The LGBT community is incredibly diverse and encompasses all races, classes and cultures. Non-cis and non-straight people from every walk of life are combined into this beautiful community. But, not a whole lot of spaces allow for every LGBT person to be involved.
Most LGBT spaces have been confined to the realm of bars and clubs, which exclude a lot of people within the community. People between the ages of 18-21 feel as if they don’t have a space dedicated to them, since they legally can’t enter or participate in these spaces. People who are sober, or feel uncomfortable around drinking, are also excluded from these spaces. The exclusion of these groups of people can foster a discordant feeling about identity and whether or not they truly can belong to a community.
However, there have been recent changes within the LGBT community. As people have begun to realize the problem addressed here, and how easy it can be to fix this, certain organizations are starting to create events that encompass the entire LGBT community. For instance, here in Kansas City there are a few groups that have begun to work on including more people.
Bandwggn Kansas City is a group that focuses on “youth centered arts and social justice.” They host 18+ events in Kansas City for the LGBT community, most recently being their Winter Formal. They are currently working on becoming part of a camp specifically for girls, gender nonconforming and trans youth.
Wrestle yr Friends hosts similarly 18+ events, only, for the most part, they’re actual wrestling events! You can go slow, like me, and just arm wrestle, but it’s awesome to see two queer friends just wrestle on a mat! There’s also tons of really amazing performances between matches from drag performers, musicians and artists.
While this is just a beginning, it is clear that the trend toward including more of the community has started. With the success of Bandwggn and Wrestle yr Friends’ events, it is probable that more events and groups will come alive in the LGBT+ community here in Kansas City.