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Dennis McBride Collection on LGBTQ Las Vegas, Nevada (MS-00802)

Abstract

This collection is comprised of research files dating from approximately 1980 to 2021 created by Boulder City Nevadan, Dennis McBride, primarily in support of his book, Out of the Neon Closet: A History of Gay Las Vegas on the history of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, gay, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) community in Southern Nevada. Materials in this collection also include ephemera and clippings documenting LGBTQ establishments and organizations in Las Vegas, biographies of individuals, and other issues pertinent to the LGBTQ community. This collection also includes some materials about the LGBTQ community and their issues in Northern Nevada. The collection represents McBride's overall efforts to document and preserve the history of the LGBTQ community in Nevada.

Finding Aid PDF

Date

1980 to 2021

Extent

40.72 Cubic Feet (35 boxes)
34.45 Linear Feet

Related People/Corporations

Creator: McBride, Dennis

Scope and Contents Note

The Dennis McBride Collection on LGBTQ Las Vegas (approximately 1980-2021) is comprised of research files about the history of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer communities and LGBTQ issues that were created by Boulder City, Nevada native, Dennis McBride in support of his book Out of the Neon Closet: A History of Gay Las Vegas. Files include biographical sketches of notable personalities (political, religious, celebrity, and activist) in Las Vegas, information on LGBTQ organizations (political, social, and civic), and material documenting significant events primarily in the Las Vegas LGBTQ community, but also including Northern Nevada. Additional files focus on associations and initiatives that have been important to the greater LGBTQ community from the 1980s to 2017 such as AIDS/HIV, gay marriage rights, and discrimination. The collection represents McBride's overall efforts to document and preserve the history of the LGBTQ community in Nevada.

Access Note

Collection is open for research.

Publication Rights

Materials in this collection may be protected by copyrights and other rights. See Reproductions and Use on the UNLV Special Collections and Archives website for more information about reproductions and permissions to publish.

Arrangement

These records are organized into six series:

Series I. Alphabetical research files, 1990-2016;

Series II. 2017 research files, 2017;

Series III. 2018 reearch files, 2018;

Series IV. 2019 research files, 2019;

Series V. 2020 research files, 2020;

Series VI. 2021 research files, 2021.

Biographical / Historical Note

Dennis McBride was born on January 13, 1955 and grew up in Boulder City, Nevada. He received both his BA and MA in English Literature from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). He is well-known as an expert in the history of Hoover Dam and has published several histories of Boulder City. His books include In the Beginning: A History of Boulder City, Nevada, Building Hoover Dam, An Oral History of the Great Depression (with Andrew Dunbar), and Midnight on Arizona Street: The Secret Life of the Boulder Dam Hotel. McBride is also an authority on Nevada’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) history. He has chronicled and collected the history of the LGBTQ community in Las Vegas since the late 1970s. He has worked as a curator of historical collections at the Boulder City Museum and Historical Society, UNLV Libraries Special Collections, and the Nevada State Museum. He was appointed Director of the Nevada State Museum in 2012.

Source:

Dennis McBride Collection on LGBTQ Las Vegas, Nevada approximately 1980-2020. MS-00802. Special Collections and Archives, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Nevada.

Related Collections

The following resources may provide additional information related to the materials in this collection:

Las Vegas Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Collection, 1955-1997. MS-00251. Special Collections and Archives, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Nevada.

Reno Gay Rodeo, 1977-1988. MS-00503. Special Collections and Archives, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Nevada.

Ted Lenhart Collection on the LGBT Community, 1990-2001. MS-00484. Special Collections and Archives, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Nevada.

Las Vegas Bugle Collection on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender History, 1984-2002. MS-00476. Special Collections and Archives, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Nevada.

Dennis McBride LGBTQ Poster and Sign Collection, 1984-2012. MS-00842. Special Collections and Archives, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Nevada.

Preferred Citation

Dennis McBride Collection on LGBTQ Las Vegas, Nevada approximately 1980-2020. MS-00802. Special Collections and Archives, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Nevada.

Permalink

http://n2t.net/ark:/62930/f1vp61

Acquisition Note

Materials were donated between 2016 to 2021 by Dennis McBride; accession numbers 2016-018, 2017-161, 2018-036, 2019-026, 2021-005, and 2022-009.

Processing Note

Front matter was written by Tammi Kim in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2021. Dennis McBride's original descriptions of collection contents have been retained. Some content descriptions include "see also" notes which refer users to corresponding content found elsewhere in the collection.

Subjects

Las Vegas (Nev.)
Gay rights
Gay pride celebrations--Nevada
Gay community
Gays and the performing arts
Gay business enterprises -- Nevada -- Las Vegas
Gay rodeos -- Nevada -- Reno

Resource Type

Collection

Collection Type

Manuscript collections

EAD ID

US::NVLN::MS00802

Additions

Further additions to this collection are anticipated.

Finding Aid Description Rules

Describing Archives: A Content Standard
English