Gay and Lesbian Archive of Mid-America Celebrates a Decade Exhibit Opens Thursday at the Miller Nichols Library

The Gay and Lesbian Archive of Mid-America (GLAMA) has been quietly collecting material documenting the LGBT experience in the region for nearly a decade.

Now, GLAMA is ready for the big reveal. The organization is marking its 10th anniversary by opening “GLAMA at 10: A Decade of Discovery”, an exhibit celebrating the results of its work. The opening takes place on the eve of National Coming Out Day Friday.

A reception is being held on Thursday at GLAMA, which is located in the LaBudde Special Collections Department on the third floor of the Miller Nichols Library at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. The event begins at 5 p.m. and is free and open to the public.

GLAMA curator Stuart Hinds notes that the exhibit marks a milestone of sorts for the organization. But he believes it also highlights a much larger point that goes to the mission of GLAMA.

“Every piece, no matter how small, contributes to the overall story,” Hinds says, “and particularly in a community like this, where we’re trying to generate the documentation that tells our whole history that has been ignored for eons.”

For the rest of the story, watch the video and listen to the long-form interview above.