Many a gay heading to Kansas City will be tempted to use the famed Judy Garland line “Toto, we’re not in Kansas anymore”. Kansas is changing, becoming a centre for that most boring of things; tax. The IRS now has an enormous headquarters there, but don’t be put off. There is still plenty to delight in whilst travelling in KC, including barbeque food and live jazz as well as gay outlets.
Culture
Kansas City has plenty of the ordinary museums every city has, but one or two bizarre ones. Leila’s Hair Museum might appeal to anyone who loves all that is kitsch and camp; it stores a massive collection of jewellery and wreaths made from actual hair. Equally as odd is the Glore Psychiatric Museum, which delves into the disturbing world of old-school psychiatric treatment. You’ll never complain about your therapist’s bills again! For those that just love a big butch biker, check out the Harley Davidson factory, where you can take a quick tour and see some of the all-American bikes being made. Museums aside, Kansas City has a deep tradition of jazz, and it would be a crime to miss out on that whilst staying there. Check out the Blue Room, part of the American Jazz Museum, for (usually free) jazz performances.
Gay nightlife centres around Broadway in KC, and there are plenty of different venues to suit different tastes. For the ladies, try the lesbian night Girl2Girl at Mint every third Friday of the month. Alternatively, there is The Fox, a friendly lesbian bar with a lounge, pool table, and reasonably priced drinks. There is also Tootsies, a mostly-lesbian bar, which runs regular drag king and queen shows and has a dance floor. For the boys there is even more variety. Daddy’s Backdoor Bar (as the name might suggest) is a centre for gay cruising, drawing in bears, leathermen and just about everyone else for some fun. Sidekick’s Saloon is a cowboy bar for chaps into chaps (both kinds), and Missie B’s specialises in black n’ blue boys, beer, and even a shop for sex toys.
Equality
With a vibrant and visible gay community, Kansas City is generally very accepting of gay and lesbian travellers.
Travel Information
You can fly into KC International Airport, which is 16 miles from the city and connected to it by a reasonably priced shuttle bus. There are regular buses from Chicago, Denver, Omaha, Minneapolis, Albuquerque and St Louis.
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