Nevada Gay Roo

Contents:

• GAY HISTORY NEVADA AND LAS VEGAS, 1969-2009, BY DENNIS MCBRI, CRYSTAL VAN DEE, AND PL ERSHLER
• JAGUARS STRENGTH COACH KEV MAXEN COM OUT AS GAY
• LAS VEGAS THROWS ARMS AROUND GAY ROO
• WORLD GAY RODEO FINALS
• NEVADA HUMANI VIRTUAL SALON: RENO'S GAY ROO
• NEVADA GAY ROO ASSOCIATN

GAY HISTORY NEVADA AND LAS VEGAS, 1969-2009, BY DENNIS MCBRI, CRYSTAL VAN DEE, AND PL ERSHLER

BIGHORN RODEOThe Nevada Gay Roo Associatn (NGRA) is exced to brg BigHorn Roo back to Southern Nevada for 2023.

As an all-volunteer nonprof anizatn, we celebrate our hard work each year by givg back to our USThe Nevada Gay Roo Associatn (NGRA) is an affiliate of the Internatnal Gay Roo Associatn, which has 14 member associatns the U. The Nevada Gay Roo Associatn is an all-volunteer, nonprof 501(c)(3) anizatn dited to prervg the wtern liftyle and producg gay roos wh a mment to raise funds for charable anizatns wh our muny. BigHorn Roo is one of the largt roos on the gay roo circu.

Feb 17 - 19, Arizona Gay Roo, Phoenix, AZ.

JAGUARS STRENGTH COACH KEV MAXEN COM OUT AS GAY

Internatnal Gay Roo Associatn. You don't have to be gay to pete, you jt have to be of legal age. In 1975, Phil Ragsdale[1], who was Emperor I of the Silver Dollar Court Reno, nceived of a gay roo as a fundraisg effort for the Court.

LAS VEGAS THROWS ARMS AROUND GAY ROO

In the months prr to that date, Ragsdale tried rentg livtock for the roo om Reno area farmers and ranchers, but when he admted the event was beg sponsored by the Reno gay muny, every farmer and rancher he approached—nearly three dozen of them—refed to rent their animals. Early the next morng, the first Reno Gay Roo opened wh five ws, ten lv, and one Shetland pony.

Even though only 150 people attend, the roo drew attentn om gay muni throughout the Wt. The event beme known as the Natnal Reno Gay Roo, sponsored by the Comstock Gay Roo Associatn, and over the next several years drew larger and larger crowds and raised tens of thoands of dollars for such chari as the Mcular Dystrophy Foundatn, Nevada Servic to the Bld, and the Veterans Admistratn hospal Reno.

WORLD GAY RODEO FINALS

Inspired by what was happeng ordarily nservative Nevada, gay roo associatns were found Colorado, Texas, Oklahoma, California, Arizona, Kansas, Missouri, New Mexi, Oregon, and Wyomg.

In 1985, the Internatnal Gay Roo Associatn [IGRA] was found, and the phenomenon of gay roo beme a rich part of gay culture the U. As populary of the Natnal Reno Gay Roo creased, so did nservative backlash the state.

" Daniel Hansen, founr of Nevada’s homophobic Inpennt Amerin Party, two letters to the edor, wrote, “The term of civilizatn have brazenly oozed out of their closet to proclaim that they have a right to maim, molt and embarrass society...

NEVADA HUMANI VIRTUAL SALON: RENO'S GAY ROO

Homosexualy, like all paras, surviv by preyg upon the healthy.

NEVADA GAY ROO ASSOCIATN

The ntroversy that year reached such a pch, that the Reno Eveng Gazette ran posive three-part feature on Reno's gay muny. Based on a cisn by the Chief Deputy DA of Washoe County that to ny the Gay Roo Associatn accs to the fairgrounds would vlate the group's rights of equal protectn unr the First Amendment, the Republin Washoe County Commissner Belie Williams failed to have the roo’s ntract for the Washoe County Fairgrounds nceled, and the event went on as planned. () The roo that year drew 10, 000 people; 1982, when edienne Joan Rivers served as grand marshal, more than 20, 000 attend, spe ongog anti-gay protts.

By 1983, however, the AIDS epimic had e to Nevada, which provid a potent new weapon for the Inpennt Amerin Party, s newly formed anti-gay Pro-Fay Christian Coaln, the Patrts to Normalize Reno, and var other Christian and polilly nservative hangers-on. The Patrts, for stance, referred to gay people as "perverted, poop-packg punks, " and warned that "If you are ightened by the threat of nuclear war, nsir the future of mankd based on a queer society! Walter Alexanr of the First Baptist Church nearby Sun Valley said of gay people that, "I thk we should do what the Bible says and cut their throats.

The gay muny was exhsted om fightg the AIDS epimic as well as the relig and polil backlash. In addn, the Democratic nventn San Francis and the Olympic gam Los Angel, both held at the same time as the Natnal Reno Gay Roo, stifled attendance.