The Arabian Nights (Kansas City's First Gay Bar/1961-1997/aka The Tent and Oasis Restaurant) david bowie shirt and coded language shaped the

and coded language shaped the room more than décor ever could

it was where the city’s gay community gathered to dance until sunrise — fueled by Donna Summer

where sound

The club functioned as a true community center

The Arabian Nights (Kansas City's First Gay Bar/1961-1997/aka The Tent and Oasis Restaurant) david bowie shirt and coded language shaped theArabian 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