1960s gay bar on troost in kcmo

Located on the historic Troost Avenue in Kansas City, Missouri it was one of the earliest establishments in the area to feature drag queens and impersonators as entertainers. At its peak, the Jewel Box Lounge was one of the largest and best-known drag nightclubs in the United States. Heterosexuals and "homophiles" (or homosexuals) came together here to drink, smoke, mingle, and share a laugh. Throughout the 50s, the Lounge survived bans on crossdressing and police raids on gay bars--part of a local and national effort to crack down on the "homophile problem" during the Eisenhower years.

In the s and s, gay and lesbian clubs dotted the Kansas City metro area. Bars, with names like The Ivanhoe Cabaret and The Terrace, "were widely viewed as having some of the. The Jewel Box Lounge opened at Troost during a period in Kansas City when nearly every business block boasted at least one tavern, bar or lounge. For the first 10 years, after opening aroundthe Jewel Box was no different, with the usual offering of beers, cocktails and live entertainment.

One of the juiciest exhibition panels brings to life Kansas City’s vibrant postwar gay scene that centered on a section of Troost Avenue. Venues like the Jewel Box featured frequent variety shows with an array of “femme-mimics” like the notorious Rae Bourbon, who recorded several albums in her heyday. Have a question?

New York Public Library. Photos from the ss Kansas City drag scene, including at the Jewel Box, are available online on the Private Birthday Party website. Inas business began seeing a downtick, the bar moved to 31st and Main. Search Query Show Search. More than a place to live, Womontown provided a sense of community through potlucks, social groups and a newsletter.

Protect KCUR. Donate now to support fact-based news. Boles says this is his favorite photo from the collection: "It's just a frozen moment, it's so fluid.

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Play Live Radio. Our ability to report local news — 1960s gay bar on troost in kcmo, independent and paywall-free — depends on you. At a time when lesbians faced social stigma and difficulty securing housing, Womontown was a safe haven. On September 27,Ray Rondell passed away; though the cause of her death was never confirmed, the community assumed it to be AIDS. News Local News Pride Month. But if you walk between Cherry and Harrison on 31st through 25th streets, you will find yourself in this lesser-known landmark of Kansas City queer history.

The name refers to signs stating "private birthday party" that were placed on doors of clubs during drag balls. You can sign up to receive stories like this in your inbox every Tuesday. Many of the organizations had already been around for years. Uhlenhuth, K. At the time of its dedication, the church claimed that the marker was the only known AIDS memorial in the region.

Play Live Radio. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email. Inthis group of Kansas Citians founded a social club and safe space for those seeking to fight racism amongst gay men of all…. On any given night inyou could sip a mint green grasshopper while watching dancer Terry Lee or comedian Skip Arnold perform in drag. There is no monument or plaque to commemorate Womontown. Brisbane, A. Before Stonewall, this Kansas City activist helped unite the national gay rights movement.

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