Reno gay
Reno's Gay Rodeo: Bucking Stereotypes In The '70s And '80s
1983 was a tough year for Reno’s Homosexual community.
The AIDS epidemic had reached Nevada, according to the Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health. And the Gay Rodeo was facing a stronger threat of force than in years past. An article from the Reno Evening Gazette said that anonymous telephone calls to Reno’s three main television stations warned that snipers were calm to shoot attendees.
Despite threats on multiple fronts, the event was one of the few times that being openly gay was generally accepted in the Biggest Little City.
Tracey Lake first began attending in the late 1970s.
“As a teenager, I’m just… I’m 17, 18 years old,” Lake said. “I’m just figuring out that I like girls.”
Credit Courtesy of Ray Martin
She grew up in Miami and moved to Reno around this age. Miami, in her experience, wasn’t as welcoming to her. Reno’s Gay Rodeo was one of the first universal LGBTQ+ events she attended.
“It was validating,” Lake said. “Strong, good-looking guys holding hands and kissing, wearing tight jeans with these diverse colored bandanas in their pockets. I knew it
Reno Gay Rodeo
(c) Dennis McBride, 2009
In 1975, Phil Ragsdale[1], who was Emperor I of the Silver Dollar Court in Reno, conceived of a gay rodeo as a fundraising effort for the Court.
Ragsdale approached the Washoe County Fairgrounds manager and the earliest date the facility was ready was October 2, 1976. In the months prior to that date, Ragsdale tried renting livestock for the rodeo from Reno area farmers and ranchers, but when he admitted the event was being sponsored by the Reno gay community, every farmer and rancher he approached—nearly three dozen of them—refused to rent their animals. On Friday, October 1, 1976, with the rodeo scheduled the next day, Ragsdale still had no livestock. Determined to obtain cows and calves himself for the event, Phil drove 60 miles to Fallon only to discover the weekly livestock auction was held on Wednesdays. The auction managers referred Ragsdale to a local rancher who provided the animals and Ragsdale drove back to Reno at 10 o'clock the late hours before the rodeo was scheduled. Adv the next morning, the first Reno Gay Rodeo opened with five cows, ten calves, and one Shetland pony. Even though only 150 people atte
The Reno Gay Pride Festival
The Reno Gay Pride Festival has been celebrating diversity and equality for two decades. The past festivals have taken place in Wingfield Park. This urban park is primarily an events place that is located partly in the Truckee River. Having an amphitheater with a large grassy lawn made this park great place to the Reno Gay Event Festival.
The festival grew in attendance each year making huge advances in spreading an inclusive liveliness and developing acceptance of the community.
Dozens of unique vendors packed the sidelines of the Reno Gay Pride Festival showcasing their products and services.
The festival's activities naturally accentuate the gay and lesbian community's diversity, however everyone is welcome to come and enjoy the activities.
The official host for accommodations of the festival was Harrah's Reno.
Reno LGBTQ City Guide
Often called “The Biggest Little Metropolis in the World,” Reno is a very famous vacation destination, especially for those who want to gamble but don’t necessarily want all of the hustle and bustle of Las Vegas. It is a bustling, sophisticated metropolis that has boundless opportunities for hiking and recreation within fifty miles of the city perimeters. You can choose to lie in areas that are fasten to the glittering downtown core with its awesome LGBTQ bars and casinos, or you can dwell in a more rural area to enjoy all that the beautiful outdoors has to offer. Whatever you choose, Reno would make a wonderful place to call home!
A Watch at Reno’s History
Interestingly, Reno was named for a man who had never been to Reno, Jesse Lee Reno. Reno was shot in a battle in Maryland, and at the time that Reno was founded, it was customary to label train stops after fallen soldiers. Reno was officially established in 1868, which was the same year that the transcontinental railroad reached the town. After its founding it grew fast, with the University of Nevada being founded in 1874. The founding of the University encourage