Oral history interviews with Dennis McBride conducted by Claytee D. White and Stefani Evans on various dates in March, April, and May 2023 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. McBride goes into detail in this 4-session interview and covers a wide variety of topics, including: the history of Boulder City, working at various cultural institutions in Las Vegas, the evolution of the LGBTQ+ community in Las Vegas, researching his own history and publishing a book, and local advocacy groups. Digital audio available; no transcript available.
Born in 1939, Sharon Maurer-Schwartz’s life experiences have traversed a groundbreaking era: she’s a female, Jewish and a married to a Protestant lesbian. This oral history reveals what it has been like for her as she explored her Judaism and recognized her personal identity. Her Judaic foundation began in the Reconstructionist movement in Indianapolis, Indiana. She has never wavered from her religious identity, though she has belonged to various types of synagogues. She and Ande (Edna) Rice, who also participates in this interview, were legally married in California in 2008, but have been together since the 1980s. They raised Sharon’s daughter Julie, pursued careers and moved to Las Vegas in 1999. Ande is a Protestant and the topic of blended religious couples is discussed. Sharon is devoted to her life coaching business – Growth Unlimited – and to helping others.
The Kenny Kerr Papers (approximately 1973-2013) contain audiovisual materials, photographs, newspaper clippings, and ephemera that document the career of Las Vegas, Nevada female impersonator Kenny Kerr. The majority of the collection includes recordings of Kerr's performances, including his impersonation revue show This is Boy-Lesque. Audiovisual materials in this collection represent Kerr's performances in Las Vegas as well as around the United States, music used for Boy-Lesque, and an audiocassette recording of Kerr's song, "Uncle Sam Wants You." Other materials in this collection include Kerr's professional headshots and Boy-Lesque show ephemera such as performance tickets and show programs. Also included are professional and candid photographs of Kerr's performances and with other performers.The collection also includes a 2012 digital video recording of UnBOYlievable starring female impersonator Jimmy Emerson at the Riverside Resort in Laughlin, Nevada, fourteen songs from Kerr's album "Songs From the Heart," and digital scans of the photographs in the collection.