Oral history interview with Sarah Serna conducted by Dennis McBride on December 04, 1998 for the Las Vegas Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Archives Oral History Project. Serna opens her interview by discussing her move to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1993, and her first assignment as a Methodist minister to a small congregation in North Las Vegas. Serna then explains how she became involved in LGBT social justice issues after witnessing expressions of homophobia and prejudice within her church. She discusses her involvement with the Las Vegas LGBT community and the development of a pastoral care outreach program, the development of the World AIDS Day prayer vigil, and the foundation of the Community Counseling Center, later renamed Lighthouse Ministry. Serna then talks about her decision to transition from the Methodist Church to the Episcopalian Church and becoming the first Episcopalian priest in Las Vegas to bless same-sex marriages. She also discusses the development of a transitional housing program, changes in the LGBT community in Las Vegas, and many individuals involved in LGBT social justice programs in Las Vegas.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Albert Hood conducted by Dennis McBride on June 16, 1998 for the Las Vegas Gay Archives Oral History Project. In this interview Bert Hood discusses his early life, getting married to a woman, joining the army, discovering his sexuality, and the various loves of his life. He also talks about coming to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1962, working at the Sands Hotel as a bartender, serving The Rat Pack, who tipped him generously, cruising at Squires Park, local gay landmarks, and the first drag shows in Las Vegas.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Alana Brown conducted by Dennis McBride on May 26, 2008 for the Las Vegas Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Archives Oral History Project. In this interview, Brown discusses establishing the Center Stage Inc. theater company in Las Vegas, Nevada with her partner, Lenore Simon. Brown describes the production of certain plays including
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Cathy Scott conducted by Dennis McBride on December 12, 2006 for the Las Vegas Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Archives Oral History Project. In this interview, Scott discusses reporting about the murder of Roger Jameson, a gay man who was found dead outside of a gay bar in Las Vegas, Nevada on April 25, 1995. Scott describes the scene upon her arrival and her initial reactions to the homicide. She talks about the issue of homophobia in Las Vegas at the time and explains that other newspaper publications would not want to cover this story because this was not seen as a serious issue. Lastly, Scott talks about the double life that Jameson lived and how the public reacted to his story.
Archival Collection
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
Archival Collection
Oral history interviews with Kevin M. Kelly conducted by Dennis McBride on September 08 and 22; and November 10, 2000 for the Las Vegas Gay Archives Oral History Project. In the interviews, Kelly talks about his family and early life in Boston, Massachusetts with a focus on his Catholic upbringing. He recalls his law education, serving in the United States Army during the Vietnam War for eleven years, and discovering his sexuality in 1966 while working in the Boston City Hospital. Kelly then describes being discharged from the military due to allegations of being gay, and his family's reaction. He then recalls moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1978, where he was involved in a robbery and shooting incident with a male sex worker in 1982. Kelly goes on to recall the trial that proceed the incident and how it publicly outed him. He details how he was charged with felony sodomy and ultimately lost his job as a result of the trial. Finally, he talks about serving on a task force to investigate bias in Nevada's court system in 1992 and being honored in 1994 by the Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Southern Nevada for his work.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with David Parks conducted by Dennis McBride on January 31, 2007 for the Las Vegas Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Archives Oral History Project. In this interview, Parks, a member of the Nevada senate, discusses working on a Nevada anti-bullying bill and a family fairness bill, which stated that any two persons could have another person as a recipient beneficiary. Park describes dealing with opposition to the family fairness bill with some people arguing that it changes the traditional definition of family. Parks recalls running against a man with a similar name, David F. Parks, in a 2002 legislative assembly election.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Ralph Denton conducted by Dennis McBride on June 05, 2007 for the Las Vegas Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Archives Oral History Project. In this interview, Denton discusses Fred Alward, Lieutenant Governor of Nevada in the 1930s, and his political campaign running for Governor in 1938. Denton talks about Alward having to drop out of the race because of the backlash he received for being gay.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Jack LeVine conducted by Suzanne Becker on June 28, 2007 for the Voices of the Historic John S. Park neighborhood Oral History Project. LeVine discusses being a real estate agent and a gay man living in Las Vegas, Nevada since moving there in the 1980s.
Archival Collection