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Meet Lea Hopkins, the bold, Black lesbian behind Kansas City’s very first Pride parade

Published July 19, 2023 at 10:07 AM CDT
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Lea Hopkins at Kansas City's 2022 Pride parade.
Image Courtesy of Kansas City Pride Community Alliance
/
KCUR 89-3
Lea Hopkins at Kansas City's 2022 Pride parade.

Kansas City’s first Pride parade in 1977 was spearheaded by Lea Hopkins, whose organizing sparked a wider gay rights movement that continues today. But it was only a few weeks after that successful event that Hopkins found herself on the defense again, when a prominent anti-gay activist came on a crusade through town.

Read more about Lea Hopkins, the woman behind Kansas City’s very first Pride parade, from KCUR's Mackenzie Martin.

A People's History of Kansas City is hosted by Suzanne Hogan. This episode was produced and mixed by Mackenzie Martin with editing by C.J. Janovy.

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