Oral history interview with Jon Sparer conducted by Barbara Tabach on March 04, 2015 for the Southern Nevada Jewish Heritage Project. Sparer discusses his career as an architect of many major Las Vegas, Nevada hotels and casinos. He also talks about designing the Congregation Ner Tamid and The Center for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered (LGBT) community.
The LGBTQ Las Vegas records are comprised of Dennis McBride's official papers and correspondence from 2016 to 2017 about his pictorial history book, LGBTQ Las Vegas, on the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) community in Las Vegas, Nevada. The records consist of correspondence on the acceptance of McBride's book proposal as well as a memorandum agreement. The records also contain printed copies of electronic correspondence between McBride and Arcadia Publishing as well as correspondence from McBride requesting photographer's permission to include their work in his book. The records also include a proof copy of the book with McBride's annotations.
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.
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.
The Dennis McBride LGBTQ Poster and Sign Collection (1977-2018) contains posters and signs created by the Las Vegas, Nevada Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer/Questioning (LGBTQ) community, collected by historian Dennis McBride. These handmade and commercially printed signs cover events of particular interest to the Las Vegas, Nevada LGBTQ community, including social events, entertainment venues, political rallies, and Gay Pride events.