Kris Kleindienst Collection
Scope and Contents
The collection contains primarily ephemeral materials such as fliers, programs, pamphlets, and news clippings with a small amount of correspondence relating to Kris Kleindienst’s involvement with the Gay Games; Red Tomatoe, Inc. and local entertainment events; Team St. Louis; and the Mor or Les bar. There is one unpublished manuscript by Kleindienst, “An Incomplete History and Analysis of the St. Louis Women’s Movement.” The collection is arranged alphabetically by topic and dates from 1974 to 1995. The Red Tomatoe, Inc. files include one folder containing a checking account register dating from 1975 to 1979 and mailings from Tomatoe Productions which include annual reports. These include reviews of work done, plans for the next year, and detailed explanations of the organization’s finances including graphics. There is also blank stationery used by Red Tomatoe, Inc. The many concert fliers and programs are arranged chronologically, some of which are signed by the artists. Programs sporadically include information about Red Tomatoe and the individuals involved with its productions. The Coalition for the Environment co-sponsored shows such as Holly Near on Tour for a Nuclear-Free Future at Powell Symphony Hall in 1979; a Holly Near concert in 1981; and Silkwood, a one-woman play, in 1981. Much of the material for the four Gay Games in the collection consists of mailings sent to athletes and provided to them on site by the governing body of the games, the Federation of Gay Games of San Francisco Arts and Athletics, Inc., and by local committees such a Unity ’94. It includes brochures, schedules, programs, and local information. There are two competition numbers worn by Kleindienst in San Francisco and New York (f.2). There are several news clippings, newspapers, and publications about the Gay Games from various sources. Kleindienst wrote about the Vancouver Games for the 1991 St. Louis Pride Guide (f.3). In 1984, she received the first issue of Triumph, a magazine dedicated to the Gay Games which arrived taped in a plain paper wrapper shielding its title (f.5). The Team St. Louis folders contain news clippings, a small number of letters and memos, blank grant applications, and many fliers announcing meetings and various fundraisers. One event held in March 1994 featured a reception for Bob and Rod Jackson-Paris held to benefit The Anti-Violence Project and Team St. Louis. There are also four Team St. Louis newsletters dated from 1993 to 1995 and minutes from one meeting held on August 28, 1993. The Mor or Les was a women’s bar at 4135 South Grand Boulevard which was the target of window breaking, graffiti, and bomb threats. In a July 1979 letter, manager Mac McCann addressed the bar’s options after appearing before the excise commissioner when neighbors filed a protest petition against the bar. There are newspaper clippings about the petition and the subsequent arson attack which destroyed the bar on September 11, 1979. There is a news release dated September 12, 1979, titled “Groups respond to violence” about the fire and a list of endorsements for Concerned Citizens Against Violence. Kleindienst’s paper, An Incomplete History and Analysis of the St. Louis Women’s Movement, covered activities from 1969 to 1977. In it she examined the following groups: the Lesbian Alliance, Metro NOW and North County NOW, Shindanah School, Camp Artemis, Rape Crisis Center (1973), and Moonstorm. Included is a timeline of activities and a newspaper article by Susan Fadem from the April 2-3, 1977, issue of the St. Louis Globe Democrat, “Women history shouldn’t forget.”
Dates
- 1974-1995
Creator
- Kleindienst, Kris, 1953- (Collector, Person)
Conditions Governing Access
The collection is open for research use.
Conditions Governing Use
For permission to publish, quote from, or reproduce material in this collection, please contact the Archives Reference Desk at archives@mohistory.org. Copyright restrictions may apply. The researcher assumes full responsibility for conforming to the laws of copyright.
Biographical Sketch
Kris Kleindienst has been a writer, bookseller, and a social justice advocate in St. Louis since 1974 when she was a student at Washington University and began working at Left Bank Books. In 1977, she became a co-owner of the Central West End bookstore and the sole owner in 2021. She has held board position in professional association such as the American Bookseller Association and the Midwest Independent Booksellers Association. Kleindienst also emerged as a community leader, founding the Left Bank Books Foundation, co-founding BUILD St. Louis (Businesses United for Independent Local Development), and working with the Central West End Association. Kleindienst’s activism began in the 1970s promoting women’s rights with lesbian collective projects including The Women's House, Moonstorm, and the Women's Coffeehouse. During this time, she also co-founded Tomatoe Productions which was initially assisted by the Washington University Feminist Coalition. Tomatoe produced feminist and lesbian concerts, films, and readings. In 1978, the group sought non-profit status under the name Red Tomatoe, Inc. to apply for grants. In 1982, Kleindienst participated in track and field events at the first Gay Games held in San Francisco. She was one of four athletes from St. Louis who participated. Kleindienst went on to compete in four games (1982, 1986, 1990, 1994) and medaled in several events. In 1990, she became a founding member of Team St. Louis when athletes, along with the Arch Rivals, a women’s softball team and S.L.A.V.E., a men’s volleyball team, realized they were all planning to go to compete in Gay Games III in Vancouver. Team St. Louis conducted fundraising activities, distributed grants to athletes, and coordinated travel. It continues to serve the LGBTQ+ athletic community and in 2018 presented its Legacy Award to Kleindienst. In the 1990s, Kleindienst co-founded the Anti-Violence Project, which evolved with other programs into the current St. Louis Anti-Violence Project. She also served as a board member of the ACLU of Eastern Missouri. For over 25 years, Kleindienst served as a columnist for local newspapers such as St. Louis Today and the News-Telegraph, which eventually became The Vital Voice. She also contributed to Delmar, a local literary magazine and served on the advisory board of The Paris Review. In 1999, Kleindienst edited This Is What Lesbians Look Like, which won a Lambda Literary Award in the nonfiction anthology category.
Extent
0.41 Cubic Feet (16 folders, 2 oversize folders)
Language of Materials
English
Arrangement
The collection is arranged alphabetically by topic.
Physical and Technical Requirements
There are no physical or technical restrictions.
Donor Information
The collection was donated by Kris Kleindienst in 2022 (accession number 2022-114).
Sources Consulted during Processing
Processing Information
Processed with funding from The Stuart Foundation, Inc. by Kristina Perez, 2025.
Creator
- Kleindienst, Kris, 1953- (Collector, Person)
- Federation of Gay Games. San Francisco Arts and Athletics Inc. (Associated name, Organization)
- Title
- Kris Kleindienst Collection
- Author
- EAD by Kristina Perez using ArchivesSpace
- Date
- 2025
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Missouri Historical Society Library and Research Center Repository
