Star Palmer was caught between worlds when she got the call – one foot in the shower, one foot out.
But the news on the other end of the line would change her life: she had won the Pinnacle Prize, a recognition that comes with a $100,000 cash award.
“I was super ecstatic, in shock, disbelief,” says Palmer.
That disbelief stemmed partly from Palmer’s natural reluctance to spotlight her achievements. As the founder and executive director of Our Spot KC, a nonprofit providing housing and support services to the LGBTQ+ community, Palmer has always focused on the work rather than recognition.
“This is my passion work,” says Palmer. “I do it because it needs to be done, not because I want to put it on social media and say, ‘Hey, I did this,’ that’s just not who I am.”
Palmer is still processing what to do with the prize money, though she’s considering putting it toward retirement – a luxury many nonprofit leaders can’t afford.
“Like many growing nonprofits, we don’t have 401(k)s, and it was just two years ago that we were able to offer insurance for my employees – we’re at that ground level,” says Palmer.
Finding Her Purpose
Palmer’s path to being a celebrated nonprofit leader began in an unexpected place – the construction industry. As a union sheet metal worker, she completed a five-year apprenticeship and worked on major projects including Kauffman Stadium and the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts.
A tragic turning point came in fall 2014, when a close friend was murdered in what appeared to be a hate crime based on his sexuality.
Palmer felt local law enforcement dismissed it as “another statistic,” so she partnered with the Kansas City Anti-Violence Project (KCAVP), a local LGBTQ nonprofit, to investigate. They took the story to the national press, and organized fundraisers for the victim’s daughters, which finally got local FBI and police to engage with the case.
Through this work, KCAVP offered Palmer a job that she accepted despite a substantial pay cut.
“I took a quarter of my previous paycheck going from construction to nonprofit,” says Palmer. “But this was important work.”
Over the next few years, she worked her way up from answering phones to management, witnessing firsthand the gaps in services for LGBTQ individuals.
Building Something New
Palmer founded Our Spot KC in 2016 after spending much of her time at KCAVP trying to secure spots in domestic violence shelters for LGBTQ individuals. There was a particular challenge with queer men and trans individuals, who were often turned away from facilities that historically only served women and children.
“I told my director at the time and the board, ‘We need to have our own housing,'” says Palmer. “My job literally is just calling out these shelters and trying to get them to not discriminate against our folks.”
The statistics behind Palmer’s urgency are stark:
- Nationally, 40% of individuals experiencing homelessness identify as LGBTQ, despite representing only 8-10% of the general population.
- Of those LGBTQ individuals experiencing homelessness, 75% are people of color.
“You have to look at the social determinants,” says Palmer. “It’s connected to domestic violence from family members, whether that’s your parents kicking you out or whatever the case may be. Religion, homophobia, transphobia, there’s just a lot of factors there.”
Building Bridges
Palmer’s approach to community work emphasizes education and understanding over confrontation. When addressing misconceptions about the LGBTQ+ community, she believes in creating opportunities for learning rather than conflict.
“At the end of the day, we’re all human,” says Palmer. “It shouldn’t matter who someone sleeps with or how they identify, but we know that in different cultures, that has been the case.”
She advocates for what she calls “calling in versus calling out” – creating spaces for honest dialogue and growth.
Growing Impact
Today, Our Spot KC’s flagship program, Lion House, provides transitional housing and rapid rehousing for LGBTQ+ youth, adults, and families facing homelessness. The organization has served 5,600+ meals and provided 2,300+ hours of life skills workshops.
“We’re not just putting people in a program and paying their rent,” says Palmer. “We’re truly surrounding them with resources and a sustainability plan that they’ve identified for themselves, [we’re] working with them and not for them.”
Palmer’s impact extends beyond housing. She leads the Kansas City Pride Community Alliance, breathing new life into KC PrideFest and Parade after 15 years of stagnation. The event has grown to become the city’s largest parade outside of sports championship celebrations.
Our Spot KC recently purchased a 29,000-square-foot navigation center with plans to transform it into a comprehensive community hub. The space will house a cafe, dance studio, content studio, and co-working space for LGBTQ+ businesses.
Palmer also plans to launch several major initiatives in 2025, and Our Spot KC has begun entering the development realm to address affordable housing shortages, aiming to control rental costs for their community.
“The political climate that is coming – we don’t know where that puts any LGBTQ organization,” says Palmer. “We’re trying to buckle down and prepare as best as we can and roll with the punches as they come. Historically, the LGBTQ community and the Black and Brown communities have had to be resilient and build on one another and work in tandem, and we’re prepared to continue to do that.”
For more info about Our Spot KC’s programs and services, visit OurSpotKC.org.
