groups, a food pantry, Alix's Closet, open hours. All of it still going, all of it growing. But we're also building something new.
We're turning Alix's Closet into a real boutique. The current basement space doesn't let people shop with dignity, so we're tearing down the garage and building a space that does. And we're doing it as a community-led campaign, not just a construction project.
We're investing in leadership development at every level. For years, community members have grown from first-time visitors to support group facilitators to volunteer leaders. That pipeline has been running on instinct. In 2026, we make it intentional.
The long-term vision: an organization where people don't just receive services but organize together to change the conditions creating the need for them.
Come Be Part of It
Whether you need support, want to volunteer, or just want a place to belong, we have room for you.