Topeka LGBT History

A timeline of Topekan organizations, events, and locations which were founded by or supported the Topeka Kansas LGBT community. Have additional info or images? Reach out to us to have them included in the timeline!

Older

1950s
❖ Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Topeka founded1960s
❖ The Jade room, a club1970s
❖ Gay Men of Topeka, organization
❖ Lambda Club, opened on the 600 blk of Kansas ave.
❖ Topeka Lesbian Coalition / Topeka Lesbian Community, organization(s)

1980s

During this decade... Rampant homophobia rules amid the AIDS epidemic. A WIBW meteorologist is arrested, fired, publicly humiliated, and later murdered in ongoing persecution of gay men meeting in and around Topeka's parks.1980s
❖ Topeka Pride is hosted at the Ramada Inn & Lake Shawnee1981
❖ Metropolitan Community Church of Topeka is founded1985
❖ Topeka AIDS Project, renamed Positive Connections in 2011

1990s

During this decade... Westboro Baptist Church begins visibly picketing gay individuals, events, and actual or perceived associates in earnest. The chief of police is asked to step down for allegedly instructing officers to never arrest Phelps or other picketers.1990s
❖ Club Ubu, located downtown (>2001)
❖ Pflag (Topeka Chapter), meeting at Washburn University
❖ Voices, LGBT newsletter1992
❖ A Day in the Park Without Hate, counterprotesting the Phelps1993
❖ Central Congregational Church - becomes an Open & Affirming congregation1998
❖ Project Equal, a Washburn organization, is founded (>2004)

2000s
(got exact dates? contact us and let us know)

2000s
❖ Flamingo Lounge, bar on 6th & Kansas
❖ Lyz, downtown lesbian bar
❖ Topeka Pride Committee, renamed Kansas Pride in 2002
❖ Gay Prom for Any Age, organized by Topeka Pride Committee
❖ Support To Express Yourself (STEY) LGBT youth group by TPC
❖ Topeka Pride, usually hosted at Lake Shawnee2002
❖ Club Cosmos is founded on Lane st near Washburn (>2005)2003
❖ Lawrence v. Texas makes Kansas' statute 21-5504 (anti-sodomy) unenforceable2005
❖ Equality Kansas (Topeka Chapter), previously Kansas Equality Coalition
❖ Open-Minded Positive Equality Non-Discriminative (OPEN), Washburn Organization
❖ Tool Shed Tap, downtown bear & leather bar (>2008)2007
❖ Sebelius orders that state LGBT workers be considered a protected class

2010s

During this decade... activists such as Stephanie Mott begin organizing events and forming LGBT rights groups, making the community more visible. A great number of important legal battles are won, even as Kansas drags its feet, often near-last to change.2010s
❖ Topeka Transgender Alliance2010
❖ Kansas Statewide Transgender Education Project K-STEP (>2019)
❖ Trans Team, KSU trans health and education group for dr & mstr2011
❖ Ally Beyond the Basics lecture by K-STEP hosted at Washburn
❖ Skivies, LGBT bar and nightclub which hosted drag shows (>2016)
❖ Beacon Youth Group is founded2012
❖ Equality House purchased by Planting Peace, painted in 20132013
❖ Pink Lemonade for Peace fundraiser hosted at the Equality House
❖ Drag Down Bigotry fundraiser hosted at the Equality House
❖ Pinkadilly opens in NOTO arts district, selling pride merchandise2014
❖ Marie v. Mosier repealed ban on same-sex marriage in Kansas2015
❖ Brownback repeals 2007 LGBT protections for state workers2016
❖ Mott House (trans house), named after Stephanie Mott in 20192017
❖ Studio62 opens in NOTO arts district, hosts weekly drag shows
❖ Queers & Allies (Q&A) founded at Washburn2018
❖ Rocky Horror Picture Show hosted at Washburn by Q&A
❖ Foster v. Andersen, fights for right to amend birth certificate sex
❖ SB 284 allows adoption agencies to discriminate against LGBT parents

2020s

During this decade... Much of the groundwork has been laid in previous decades for the open existence of the LGBT community in Topeka. Organizations and events have come and gone in the wake of those founding them, but there's a strong push to continue.2020
❖ Bostock v. Clayton County, supreme court enforces LGBT worker protections2022
❖ Washburn Trans Visibility Rally organized in counter to a speaker invited on campus
❖ A wave of discriminatory legislation related to trans youth such as Bill 484 is pushed
❖ First Statewide Pride projected in September, not the first attempt

Exact Dates Unknown

Bars & Clubs
❖ Classics
❖ CRE's
❖ Danny's: North Topeka
❖ Guys and Dolls: N Kansas Ave
❖ Junkyard
❖ North Side T-Room
❖ Oz
❖ Paradox
❖ The Mark
❖ The Other SideOrganizations
❖ Gay and Lesbian Task ForceLGBT Status Unknown
❖ Project Unity: 2005 Washburn Organization
❖ Students for Social Justice: 2006 Washburn Organization

So what's this all about?

The Topeka LGBT History Page is a project started by a Washburn student in the hopes of illuminating the queer history of Topeka. Many of the older members of the LGBT community in town remember old establishments, organizations, and events which took place here. However, that information is often inaccessible to those who don't know how to access the community.Thus, this timeline was born. As part of a semester-long project, I gathered names, dates, and short descriptions of as many organizations, events, and hang out spots which were either founded by, made for, or used by the Topekan LGBT community as possible. I'd like to keep expanding it, so if you have pictures, dates, or names please feel free to contact me.Special Thanks
To my professor, who gave me the inspiration to seek out the online community on facebook and helped direct my initial research. And thank you to those who reached out on my inquiry posts and either commented or messaged me privately. You gave me many leads on where to find the information I was looking for.