Reno gay
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 attempt for the Court.
Ragsdale approached the Washoe County Fairgrounds manager and the earliest date the facility was available was October 2, 1976. In the months prior to that hang out, 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 buy 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 night before the rodeo was scheduled. Early 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 Event Festival
The Reno Queer Pride Festival has been celebrating diversity and equality for two decades. The past festivals hold 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 huge grassy lawn made this park amazing home to the Reno Gay Celebration Festival.
The festival grew in attendance each year making gigantic advances in spreading an inclusive soul 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 show up and enjoy the activities.
The official host for accommodations of the festival was Harrah's Reno.
Reno's Gay Rodeo: Bucking Stereotypes In The '70s And '80s
1983 was a tough year for Reno’s LGBTQ+ 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 poised 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 appreciate girls.”
Credit Courtesy of Ray Martin
She grew up in Miami and moved to Reno around this age. Miami, in her life, wasn’t as welcoming to her. Reno’s Gay Rodeo was one of the first public Homosexual events she attended.
“It was validating,” Lake said. “Strong, good-looking guys holding hands and kissing, wearing tight jeans with these unlike colored bandanas in their pockets. I knew it
Reno LGBTQ City Guide
Often called “The Biggest Little City in the World,” Reno is a very popular 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, urbane metropolis that has boundless opportunities for hiking and recreation within fifty miles of the town perimeters. You can choose to falsehood in areas that are close to the glittering downtown core with its wonderful LGBTQ bars and casinos, or you can reside in a more rural area to enjoy all that the beautiful outdoors has to propose. Whatever you opt, Reno would produce a wonderful place to call home!
A Look 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 name coach 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 posthaste, with the University of Nevada existence founded in 1874. The founding of the University cheer