Out of the Neon Closet: Queer Community in the Silver State - Paperback
by Dennis McBride (Author)
A century ago in Nevada the idea that there was a queer community worthy of equal right, privilege, and responsibility was beyond imagining. Same-gender love was a criminal offense and Nevada's LGBTQ community faced a desperate battle for equality. As time passed, however, their movement slowly gained momentum.
Bars, bookstores, and bathhouses were among the first places where those who identified as queer could gather. Once isolated and fearful, queer people now could gain support and find their voice. Some of the most outspoken activists went on to publish magazines and spearhead groundbreaking events such as Gay Pride and the Reno Gay Rodeo.
Out of the Neon Closet is a thoroughly researched narrative of the Nevada queer community's struggle, with history gathered from a wide range of printed sources and dozens of interviews recorded over a twenty-year period. Author Dennis McBride describes private social gatherings and high-profile events with the same care that he reports legal incidents and political upheaval.
From early twentieth century sodomy prosecutions through the legalization of same-gender marriage a hundred years later, Out of the Neon Closet recounts the personal struggles and political successes that have made Nevada's queer community what it is today.
Dennis McBride is a Nevada native firmly rooted in the city's queer community since the 1970s. He received both his bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and had the honor of establishing the school's LGBTQ archive in 1984. McBride has published over 150 articles about the history of southern Nevada as well as several books including Midnight on Arizona Street: The Secret Life of the Boulder Dam Hotel; In the Beginning: A History of Boulder City, Nevada; Hard Work and Far From Home The Civilian Conservation Corps at Lake Mead; and, with Andrew Dunar, Building Hoover Dam An Oral History of the Great Depression. Currently, he serves as the director of the Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas.
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