KANSAS CITY, Mo — Kansas City leaders and members of the LGBTQ+ community are holding a town hall Wednesday as a way for people living in the area to come together to talk about issues and policies impacting the transgender community.
The KC Trans Community Townhall is set for 4-7 p.m. at the Bruce R. Watkins Cultural Center.
KCMO Mayor Quinton Lucas will be in attendance along with keynote speakers and local and state trans leaders like JD Besares, who will be honored with a KC Trans Leadership Award.
"It's not always been an easy fight, and we still have plenty of work to do," Besares said. "We can't get comfortable, and you know hate exists in many corners."
Besares is an Army veteran who moved to Kansas City after the city adopted an anti-discrimination ordinance in 1993. He says part of Wednesday's town hall effort is to ensure KC continues to be an inclusive city.
"It's important that we get together quickly so that the city [can] understand what our needs are, specifically for the trans community and the urgent need for health care," Besares said.
The town hall event is free, but organizers are asking attendees to register for the event.
