support a Black archive, win a tattoo!
{B/qKC}'s semi-regular newsletter! | pub_2
> “Hello_world!
I hope you are having a pensive start to your Black History Month considering all this new year has thrown at us already; and I’m, dually, wishing this email finds you in the comforts of love and safety.
{B/qKC} logo. P.S. You’re receiving this email because 1) you’ve registered to attend one of {B/qKC}’s past events and/or 2) you’ve supported this work in some way. Unsubscribe at the bottom of this email if you need!
There are some cute things that have happened for {B/qKC} in January that I’d like to update y’all on.
Also, I have a great raffle opportunity for you in collaboration with Tintoretta Tattoo Studio–so keep reading!
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raffle_for_{B/qKC}
In collaboration with the incredible folks over at Tintoretta Tattoo Studio, we’re hosting a raffle fundraiser in support of {B/qKC} with three fab prizes!
As you may know, I recently held a fundraising campaign at the end of 2024, and we raised $1,639.26 of the $5,000 goal (approximately 32% of our goal).
I’m hoping this raffle will be a fun way to get us closer to some critical funding for {B/qKC}’s programs this year!
Here’s information on entering:
Venmo @kanegilland with your IG handle OR email address in the description.
$5 = one entry
$20 = five entries
To keep it accessible, we will cap the amount of entries/person at 10. But please give as much as you'd like!
100% of funds will go to {B/qKC}
The PRIZES:
Pick any two artists in the shop to collaborate on a hand-sized (~3 hour) custom tattoo
Artist Sab (@chacki.papi) will upcycle & customize a jacket for you
Tintoretta & {B/qKC} merchandise
new_funds_+_thanks!
In very exciting news, {B/qKC} recently received financial awards from the Health Forward Foundation and Rooted Power Fund.
The Health Forward Foundation has pledged a $1,000 sponsorship to support {B/qKC}’s popular education workshops coming this summer.
And Rooted Power Fund has pledged a multi-year grant package of $40,000 (!) meant to create sustainable futures for this archive.
Thank you so much to these foundations and the people behind them for their belief in this work. I’ve heard some call this work “niche”–and whether it is or is not, the impact of this archive has most certainly transcended Kansas City; this archive is an international inspiration in how we conduct community archiving.
Contact me to learn more about funding these efforts >
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from the Gay and Lesbian Archives of Mid-America
For those who have been following this work since it first began as a journalism series in 2022, you’ll know this photo from my research article on Kansas City’s Out There: The 90’s Gay & Lesbian Variety Show Featuring Lea Hopkins.
Out There was a public access cable program, conceived in 1993 on American Cablevision, as a joint project between GLAAD and local grassroots group the Human Rights Project (HRP), specifically for the purposes of challenging anti-LGBT legislation through visibility.
Lea Hopkins, an instrumental Black lesbian organizer in Kansas City and founder of the Kansas City Pride Parade in 1979, served as a spokesperson for GLAAD on the show.
The show ran for about seven or eight episodes (archival records remain unclear) before it ultimately closed out as HRP was victorious in fighting the legislation.
Though this is not from {B/qKC}’s archive, this particular story is important to the founding of {B/qKC} and its archival science. Prior to the linked research article, none of these materials had been digitized, and there was no information at all online about the existence of Out There.
Knowing that an LGBT public-access cable program existed in the early 90’s–in Kansas City of all places–with Black lesbian representation was MAJOR! And more importantly, this show tells a deeper story about grassroots organizing in Kansas City, and the ways queer community has gotten creative to mobilize for issues they care about.
And, fun fact, this article is now linked on Lea Hopkins’ official wikipedia page, and remains the only reference to Lea’s work on Out There.
You can learn more about Out There via this research article >
share_with_your_network!
If you enjoyed reading this newsletter today, consider sharing it with your network! Use the button below to let folks know they can subscribe and get more in-depth updates about the work I’m doing.
By supporting {B/qKC}, you’re investing in my work as an artist and memory worker and in the long-term preservation of Black queer Midwestern stories. Together, we can build a future where our histories are celebrated and never forgotten.
With love,
Nasir