Group makes plans for 50th anniversary of gay rights meeting

Kansas City, Mo. (AP) — A Kansas City group is making plans to commemorate the 50th anniversary of a national gathering of LGBT activists that is credited with helping to kick off the gay rights movement.

In February of 1966, the activists gathered at a downtown Kansas City hotel. The meeting led to the "The Phoenix Society for Individual Freedom," which opened an LGBT community center and began a publication that was distributed nationally.

The Gay and Lesbian Archive of Mid-America at the University of Missouri-Kansas City says a community committee is working with city officials to determine the best way to commemorate the anniversary. Possibilities include educational activities and a historic marker at the meeting site.

GLAMA co-founder Stuart Hinds says the group is "eager to advance awareness of the modern struggle for equality."

Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

The Gayly – October 8, 2015 @ 12:45pm.