Group makes plans for 50th anniversary of gay rights meeting

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- 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 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 said the group is "eager to advance awareness of the modern struggle for equality."