LGBTQIA2S+ Archives – The Kansas City Defender

Kansas City Chiefs Kicker Harrison Butker Spews Bigoted Rhetoric Under The Guise of His Catholic Faith

By Lynnie Holl ● Sports ● May 16, 2024

During his commencement speech at a private college in Kansas, Harrison Butker babbled far-right views ranging from anti-abortion and gender-role discourse all under the guise of catholicism.

Latest in LGBTQIA2S+

Artist-archivist Nasir Anthony Montalvo launches five-location exhibit across Kansas City sharing untold Black queer history

By KC Defender Staff ● Arts & Culture ● April 10, 2024

Launching a Black queer archive in KC through new quintuple exhibit, Nasir Anthony Montalvo’s {B/qKC} challenges erasure through storytelling.

Kansas City’s newest archive pays $2000 in reparative stipends to three Black queer legends

By Nasir Montalvo & KC Defender Staff ● LGBTQIA2S+ ● March 15, 2024

On March 1st, 2024, {B/qKC}, a new Black queer community archive, opened in Kansas City with a launch party, exhibit preview and powerful message on reparations.

Oddities Prints commemorates the launch of Kansas City’s newest Black queer archive, {B/qKC}, with exclusive merchandise

By Nasir Montalvo & KC Defender Staff ● LGBTQIA2S+ ● February 22, 2024

Based on the inaugural collections donated to {B/qKC} by local Black queer elders, these prints tell the story of pivotal moments in Kansas City’s Black queer history from the 1990’s.

A Black queer archive is being established in Kansas City; attend the {B/qKC} Launch Party

By Nasir Montalvo ● LGBTQIA2S+ ● February 2, 2024

Celebrate the launch of {B/qKC} through food, drink, party & a preview of its city-wide exhibits launching in April.

Young Black masculine bartender pouring a drink at Soakie's

Remembering “Soakie’s”: Kansas City’s former Black gay bar from the Y2K Era

By Nasir Montalvo ● LGBTQIA2S+ ● December 22, 2023

Volume 2 of our Black queer digital archive, {B/qKC}, rediscovers Soakie’s: a former Black gay bar in Kansas City from 1994-2004.

The Erasure and (Sexual) Subjugation of Black Queer Kansas Citians; A Brief Historical Look

By Nasir Montalvo ● LGBTQIA2S+ ● November 7, 2023

An unabridged version of an essay featured in the Urban League of Greater Kansas City’s 2023 State of Black Kansas City.

Ticket sales open for Black/queer Kansas City {B/qKC}: Exhibit Grand Opening (Volume_1)

By Nasir Montalvo ● LGBTQIA2S+ ● April 14, 2023

View our City’s history of Black LGBTQIA2+ community through this temporary exhibit display––hosted @ BlaqOut on Main. Curated by @1800NASI.

“Black/queer Kansas City”: a public exhibit and historical anthology for viewing from Feb. 27th – March 4th

By Nasir Montalvo ● LGBTQIA2S+ ● February 17, 2023

Join the Defender in (re)learning the histories of phenomenal Black LGBTQIA2+ Kansas City figures from the 70’s–Present Day through this scattered, week-long profile display.

Kansas City’s “Out There”: The 90’s Gay & Lesbian Variety Show Featuring Lea Hopkins

By Nasir Montalvo ● LGBTQIA2S+ ● December 8, 2022

In 1993, a group of 16 people came together to launch Kansas City’s first-ever Gay and Lesbian Variety Show on American Cablevision in light of statewide, anti-queer legislation.