Oral history interview with Wes Davis conducted by Dennis McBride on July 13, 2008 for the Las Vegas Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Archives Oral History Project. In this interview, Davis discusses the AIDS epidemic in the United States in 1981 and the effect it had on the gay community. Davis then talks about Aid for AIDS of Nevada (AFAN) in 1984, Golden Rainbow in 1986, and the Nevada Aids Project in 1987, and describes their efforts to deal with the disease. Lastly, he describes the implementation of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing and explains why people were afraid to find out if they were positive for the disease.
Oral history interview with Richard Schlegel conducted by Dennis McBride on June 03, 2006 for the Las Vegas Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Archives Oral History Project. In this interview, Schlegel discusses his involvement with Equal Rights Nevada (ERN) and the petition to amend the Nevada Constitution that prevented same-sex marriages in the early 2000s. He talks about the approach that ERN took to campaign against the petition and the role that the Coalition for the Protection of Marriage had at the time. Schlegel then describes the Marriage Protection Pledge, his experiences managing a campaign supporting marriage rights for gay couples, and explains how the outcome of the petition affected the Las Vegas, Nevada gay community.
Oral history interviews with David Parks conducted by Dennis McBride on February 16 and 21, 2000 for the Las Vegas Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Archives Oral History Project. In the interviews, Parks talks about his early life in Boston, Massachusetts, his education, and his service with the United States Air Force, where he was stationed at Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas, Nevada in 1967. Parks then recalls understanding his sexuality during his military service and policies regarding gay military personnel. He remembers coming out as gay in 1972, when he attended the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and worked for the City of Las Vegas as a computer operator. He then talks about getting involved with politics, his involvement with gay support organizations including Aid for AIDS of Nevada, and his experiences running as the first openly gay Nevada State Assemblyman in 1996. Lastly, Parks discusses same sex rights legislation that was brought forward during his time in office.
Oral history interview with Rodney Sumpter conducted by Dennis McBride on August 30, 1999 for the Las Vegas Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Archives Oral History Project. In this interview, Sumpter discusses his involvement with repealing one of Nevada’s sodomy laws (NRS 201.190) in 1985. He recalls going to the Nevada State Supreme Court and discusses similar cases involving sodomy laws in the United States.
Oral history interviews with Judy Corbisiero conducted by Dennis McBride on September 05, 2003; and April 21, July 02, and December 10, 2004 for the Las Vegas Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Archives Oral History Project. In the interviews, Corbisiero recalls her early childhood in New York City, New York, coming out in the late 1970s, and meeting her then-partner, Janice Summers. She describes forming Summercor, Incorporated (a portmanteau of their last names) with Summers to produce women musicians, with a focus on lesbian artists, while living in New York. Corbisiero also talks about musicians she worked with, running political fundraisers during music events, and meeting her next partner, Gudrun Fonfa. She then explains moving to Las Vegas, Nevada with Fonfa in 1983 to promote women's music and culture in Las Vegas and throughout the West Coast.
Oral history interview with Dale Kimball conducted by Dennis McBride on May 16, 1999 and January 1, 2001 for the Las Vegas Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Archives Oral History Project. In this interview, Kimball discusses their personal impressions of and historical information about the people who donated to the Nevada Coalition for the Protection of Marriage, an organization which opposed same sex marriage. The interview consists entirely of Kimball reading through a list of donors to the Coalition and providing personal anecdotes on each individual.
Oral history interview with Lori Lipman Brown conducted by Dennis McBride on September 12, 2005 for the Las Vegas Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Archives Oral History Project. In this interview, Brown discusses Question 2 in the Nevada state elections of 2000 and 2002, which added an amendment to the Nevada constitution that banned same-sex marriage. Brown describes the process of introducing legislation that advocated for equal rights for the gay community and an incident where parties opposing her efforts hired a spy to observe her work. Lastly, Brown talks about the involvement of the Church of Latter-Day Saints and their opposition to same-sex marriage.
The Las Vegas, Nevada Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer/Questioning (LGBTQ) Collection documents the social and political activities of Las Vegas, Nevada's LGBTQ community from 1955 to 2020. The collection includes hundreds of newspaper articles about LGBTQ issues, ranging from AIDS to Nevada legislation. The collection also documents the presence of the LGBTQ community in Las Vegas, including material from gay bars, nightclubs, social clubs, advocacy and political organizations, entertainers, and student groups. Previously known as the Las Vegas Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Collection.
The Get Booked Financial Records (1993-1998) comprise the early business records of Get Booked, a lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) bookstore located in Las Vegas, Nevada. The collection documents the initial purchase of the business as well as monthly financial records and promotional coupons.
Oral history interview with Rodney Sumpter conducted by Dennis McBride on January 20, 2004 for the Las Vegas Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Archives Oral History Project. In this interview, Sumpter discusses Fred Schoonmaker, a Reno, Nevada gay activist, and his efforts to create Stonewall Park, a town for LGBTQ members in Nevada that was never realized. Sumpter describes his professional relationship with Schoonmaker as his attorney. He also recalls the early stages for Stonewall Park, including finding a location and struggling to find financial and local support for the town. Lastly, Sumpter talks about Schoonmaker's HIV health issues and his personal thoughts on the LGBTQ community.