When Rob Connoley shut down his award-winning St. Louis restaurant last year, business was thriving.

Tourists and locals alike lauded Bulrush as a destination for Ozark cuisine, making its way into local and national publications as a top restaurant. Profit margins were beyond national averages, and Connoley was a newly awarded James Beard Award finalist.

But it didn’t feel right.

During a trip to London to represent Missouri in an international food festival, Connoley realized he couldn’t be an ambassador for a state that didn’t respect him.

“It felt egregious and awkward to be promoting a state in a region that was actively working against my own personal interests,” he told The Independent.

Connoley, who is gay, pointed to an onslaught of anti-LGBTQ+ laws. The final push was when t

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