A publishing house for lesbians, by lesbians

By Olivia Hewitt,

Mackenzie Martin

Published May 21, 2025 at 4:00 AM CDT

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As the gay rights movement began picking up steam in the 1970s, Barbara Grier co-founded the largest lesbian publishing company in the world — right from her Kansas City home. KCUR's Olivia Hewitt reports that Grier was bold, controversial, and unstoppable in her mission to make books reflect the people and love stories in her life.

This episode of A People's History of Kansas City was reported, produced, and mixed by Olivia Hewitt. Editing by Mackenzie Martin, Gabe Rosenberg, and Suzanne Hogan.

A People's History of Kansas City

Olivia Hewitt

Olivia is the 2024-2025 KCUR Studios intern. Email her at ohewitt@kcur.org

See stories by Olivia Hewitt

Mackenzie Martin

As senior podcast producer for KCUR Studios and a host of A People’s History of Kansas City, I interview everyday people and dig through old newspaper articles to unearth stories of the visionaries and renegades who created this region. I focus on bringing the past to life, so we can all better understand the city we live in today. Email me at mackenzie@kcur.org.

See stories by Mackenzie Martin

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