The Gay and Lesbian Archive of Mid-America (GLAMA) collects and preserves the rich and diverse histories of Kansas City’s LGBTQ+ communities. These histories are told through collections of letters, photographs, flyers, oral histories, and more, donated to the archive by community members. These stories need to be protected, shared, and celebrated.
This work is carried out by the GLAMA Curator. The Curator is more than a steward of history—they are a bridge from the archive to the community. They cultivate relationships so that community members trust the archive with their materials. The Curator engages donors, volunteers, and users of GLAMA collections, and shares the archive with the community with tours, talks, and other programming. They assist researchers, artists, historians, documentarians, journalists, and creators in using GLAMA for academic and creative projects.
We are seeking $1.5 million to establish a permanent endowment for a Curator dedicated to GLAMA. This endowment will ensure long-term security for GLAMA, enabling the archive to continue to thrive for generations. Without this endowment, the future of GLAMA is uncertain. The collections risk being under-resourced, inaccessible, or even lost—silencing unique historic voices that deserve to be heard.
