Oral history interview with Raul Daniels conducted by Maribel Estrada Calderon on July 03, 2019 for the Latinx Voices of Southern Nevada Oral History Project. In this interview, Daniels discusses his childhood memories of Cuauhtémoc, Mexico and later moving to Las Vegas, Nevada with his family in 1989. He talks about his father’s employment in construction and joining the painters union. Daniels then recalls attending Las Vegas High School, receiving his citizenship, and his experiences attending the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Daniels describes learning about The LGBTQ Center of Southern Nevada, studying international business, his employment at Neiman Marcus, and eventually becoming the Vice President of Catering with Station Casinos. Later, Daniels discusses what The Center meant to him as a gay teen and being a member of the Student Organization of Latinos (SOL). Lastly, Daniels recalls going through the adoption process for his son and talks about Aids for Aids Nevada (AFAN).
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]
Archival Collection
Las Vegas, Nevada LGBTQ Collection
To request this item in person:
Collection Number: MS-00251 Collection Name: Las Vegas, Nevada LGBTQ Collection Box/Folder: Box 19, Digital File 00