A Radical Lesbian Neighborhood in the '90s | WOMONTOWN | Full Documentary

A story about an intentional urban lesbian community in Kansas City, Missouri told by the women who founded it and lived there. Organized in 1990, and transforming 14 city blocks in the Longfellow neighborhood into a revolutionary community by and for women.
In the late 1980s, women regularly found themselves on the outside looking in. Between the gender pay gap, a distinct lack of representation in government and federal leadership, and the inability to secure a home loan without the signature of a husband or parent, obstacles were abundant. For women - and specifically, queer women - this obstruction to homeownership was one more setback to achieving independence in a male-dominated society.
In Kansas City, Drea Nedelsky and her girlfriend, Maryann Hopper, had a vision. They imagined a neighborhood where they could be themselves without fear, a place where women could walk hand-in-hand down the street without the judgments and criticisms normally encountered in the “straight world.”
Kansas City PBS - KCPT, Kansas City

[@maryannhopper1025]

So proud of our movement and this film.

[@mothernatureisalesbian1780]

As you should be! If patriarchy didn’t exist, this would be in history books ❤

[@ramabaiapparao8801]

That was awesome.,acceptance is good

[@Gruesome420]

You are a hero!

[@kamamile_tea]

Maryannhopper you are literally a hero. Sending much love!

[@SymbolicFlame]

What a wonderful, powerful story of HERSTORY!

[@Spinner773]

I dont know any lesbians. The loneliness suffocates me. But im happy to see lesbians together in a community. I hope i can find my place one day. Thanks for reminding me theres people out there kind of like me..

[@chakrakhanesh]

Hi, I will be your friend. ☺️

[@joannross6801]

I had the privilege to move into an apartment in Womontown around 1990. As a couple of friends and I started to unload the moving van, a woman stopped by in her jeep to ask if someone was moving in. One of my friends, Cheryl Peters, who knew the woman introduced me as the new resident. I was surprised when she replied that she was headed home to park her jeep and that she would be back to help move my stuff inside. Not long after, several women came walking from different directions towards us. They formed a line from the truck out front, up the walkway, into the building and up the stairs. There were so many who came to help that boxes and furniture were being handed from one to the next, all the way inside. I was overwhelmed by this welcoming support of the community. It felt like coming home.

[@paygecarter8494]

This is so wonderful! I'd love to live in a place like womontown!!!

[@denagetz9894]

I’m embarrassed to say I didn’t know about Womontown until today after living in KC most of my life. What an amazing experience and privilege to say you were part of that. I wish this documentary was longer, left lots of questions. But I will say all of you were really brave to live there & create a community when it was not as welcoming. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

[@denagetz9894]

Is there a story behind the spelling of Womontown?

[@ramabaiapparao8801]

Nice

[@gothicdaydream9524]

This brought me to tears. That sense of community must have been life changing. So beautiful.

[@hazelbaumgartner9706]

I lived on the 2900 block of Campbell for a year around 2016 and it's STILL a bunch of older lesbians there to this day. The whole area is a gayborhood still.

[@Dreamer7est]

That’s so cool that they were able to create this. Wish I knew of present places like this to move my family to.

[@Limitedfreedomofspeech]

Fagily

[@Libra05888]

Absolutely love this beautiful work of HeArt! 💗

[@tjlancaster]

I'm a current resident of Longfellow, and I'm so happy to learn more about this part of its history!

[@debl8727]

ahem..."herstory" :)

[@jondbarnett6326]

How wonderful to see this! Thank you for helping to document and preserve such important history for womyn and for Kansas City!

[@bosslady1188]

Is it still in operation 🤔? I need it like right now..

[@sandywoodson2608]

@@bosslady1188 There are still lesbians living there but not as an organized effort. Thanks for watching!

[@zusanneahlin3046]

Thank you for showing this video ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@kevinwhite1772]

I have met some of these women over the years and I never knew about them having been residents of Woman Town. Amazing story.

[@KansasCityPBS]

Thank you!! They are indeed amazing womyn.

[@Limitedfreedomofspeech]

@@KansasCityPBSyou mean woMEN

[@irreverentjules-240]

Amazing endeavor! I am often thinking how wonderful it would be to downsize, buy some land and live communally with like minded people who live separate, but share amenities. Thank you for your inspiration!

[@bosslady1188]

Count me in. I've searching lately for something like this. My story briefly entails; living in secret for over half my life, and I only seen one break in the ☁️, after my mother transitioned 7 years ago. Now, I'm middle aged in Tennessee, and miserable...

[@Aqui..]

@@bosslady1188 You sound amazing and I hope you find a community, people to add to your chosen intentionally made family. I wish happiness, love, solidarity, community for you. May your latter ½ of life be more than you could dream of. 🙌💕

[@bosslady1188]

@@Aqui.. Thank You, best news ive heard this year.

[@skittles2055]

@@bosslady1188💕💞💕

[@paygecarter8494]

This is so awesome! I wish I'd known about this year's ago.

[@Ludmillawings]

Very inspirational! Wonderful

[@katyb.5121]

Great show!

[@timpekarek9159]

Awesome story, thanks for sharing!

[@pugsunset1]

It was great seeing a photo of Pete from Pete's Pub. I left KC in 1999 and I recognized several people that I saw from the younger photos of people. I also was glad to see the short clip of Jean Green. I'm surprised I never heard of Womontown when I lived down there.

[@maxxisntbored]

Amazing work! Thank you.

[@djskum]

Sad that I missed it, it must have been a beautiful neighborhood!!!

[@Limitedfreedomofspeech]

6433tt0

[@kellyelrington5663]

Thank you ladies, I take my hat off to you. Wish I was in the USA back then, I would have moved on in.

[@MikaTennessee]

Well done!

[@sandrsfisher8958]

This is so wonderful Mary Ann and Dreia firewalker. Love always wins.

[@Itsme333t]

Hahaha 25:56 “if you move away, you’re dead to us!” 😂😂 I’d love to be apart of this amazing community of strong and loving women’

[@sageandhemlock]

What an amazing story 💜

[@anie2347]

Why did it end?

[@gforcethomas]

I want to go to here 💜💜💜💜

[@buddhavirtual]

So where is the community now? Is it still active?

[@KansasCityPBS]

There is still some of the community that lives in Womontown, but most live in other areas of Kansas City and around the country.

[@needsmoretacos4807]

'Staright people sometimes don't know how to behave' 😅 I love it still true 😂

[@Ohsnapitzann]

I would love to live in this town

[@davidgadson714]

amazing i love it

[@maryannhopper7303]

thank you, it was the time to act! it's ALWAYS the time to act!

[@Nellytoyou90]

God bless us lesbos. Much love from Belgium ❤

[@mond000]

19:36 I guess softball is a thing for them

[@debl8727]

So are a lot of "normal activities" that "normal" people do. (smh)

[@rlynn6658]

beautiful.

[@2prize]

😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍

[@DanKirchner5150]

who does their hair?

[@binghamguevara6814]

Why is woman spelt womon?

[@LisaBarker-Jessop]

Women without men. A woman without a man, also sometimes spelt womyn!

[@Limitedfreedomofspeech]

@@LisaBarker-Jessopfantasy you’ll suffer

[@JckSwan]

Who fixed everything?

[@elijahwilson1422]

I bet the domestic dusputes over that way were lit 🔥

[@valglass12]

LOL at the name considering the residents

[@robertnighthawk6724]

While they played silly games,they straights got rid of the Creston apartments that time had one of the highest 😅 crime murder. As proof this"community" disappeared in a,few years .

[@maryannhopper7303]

WE in Womontown helped get rid of the Creston. We were NOT Playing. We Knew the Politics.

[@Limitedfreedomofspeech]

Lol They moved into mangay town and felt threatened by the mangays😂

[@jimbo5458]

I moved here and was instantly mugged and positive for an std.

[@Limitedfreedomofspeech]

That’s Jackson county for ya

[@hypnotistraywilliams]

All the cars were wrecked and nobody could open a jar.

[@chakrakhanesh]

You apparently have never heard of a butch 🙄

[@Limitedfreedomofspeech]

Imagine all that could have been done with an equal amount of strong MEN. We know you call men to fix the roof and air conditioners. Good luck on the failed venture. 🎉

[@elijahwilson1422]

Smells fishy

[@Limitedfreedomofspeech]

Rotten

[@Limitedfreedomofspeech]

Rubbing welcome mats gets old

[@Limitedfreedomofspeech]

Two lips… interesting

[@Limitedfreedomofspeech]

🤮

[@Jesuk3et]

Believe in jesus. Repent!!!

[@deoranjed8118]

"COVID took her" LOL Time to turn off! enough of the "COVID" BS, please please stop pushing that nonsense, well I hope it helped to fund this doc then🤦

[@Aqui..]

Wow, you hear the death of a woman that's deeply upsetting to her life partner and this is where you're at? Talk about a fucken lost cause of a human. Grow up and do better

[@deoranjed8118]

@@Aqui.. Very funny! I lived through that nonsense 🌷

[@Aqui..]

@@deoranjed8118 No you didn't.

[@deoranjed8118]

@@Aqui.. I have over 300 colleague's in a security job mate. We all have family networks. I suppose you know lots of people who passed away right LOL 🤣 don't bother replying kid!

[@Aqui..]

@@deoranjed8118 My mother died of Covid.