Nevada Assembly Bill 496, titled, Family Fairness Bill, was introduced by Assemblyman David Parks in the 2001 legislature to establish reciprocal beneficiary relationships in state law. AB 496 was an attempt to establish some legal protections for same-sex and other "non-married" relationships under threat of the success of Question 2. AB 496's failure was blamed on Question 2. Question 2 was an anti-same-sex marriage constitutional amendment passed by popular referendum in Nevada in 2000 and 2002. This video records a debate between Richard Ziser, director of the referendum's sponsoring organization, the Coalition for the Protection of Marriage in Nevada [CPM], and Las Vegas queer activist, Vincent Frey over AB 496. The program which hosted this debate was Face to Face, a half-hour public affairs program hosted by renowned Nevada journalist, Jon Ralston [who has a transgender son named Jacob "Jake" Ralston], sponsored by the Las Vegas Sun newspaper and broadcast on Las Vegas ONE, a 24-hour local news network which was a collaboration among the Las Vegas Sun, KLAS-TV Channel 8, and Prime Cable [Prime was purchased in 1998 by Cox Cable/Cox Communications], on channels 1 and 39. The general manager of Las Vegas ONE was Robert "Bob" Stoldal. The network operated from April 6, 1998 through January 9, 2010. For information on Nevada AB 496, see Out of the Neon Closet: Queer Community in the Silver State, by Dennis McBride [North Charleston, SC: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2016], pp. 292, 304, 307, and MS-00802, Box 8 ["Domestic Partner Benefits - Nevada: AB 496 (2001)"] in the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Special Collections Department. For the history of POV Vegas, see "Sun to Launch Daily Television News Talk Show" [Las Vegas Sun, June 27, 1999]. An oral history interview with David Parks is deposited in the Special Collections Department of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. [00:01:27 - 00:30:06]
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
In this interview, Jon Sparer discusses his involvement as the architect of Congregation Ner Tamid's synagogue in Green Valley. He explains details of the building including the concrete tilt-up form, glass windows and the incorporation of quotes throughout the building. Sparer also discusses his involvement with the Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Southern Nevada (The Center) as a board member.
According to architect Jon Sparer, when he moved to Las Vegas in the early 1980s, the art of the deal was still based on a "handshake." It was just after the infamous MGM fire and Jon went to work for Rissman and Rissman. He later worked for Marnell Corrao Associates until 2001, and then as a principal in his own firm. He is now retired. While honing his design skills with the exciting transformation of the Strip into a world-class destination, Jon also became an active contributor to the Las Vegas community. Among his most notable experiences was being on the search committee for a new location for the fast growing Congregation Ner Tamid and then the architectural design for the synagogue's location in Henderson. It was a unique experience and Jon tells how he approached each aspect of the religious facility and how it would provide a memorable setting for life experiences. Jon has been involved with Jewish Family Services and the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). In addition, Jon along with his husband John Klai have been instrumental in the LGBTQ community and the opening of the Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Southern Nevada [The Center]. In this interview, he also talks about the significance of The Center/ and its success in working with the Clark County Health District, as well as providing a user-friendly experience for all who visit The Center and the Bronze Cafe located there.
From the Dennis McBride Photograph Collection (PH-00263) -- LGBTQ+ events and organizations in Las Vegas, Nevada -- Digital images file. Notes from the donor, Dennis McBride: Equality Won! Day was a celebration of the successful passage of transgender-inclusive legislation at the Nevada State Legislature during the 2011 session. … Aizley's wife, Sari, served as the first Director of the Southern Nevada chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union [see the Nevada Gay Times, April 1984, p. 4 for establishment of the ACLU-Southern Nevada Chapter; and see the Bohemian Bugle, March 1986, p. 13 and the Bohemian Bugle, April 1986, pp. 1, 4, 11, and 18 for Sari Aizley's appointment as Director]. Individuals identified by the donor, Dennis McBride: Paul Aizley [Nevada State Assemblyman, District 41 (Democrat)]
From the Dennis McBride Photograph Collection (PH-00263) -- LGBTQ+ events and organizations in Las Vegas, Nevada -- Digital images file. Notes from the donor, Dennis McBride: Equality Won! Day was a celebration of the successful passage of transgender-inclusive legislation at the Nevada State Legislature during the 2011 session. … Aizley's wife, Sari, served as the first Director of the Southern Nevada chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union [see the Nevada Gay Times, April 1984, p. 4 for establishment of the ACLU-Southern Nevada Chapter; and see the Bohemian Bugle, March 1986, p. 13 and the Bohemian Bugle, April 1986, pp. 1, 4, 11, and 18 for Sari Aizley's appointment as Director]. Individuals identified by the donor, Dennis McBride: Paul Aizley [Nevada State Assemblyman, District 41 (Democrat)]
From the Dennis McBride Photograph Collection (PH-00263) -- LGBTQ+ events and organizations in Las Vegas, Nevada -- Digital images file. Notes from the donor, Dennis McBride: Equality Won! Day was a celebration of the successful passage of transgender-inclusive legislation at the Nevada State Legislature during the 2011 session. … Aizley's wife, Sari, served as the first Director of the Southern Nevada chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union [see the Nevada Gay Times, April 1984, p. 4 for establishment of the ACLU-Southern Nevada Chapter; and see the Bohemian Bugle, March 1986, p. 13 and the Bohemian Bugle, April 1986, pp. 1, 4, 11, and 18 for Sari Aizley's appointment as Director]. Individuals identified by the donor, Dennis McBride: Paul Aizley [Nevada State Assemblyman, District 41 (Democrat)]
From the Dennis McBride Photograph Collection (PH-00263) -- LGBTQ+ events and organizations in Las Vegas, Nevada -- Digital images file. Notes from the donor, Dennis McBride: Equality Won! Day was a celebration of the successful passage of transgender-inclusive legislation at the Nevada State Legislature during the 2011 session. … Sari Aizley served as the first Director of the Southern Nevada chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union [see the Nevada Gay Times, April 1984, p. 4 for establishment of the ACLU-Southern Nevada Chapter; and see the Bohemian Bugle, March 1986, p. 13 and the Bohemian Bugle, April 1986, pp. 1, 4, 11, and 18 for Sari Aizley's appointment as Director]. Individuals identified by the donor, Dennis McBride: Sari Aizley; Paul Aizley [Nevada State Assemblyman, District 41 (Democrat)]
From the Dennis McBride Photograph Collection (PH-00263) -- LGBTQ+ events and organizations in Las Vegas, Nevada -- Digital images file. Notes from the donor, Dennis McBride: Equality Won! Day was a celebration of the successful passage of transgender-inclusive legislation at the Nevada State Legislature during the 2011 session. ... Sari Aizley served as the first Director of the Southern Nevada chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union [see the Nevada Gay Times, April 1984, p. 4 for establishment of the ACLU-Southern Nevada Chapter; and see the Bohemian Bugle, March 1986, p. 13 and the Bohemian Bugle, April 1986, pp. 1, 4, 11, and 18 for Sari Aizley's appointment as Director]. Individuals identified by the donor, Dennis McBride: Sari Aizley; Paul Aizley [Nevada State Assemblyman, District 41 (Democrat)]
As Sari and Paul Aizley recall their separate childhoods and journeys to Las Vegas, their work and volunteer histories, their efforts to build a better society, and their life together they speak to each other as much as they respond to questions about their observations on the growth of the Las Vegas urban environment and their contributions to Southern Nevada's cultural development and a just society. In this interview, Sari and Paul speak to the cross-town commute and the physical UNLV campus in the late 1960s; the growth of the UNLV Math Department; the evolution of UNLV's Continuing Education; the State's North-South funding rivalry as reflected in the built environments of University of Nevada in Las Vegas and in Reno; plans to build a paleontology research facility at Tule Springs National Monument; the Review-Journal's "Ask Jessie Emmet" Real Estate column; local ACLU offices and politics; Fair Housing; transgendered persons; the Nevada State Assembly, and Class! magazine for Clark County high school students. Sari and Paul smile at each other as they recall how the editor/publisher met the bearded math professor and fell in love—despite the fact that they tell slightly different versions of their initial meeting(s). Sari passed away November 1, 2017, three days shy of one year after she participated in this interview.