WOMONTOWN 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.”

I was introduced to this incredible story when I was watching an episode of the absolutely wonderful series, The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning.

It's only 26 minutes, and I highly recommend watching this - whether you're queer or not!