© 2024 Kansas City Public Radio
NPR in Kansas City
Donate
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Up To Date

Kansas City In 1960s Gay Rights History

By Steve Kraske,
Danie Alexander
Published June 5, 2021 at 11:54 AM CDT
Ways To Subscribe
A lineup of the female impersonators appearing at the Jewel Box nightclub.
1 of 3  — Jewel Box performers.jpg
A lineup of the female impersonators appearing at the Jewel Box nightclub.
The Phoenix Society of Kansas City published a magazine for the gay community.
2 of 3  — phoenix- gay_scene_KC.jpg
The Phoenix Society of Kansas City published a magazine for the gay community.
The Jewel Box at 3219 Troost Avenue in Kansas City, Missouri, was a nightclub known for its drage shows that began in the late 1950s
3 of 3  — jewel box pcard.jpg
The Jewel Box at 3219 Troost Avenue in Kansas City, Missouri, was a nightclub known for its drage shows that began in the late 1950s

Before there was the Stonewall Riots in 1969, a historic meeting took place in Kansas City's State Hotel that would form the foundation for the gay and lesbian rights movement.

That's just one piece of the city's LGBTQ history Stuart Hinds tells. There's also the nightlife of the 60s and the organization that distributed information for gay men and opened the city's first gay community center, the Phoenix House.

  • Stuart Hinds, curator of Special Collections & Archives at UMKC and curator of the Gay and Lesbian Archives of Mid America (GLAMA)
Tags
Up To Date PodcastKansas City Missouri (KCMO)LGBTQ+historycivil rightsJewel Box
Stay Connected
Steve Kraske
When I host Up To Date each morning at 9, my aim is to engage the community in conversations about the Kansas City area’s challenges, hopes and opportunities. I try to ask the questions that listeners want answered about the day’s most pressing issues and provide a place for residents to engage directly with newsmakers. Reach me at steve@kcur.org or on Twitter @stevekraske.
See stories by Steve Kraske
Danie Alexander
As senior producer of Up To Date, I want our listeners to hear familiar and new voices that shine light on the issues and challenges facing the myriad communities KCUR serves, and to expose our audiences to the wonderful and the creative in the Kansas City area. Just as important to me is an obligation to mentor the next generation of producers to ensure that the important conversations continue. Reach me at alexanderdk@kcur.org.
See stories by Danie Alexander
Support paywall-free journalism
KCUR prides ourselves on bringing local journalism to the public without a paywall — ever.

Our reporting will always be free for you to read. But it's not free to produce.

As a nonprofit, we rely on your donations to keep operating and trying new things. If you value our work, consider becoming a member.
Donate Now