AIDS in Southern Nevada

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AIDS in Southern Nevada

(c) Dennis McBride, 2010

On March 10, 1983, a 32-year-old man died in Las Vegas of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome [AIDS].[1]This was Southern Nevada’s first recorded case of the plague that had been sweeping gay communities elsewhere for at least three years. Nevada business and political authorities panicked: with an economy based upon tourism, any negative publicity was disastrous.

Nevada’s gay community was taking its first tentative steps out of the closet, gaining recognition through such organizations as Nevadans for Human Rights, the Metropolitan Community Church, and the Gay Academic Union at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. 1983 marked the first Gay Pride Celebration in the state. It was when AIDS came to Nevada, however, that gay people in the Silver State realized their higher profile made them an inviting target. Citing AIDS, authorities in Nevada shut down the Camp David bath house in Las Vegas — which was one of the few gay venues in the state teaching safe sex and distributing condoms.[2] An attempt to open a gay resort in Las Vegas — the Pacifica Hotel—was thwarted over concerns gay tourism would spread AIDS.[3] The Reno Gay Rodeo (RGR) — perhaps the most positive public relations tool for the gay community—was shut down over concerns about AIDS.[4] And it was AIDS hysteria that helped end attempts to establish a gay town in Nevada called Stonewall Park.[5]AIDS devastated the state’s entertainment and service industries: dancers, choreographers, designers, costumers, waiters, chefs, musicians, and singers died of AIDS by the hundreds, while paranoia in the showrooms of Las Vegas led hotels to expose and fire gay employees.[6] Such staple Nevada entertainers as Liberace and Wayland Flowers died of AIDS, and so did influential entertainment columnist Dick Maurice.[7]

Voices of reason were few, but loud. The Las Vegas Review-Journal published an article titled, "Fear of AIDS Making Gays Victims of Prejudice," noting that, "Instead of showing sensitivity in the face of a terrible disease, homophobia and open prejudice are once again the norm."[8] Las Vegas Sun columnist Muriel Stevens wrote, "Without question it is the gay community who will suffer most from the doubt and fear that is sweeping our country. ... They worry about their heterosexual friends cutting them off. They worry about their jobs and about being ostracized by neighbors and co-workers."[9]

Nevada’s gay community had to depend upon itself when it was clear the legal and medical establishment wasn’t going to be much help in fighting AIDS. To that end, the 1980s and ‘90s saw a number of organizations and events established to deal with the disease, many of which remain today as pillars of the community.

  1. ↑ Las Vegas Review-Journal (March 12, 1983), 1C; Las Vegas Sun (March 12, 1983), 11; Nevada Gay Times (April 1983), 1.
  2. ↑ Nevada Gay Times (August 1983), 12; (April 1984), 3; (May 1984), 1, 6; (July 1985), 4; (August 1985), 1-2; Bohemian Bugle (December 1985), 1-2; (June 1986), 1-2; (July 1986), 8; (October 1986), 1, 10; Las Vegas Bugle April 1990), 14; Las Vegas Sun (June 5, 1985), 1B; (June 7, 1985), 1B; (July 14, 1985), 1B; Las Vegas Review-Journal (June 6, 1985), 1B; (June 15, 1985), 3B; (June 20, 1985), 6B; (June 5, 1986), 3B; Los Angeles Times (October 8, 1984), section 1:1, 30-31; Complaint, JTJ Corporation vs City of Las Vegas, et. al., May 30, 1985 and Temporary Restraining Order, Case no. A239353, Dept. XV "U", JTJ Corporation vs City of Las Vegas, et. al, May 31, 1985 [University of Nevada, Las Vegas Lied Library Special Collections (hereafter noted as UNLVSC) MS #2000-14]; David Parks, interview by Dennis McBride, February 16 and 21, 2000 [author’s transcript]; Robert “Rob” Schlegel, interview by Dennis McBride, March 9-11 and 21-22, and April 11, 1998 [author’s transcript]; Wes Davis, interview by Dennis McBride, July 13, 2008 [author’s transcript]; Sally MacEachern, interview by Dennis McBride, February 24 and March 11, 2002 [author’s transcript]; Dennis McBride journals April 18, 1982 and May 4, 1983; also see Steve Hogan and Lee Hudson, Completely Queer: The Gay and Lesbian Encyclopedia (New York, NY: Henry Holt & Company, 1998), 72-74, 658.
  3. ↑ Vegas Gay Times (October 1979), 5; (November 1979), 9; (February 1980), 3; Nevada Action (February 1980), 23; (July 1980), 35; (February 1982), 14-15; Nevada Gay Times (August 1985), 4; [California] Data-Boy (August 1, 1985), 44-45; Vegas Visitor (August 16, 1985), 23; Las Vegas Review-Journal (July 10, 1985), 1A; (July 11, 1985), 1B, 6B; (July 19, 1985), 5B; (July 21, 1985), 4A; (July 24, 1985), 7B; (July 25, 1985), 1B, 8B; (July 26, 1985), 1B, 6B; (August 21, 1985), 2B; (October 5, 1985), 1B, 8B; (November 1, 1985), 3B; (February 18, 1986), 1B, 5B; (October 2, 1986), 3B;(October 22, 1986), 2B; Las Vegas Sun (July 9, 1985), 1B; (July 10, 1985), 1B, 4B; (July 11, 1985), 1B-2B; (July 22, 1985), 6B; (August 20, 1985), 1A, 5A; (November 1, 1985), 3B; (October 3, 1986), 2B; (October 22, 1986), 1A; UNLVSC MS #85-121; Christie Young, interview by Dennis McBride, October 18, 1998 [UNLVSC HQ76.2 U52 N359 1998]; Judy Corbisiero, interview by Dennis McBride, September 5, 2003; May 21, July 2, and December 10, 2004 [author’s transcript]; Robert “Rob” Schlegel.
  4. ↑ Nevada Gay Rodeo Association Gymkhana '94 program (insert in Las Vegas Bugle [June 1984]); rental agreements between Silver State Gay Rodeo Association and Lawlor Events Center, October 28, 1987 and April 18, 1988 [UNLVSC MS #2005-08]; Bohemian Bugle (September 1988), 1; (October 1988 special edition), 1-2; (October 1988), 1, 17, 19; Reno Gazette-Journal (September 3, 1988), 1C; (September 7, 1988), 1C; (September 16, 1988), 2C; (September 17, 1988), 2C; (September 20, 1988), 1C; (September 21, 1988), 1C; (September 22, 1988), 1C-2C; (September 25, 1988), 2C; (October 1, 1988), 1C; (October 7, 1988), 1C-2C; (October 17, 1988), 1C-2C; (October 20, 1988), 1C, 16C; (October 21, 1988), p. 1C; (October 22, 1988), 1A, 10A; Edward “Eddie” Anderson, interview by Dennis McBride, October 11-14, 2000 [author’s transcript].
  5. ↑ Dennis McBride, “Stonewall Park,” Nevada Historical Society Quarterly, v. 52:2 [Summer 2009], 109-46; Advocate (October 14, 1986), 10-11, 20; Los Angeles Times (February 15, 1987), part 6, pp. 1, 8.
  6. ↑ Las Vegas Sun (September 27, 1985), 1C; (February 8, 1988), 1A, 4A; (February 10, 1988), 6B; Las Vegas Review-Journal (March 10, 1991), 15; LV: The Magazine of Las Vegas (January 1986), 68-69; Jerry Cade, interview by Dennis McBride, February 8, May 17, June 21, July 26, November 1 and 22, 2003 [author’s transcript]; Mike Mas, interview by Dennis McBride, March 6, 1998 [UNLVSC HQ76.2 U52 N363 1997]; Marge Jacques, interview by Dennis McBride, May 26 and 28, 1998 [author’s transcript]; MacEachern; Davis; Robert “Rob” Schlegel.
  7. ↑ Las Vegas Review-Journal (February 5, 1987), 1A; (October 8, 1988), 1B; (November 10, 1989), 8C; Las Vegas Sun (January 24, 1987), 1A; (February 5, 1987), 1A; (November 10, 1989), 1A; Bohemian Bugle (February 1987), 1, 8.
  8. ↑ Las Vegas Review-Journal (July 24, 1983), 1B, 4B.
  9. ↑ Las Vegas Sun (September 20, 1985), 1F.
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