A new tour takes drivers on a self-guided trip to more than 20 destinations that are a part of Kansas City's LGBTQ history. Audio interviews during the tour share lived experiences, stories of resiliency, and tales of lesser-known figures in Kansas City's queer community.
"Most people think of what was then called the 'gay rights' or 'gay liberation movement' as starting at Stonewall," said Joel Barrett, the KC Rainbow Tour creator. "I say it was birthed at Stonewall, but it was actually conceived three years earlier here in Kansas City."
Barrett created the KC Rainbow Tour, a self-guided exploration of some of Kansas City's well-known and, more importantly, lesser-known locations that served as welcoming spaces for the LGBTQ community and gay rights activism. The tour serves to both educate and preserve the history of Kansas City activism in the gay rights movement.
- Joel Barrett, creator of KC Rainbow Tour
