Abstract
The Stand OUT for Equality Records (2008-2011) contain correspondence, lobbying materials, press kits, promotional materials, expense reports, meeting agendas and minutes, certificates, and notes pertaining to the 2009 and 2011 lobbying efforts by Stand OUT for Equality for gay and straight domestic partnership benefits and transgender rights held in Carson City, Nevada. The collection also contains photographic prints of the 2009 and 2011 Equality Days in Carson City, copies of legislation related to domestic partnerships in Nevada, event invitations, newspaper clippings, and optical discs with digital copies of fliers, posters, logos, manuals, training videos, and photographs, as well as templates and budgeting information.
Finding Aid PDF
Date
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Scope and Contents Note
The Stand OUT for Equality Records (2008-2011) contain correspondence, lobbying materials, press kits, promotional materials, expense reports, meeting agendas and minutes, certificates, and notes pertaining to the 2009 and 2011 lobbying efforts by Stand OUT for Equality for gay and straight domestic partnership benefits and transgender rights held in Carson City, Nevada. The collection also contains photographic prints of the 2009 and 2011 Equality Days in Carson City, copies of legislation related to domestic partnerships in Nevada, event invitations, newspaper clippings, and optical discs with digital copies of fliers, posters, logos, manuals, training videos, and photographs, as well as templates and budgeting information. The Stand OUT for Equality campaign successfully resulted in domestic partner benefits for gay and straight citizens and the passage of three pieces of transgender-friendly legislation.
Access Note
Collection is open for research.
Publication Rights
This material is made available to facilitate private study, scholarship, or research. Photographs taken by Paul Ershler, photographer for the "Equality Days" photographers, retains all copyright and requests any use of the images contain an attribution to Ershler. The remaining material may be protected by copyright, trademark, privacy, publicity rights, or other interests not owned by UNLV. Users are responsible for determining whether permissions are necessary from rights owners for any intended use and for obtaining all required permissions. Acknowledgement of the UNLV University Libraries is requested. For more information, please see the UNLV Special Collections policies on reproductions and use or contact us at special.collections@unlv.edu.
Arrangement
Materials remain in original order.
Biographical / Historical Note
Stand OUT for Equality was founded by The Center (The Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Southern Nevada) in Las Vegas, Nevada in response to the passage of Proposition 8 in California, which repealed same-sex marriage in 2008. Stand OUT and The Center sponsored two successful public protests on November 15, 2008 and December 13, 2008, after which Denise Duarte, an original member and second Chair of Stand OUT for Equality, founded and chaired Equality Days in 2009. This was the first officially recognized day by the Nevada Legislature for the LGBTQ community. Duarte also founded the Nevada LGBTQ Leadership Coalition, which also operated under Stand OUT for Equality, and served as the advocacy arm for The Center. The Nevada LGBTQ Leadership Coalition was a coalition of individuals in leadership from local LGBTQ organizations and some allied organizations which worked on creating and passing Transgender rights and protections in the 2011 Nevada Legislature. The Coalition also worked with Nevada Legislators, mainly Senator David Parks and Assemblyman Paul Aizley, to further rights and protections for the LGBTQ community.
Among this legislation was SB 283, establishing a Domestic Partnership registry in Nevada and providing all the rights, privileges, and responsibilities of marriage to domestic partners, straight or gay. On the evening of April 21, 2009, seventy activists from across the state gathered at the Governor's Mansion, including supporters from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Nevada, the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada, the Human Rights Campaign, and the Las Vegas-based Lambda Business and Professional Association.
The Senate passed SB 283 on April 21, 2009, the Assembly passed it May 15, 2009, and Nevada Governor Jim Gibbons vetoed the bill on May 25, 2009. Stand OUT began a lobbying campaign to persuade state legislators to override Gibbons' veto. They were joined by the Nevada Resort Association and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. The effort was successful and Gibbons’ veto was overridden. Nevada became the 17th state to legalize domestic partnerships for gay and straight citizens.
Source:
Stand OUT for Equality Records, 2008-2011. MS-00585. Special Collections and Archives, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Nevada.
Preferred Citation
Stand OUT for Equality Records, 2008-2011. MS-00585. Special Collections and Archives, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Nevada.
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Acquisition Note
Materials were donated in 2011 by Denise Duarte and Marlene Adrian; accession number 2012-001.
Processing Note
In 2018, as part of an archival backlog elimination project, Christina Lamoureux revised the collection description to bring it into compliance with current professional standards. In 2020, as part of an archival backlog elimination project, Melise Leech added additional materials and revised the finding aid to bring it into compliance with current professional standards.