When Lea Hopkins organized Kansas City’s first Pride parade in 1977, the threat of being exposed as LGBTQ+ kept many people from marching with her. “You could lose your job or get taken out of your apartment,” Hopkins said. Only about 20 people participated, she said, because the stigma around queer identity was so strong. […]

Author Archives: Mili Mansaray
MILI MANSARAY is the housing and labor reporter at The Kansas City Beacon. Previously, she was a freelance reporter and Summer 2020 intern.