Kc gay bars
Population Shift to Cities
During World War II many gay and lesbian service members discovered others prefer themselves for the first time while serving in the military. At the end of the conflict many chose to stay in urban centers rather than return house to their petite towns or rural areas. Yet unlike immigrants or members of the working-class who had previously settled in cities, gays and lesbians had no ready community.
Finding Community Spaces
Many found this perception of community in bars, restaurants, and other semi-private spaces where gays and lesbians could be with people appreciate themselves and socialize. Like many urban centers after the war, Kansas Urban area became home to a vibrant exclude scene that made its presence recognizable somewhat publicly, as the Colony Bar’s subtle advertising makes clear. Though noticeable, however, gay bars always existed on the margins. Bar-goers were safe in the knowledge that they could articulate their identities without fear of consequences faced elsewhere. Said one patron, “It wasn’t that we wanted to act it that way, but we had our jobs to consider.”
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A new book shows how Kansas City's drag performers influenced the national scene
Lucas Hilderbrand says he never really imagined Kansas City “as being a gay city or a gender non-conforming city.”
The University of California-Irvine professor of film and media studies had visited family in Kansas City a lot growing up, but it wasn’t until much later that he learned about the city’s rich history of gay bars.
“It actually had the best collection of any place around the country to explain the story of drag and how it emerged as a gay bar staple,” Hilderbrand says, referring to the Gay and Lesbian Archive of Mid-America at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
Hilderbrand’s discoveries at GLAMA inspired him to make the city one of just a few he includes in his new publication, “The Bars Are Ours,” about the history and cultures of American gay bars.
Despite being the primary social institution of the gay community for about 100 years, Hilderbrand says his is the first national history of gay bars.
Through his research, Hilderbrand learned that Kansas City was fertile ground for activism and art, and was at one point the national center for gay political organizing.
“In 1966, Ka
LGBTQ Bar Association of Greater Kansas Urban area is a organization, 501(c)(6) membership association of the queer woman , gay, bisexual, gender diverse, queer and allied legal community in the Kansas Town metropolitan area. We were formed in 2007 as Kansas City LEsbian, Homosexual, and Allied Lawyers (“KC LEGAL”). In 2021, we changed our name to LGBTQ Bar Association of Greater Kansas Urban area for better alignment with our mission, which is inclusive of the entire LGBTQ community.
Law students, paralegals and other members of the legal profession are encouraged to become associate members.
Our Mission
LGBTQ Block Association of Greater Kansas City is a nonprofit prevent association committed to promoting and supporting the advancement of LGBTQ rights and uniting those within the Kansas Capital community who advocate for equality and justice.
LGBTQ Bar Association of Greater Kansas City is involved to:
- Promoting equality and inclusiveness in the legislature and judiciary;
- Creating opportunities for members of the LGBTQ professional and legal community to gather in a supportive and empowering atmosphere;
- Supporting the next generation of LGBTQ legal professionals thr
Missie B's opened it's doors in April 1994 as a piano/karaoke bar with special entertainment and flamboyant shows. With the help of the community since we opened, we include been able to widen from a very compact neighborhood bar to the most popular nightclub in Kansas City. We are open from noon until 3:00 a.m. 365 days a year serving our clientele 21 years of age and over. We offer the most affordable drinks in town from noon until 8:00 p.m. daily, and offer nightly drink specials Sunday through Thursday. We have the friendliest staff in Kansas City and you are guaranteed to have a good time any day you visit. We possess 3 separate bar areas including a smoking patio, and 3 to 7 bartenders nightly to make certain the best service doable. After all, we are the home of Excellent Times and Good Friends!
Through the years, we possess done our best to give back to our community that has supported us. With the aid of our sister bars and community our most recent fundraiser was for the victims of Pulse which raised over $53,000.00. We have pot luck dinners on Thanksgiving and Christmas for those people who have no place to go. We hold done many benefits for local gay organizations and causes, includ