The Arabian Nights (Kansas City's First Gay Bar/1961-1997/aka The Tent and Oasis Restaurant) david bowie shirt and power at a time

and power at a time when those words were urgently needed

The club functioned as a true community center

and brutally funny—a character who refused to perform

they rejected polish in favor of excess

and proudly unfiltered — a symbol of strength and freedom before the city fully caught up

The Arabian Nights (Kansas City's First Gay Bar/1961-1997/aka The Tent and Oasis Restaurant) david bowie shirt and power at a timeArabian Nights ("The Tent") Kansas City, MO (19611971, 19811997) Every city's LGBTQ+ history has a place where it truly begins. For Kansas City, that place was Arabian Nights. Opened in 1961 at 3314 Gillham Plaza, Arabian Nightsknown affectionately to many simply as "The Tent"is widely recognized as Kansas City's first official gay bar. Housed in a former bank that had later become a doughnut shop, the unassuming building became one of the Midwest's