Oral history interview with Jonathan S. "Jon" Sparer, FAIA 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.
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From the Las Vegas Bugle Photograph Collection on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender History (PH-00336). Unidentified event evidently sponsored by the Imperial Royal Court of the Desert Empire Inc., c. 1998 [known in 1998 as the Imperial Royal Sovereign Court of the Desert Empire, Inc.]. See paper inside envelope for ID's. Xeroxed insert in envelope with identification out of order: "Unidentified event, evidently sponsored by the Imperial Royal Court of the Desert Empire, Inc., c. 1998 [known in 1998 as the Imperial Royal Sovereign Court of the Desert Empire, Inc.]. In the red gown: Baroness I DeShannon; in the dress uniform: Baron I Mark. Identification of those posed with the Baron and Baroness: nos. 0-1) Ken Tomoroy; nos. 5-6) Dr. Jerry Cade; nos. 7-8) Antioco Carrillo of the Community Counseling Center, and Youth Director at teh [the] Gay and Lesbian Community Center; nos. 9-10) Sue Ann Melfi; nos. 11-12) Rev. [Reverend] David Gillentine of the Metroplitan Community Church; no. 15) Vincent Frey; nos. 16-18) Jack Novick, owner of the Spotlight Lounge [19 images (duplicates; with negatives)]."
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The Ron Lawrence Photograph Collection contains mainly photographs of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) events (approximately 1980-1994, 2013) around Las Vegas, Nevada taken by Ron Lawrence. The collection consists primarily of photographs of the First Annual Gay Pride Banquet and Awards hosted at the Moyer Student Union at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), events at the Gay Academic Union at UNLV, and the first Gay Pride celebration in Las Vegas. Also included are photographs of the First Annual Honorarium by the Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Southern Nevada, personal photographs of Ron Lawrence and his friends, and parties at the home of Ron Lawrence and Ernie Egyd.
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In the years following this interview, Kerr continued entertaining, although he never returned to the Las Vegas Strip. Kerr performed at OUTfest Phoenix, at Palm Springs’ Awesome August celebrations, Las Vegas’ National Coming Out Day event, and for the Gay and Lesbian Community Center’s Youth Service’s Division. Kerr also gave shows at small bars and restaurants such as Café Nicolle and DeStefano’s in Las Vegas, the Wilde Goose in Cathedral City, California, and the Plush Room in San Francisco. There were rumors that Kerr was set to replace emcee Joey Arias in Cirque du Soliel [2004] and Frank Marino in La Cage [2005], but neither turned out to be true. Instead, Kerr performed in such local gay nightclubs as Flex, Sasha’s, Krave, Suede, and, on July 31, 2012, at the Onyx Theatre in Commercial Center. In 2006, Kerr made peace with his former rival, Frank Marino. Kerr’s son, Kristin Vidal, made Kenny a grandfather with his own son, Alexander. It was clear during his July 2012 performan
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Jahna Steele, aka Jahna Reis [d. January 24, 2008], was a renowned transgender performer in Las Vegas whose reputation became international through the 1990s and 2000s. Steele hosted The World's Most Beautiful Transsexual Contest at the Riviera Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas in 2004. For information on Steele, see Out of the Neon Closet: Queer Community in the Silver State, by Dennis McBride [North Charleston, SC: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2016], pp. 153-154. For Steele's obituary, see the Las Vegas Review-Journal, January 29, 2008, p. 4B. Also see "Jahna Steele: Woman of Steele" [QVegas, December 2005, 34] and "Jahna Steele" [Las Vegas Review-Journal, October 10, 2010, 4J]. This videotape is a promotional item of Steele's entertainment career. [00:00:00 - 00:06:38]
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Born in Brooklyn, New York on October 29, 1931, Dorothy Frassmann talks about her life and experiences.
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