In the KC Voices column, we ask members of the KC community to submit stories about their thoughts and experiences in all walks of life. If you’ve got a story you’d like to share with our readers, please send it to brock@thepitchkc.com for consideration. Today, Assistant Professor of Sociology at the University of Missouri-Columbia, Christopher T. Conner, weighs in on Midwest struggles in the fight for queer acceptance.

One of the things that has historically united the LGBTQ+ community is that, no matter how far we climb, we remain outsiders—labeled as deviants. This shared marginality, which none of us can fully escape, has long been a source of connection. Nearly 60 years ago, sociologist Howard Becker wrote about this process among jazz musicians in Chicago. While they were celebrated

See Full Page