Rob Schlegel oral history interviews | UNLV Special Collections Portal

Abstract

Oral history interviews with Rob Schlegel conducted by Dennis McBride on various dates in March and April of 1998 for the Las Vegas Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Archives Oral History Project. In the interviews, Schlegel recalls his early life in Port Angeles, Washington, his conservative Baptist upbringing, and his early experiences with literature. Schlegel then discusses working with newspaper publications in high school and college, understanding his sexuality during college, his first gay sexual experience, and his first trip to Las Vegas, Nevada. He recalls working with Robert Lloyd "Bob" Brown at the Valley Times during this visit. Schlegel talks about moving to Las Vegas and working full-time as the production manager for the Valley Times. Schlegel explains becoming active in politics through his newspaper work, meeting notable casino executives, and financial and political controversies the Valley Times experienced in the late 1970s and early 1980s. He then describes coming out as gay, and working at the Nevada Gay Times beginning in 1985. Schlegel also talks about opening and managing the Bright Pink Literature bookstore in 1987 and starting a separate publication Night Beat in 1992. He then recalls co-founding Las Vegas Gay Pride and Southern Nevada Association of Pride, Inc., conflicts he had within the Las Vegas gay community, and working at the Gipsy nightclub as a secretary. Lastly, Schlegel discusses the repeal of Nevada's sodomy laws, homophobia, and memories of individuals and organizations associated with the Las Vegas gay community.

Finding Aid PDF

OH-01638.pdf

Date

1998-03-09 to 1998-03-22

1998-04-11

Extent

4445 digital_files (1.568 GB) MP3, PDF/A

Related People/Corporations

Creator: Schlegel, Rob, 1954-

Contributor: Las Vegas Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Archives Oral History Project

Scope and Contents Note

Oral history interviews with Rob Schlegel conducted by Dennis McBride on various dates in March and April of 1998 for the Las Vegas Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Archives Oral History Project. In the interviews, Schlegel recalls his early life in Port Angeles, Washington, his conservative Baptist upbringing, and his early experiences with literature. Schlegel then discusses working with newspaper publications in high school and college, understanding his sexuality during college, his first gay sexual experience, and his first trip to Las Vegas, Nevada when he was twenty-one years old. He recalls working with Robert Lloyd "Bob" Brown at the Valley Times during this visit and seeing his first showboy in the Stardust Hotel and Casino production, Lido de Paris. Schlegel talks about moving to Las Vegas and working full-time as the production manager for the Valley Times. Schlegel explains becoming active in politics through his newspaper work, meeting notable casino executives including Benny Binion and Moe Dalitz, and financial and political controversies the Valley Times experienced in the late 1970s and early 1980s. He then describes coming out as gay, and working at the Nevada Gay Times beginning in 1985, later known as the Las Vegas Bugle in 1988. Schlegel also talks about opening and managing the Bright Pink Literature bookstore in 1987, getting financial assistance from the real estate investors Ed Uehling and Marlon Tinana, and starting a separate publication Night Beat in 1992. He then recalls co-founding Las Vegas Gay Pride and Southern Nevada Association of Pride, Inc., conflicts he had within the Las Vegas gay community, and working at the Gipsy nightclub as a secretary. Lastly, Schlegel discusses the repeal of Nevada's sodomy laws, homophobia, and memories of individuals and organizations associated with the Las Vegas gay community, including Jerry Cade, the Metropolitan Community Church, and Aid for AIDS of Nevada. Digital audio and transcript available.

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. Some transcripts do not exist in final form, therefore any editing marks in a transcript (deletions, additions, corrections) are to be quoted as marked.

Preferred Citation

Rob Schlegel oral history interviews, 1998 March 09-22, 1998 April 11. OH-01638. [Cite format consulted: Audio recording or Transcript.] Oral History Research Center, Special Collections and Archives, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Nevada.

Permalink

http://n2t.net/ark:/62930/f1w442

Acquisition Note

This interview was conducted by Dennis McBride. Materials from this oral history project were donated to UNLV Libraries Special Collections and Archives on an ongoing basis ending in 2016.

Processing Note

Interview materials were processed by UNLV Libraries Special Collections and Archives in 2017. Jimmy Chang wrote the collection description. The audio cassette(s) for this interview have been reformatted by an external vendor into a digital format. MP3 files of the audio are available for research use. The audio has been minimally reviewed and all readily available information has been included in the description.