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Our Mission
".......to educate the community by invoking,
promoting,
and celebrating lesbian/gay/bisexual/
transgender pride."
Southern Nevada
Association of Pride, Inc.
Founded June 4, 1992
501(c)(3) #86-0845653
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2007 - 2008
Board of Directors
Danny G
President
Four years ago, the Southern Nevada Association
of Pride, Inc. lacked a certain degree of
professionalism and was deep in debt. At the
time, SNAPI was creating posters with magic
markers and crayons, never took out any
advertising promoting pride events and was at a
serious financial loss. So when Danny G. joined
the Pride board four years ago, he hoped to
bring SNAPI into the modern age. Danny G. has
produced posters, banners and graphics for the
organization. He also deejays from time to time
for charitable events and offers his deejay,
graphic design and sign services to other
organizations around town. Danny G. has produced
numerous materials for the Gay and Lesbian
Community Center of Southern Nevada as well as
posters for NeonFest, Royal Court and Lambda.
Danny G. first got involved with SNAPI because
several of his friends were on the board. They
approached him and asked that he participate. At
the time, SNAPI was over $40,000 in debt and
needed help. It seemed like an interesting
challenge for Danny G., and he knew he could
help the community. Once a year, when Pride
distributes money, he knows all the work and
drama is worth the effort. For him it is an
overwhelming experience! He hopes to continue
working in the community, possibly getting more
involved with other organizations. As he says,
“I’ll just go wherever I am needed most, health
and time-permitting. I’ll see where the future
takes me.”
Bob Napierala
Vice President
Bob is currently in his 5th year on the board,
and most recently held the position of President
for the 2006-2007 board. Bob held the position
of Treasurer during the 2005-2006 board. In
addition, Bob was the logistics chair for the
2004, 2005, and 2006 festivals.
Matt Cox
Treasurer
Matthew Cox is the Employee and Community
Relations Coordinator for MedicWest Ambulance.
Matthew works throughout the community to
educate the public about life threatening
emergencies, and the importance of the 911
system. Matthew was appointed to the SNAPI board
in June 2006, and has been serving as treasurer
since September of 2006. In addition Matthew is
a member of the North Las Vegas Chamber of
Commerce, and volunteers his medical services to
the Special Olympics, Every 15 Minutes, and NGRA.
Matthew lives in North Las Vegas with his
partner Jon of 13 years.
Rick De La Pena
Parliamentarian
Rick has been a resident of Nevada for over 33
years, moving to Las Vegas 7 years ago with his
partner, John, of 17 years. Rick & John have two
Chows. Rick joined the Pride Board to help
make the entire Las Vegas community a better
place for all. He enjoys traveling, cooking and
relaxing with his partner, friends and family.
John Brumley
Secretary
John Brumley has been a resident of Nevada
for over 40 years and of Las Vegas for 7 years.
John is a financial manager for local government
and has been employed in governmental service
for over 21 years. During his tenure with SNAPI,
John has served two years as the treasurer, one
year as the president and is currently the
secretary. John has been happily partnered to
Rick De La Pena for over 17 years. John
continues to be involved with SNAPI to provide
the community with needed resources and to make
a difference in his neighborhood.
Tony Clark
Director
Tony grew up in Reno, Nevada and moved to Las
Vegas in 1994 where he quickly joined the
Twenty-Something group at the Gay & Lesbian
Community Center. In 1995 Tony joined the
Board of Directors for the Center. During
his time on the board, Tony was instrumental in
establishing the first Gay Day at Wet & Wild.
He also spearheaded monthly Gay Skate Nights
which grew to draw hundreds of people raising
much needed money for the Center. Tony
first joined the SNAPI board in 1995 and served
through 1998. In 2005 Tony returned to the
SNAPI Board and is now chairman of the Food &
Beverage Committee. Tony enjoys working
with the Pride organization which is dedicated
to helping others through giving much needed
support to local charities and providing a
positive image of the gay community in Nevada.
Michael Grimes
Director
Joe Hood
Director
Matt Kostusak
Director
Matt was born and raised in the Central Coast of
California and graduated from Cal Poly State
University, San Luis Obispo. He moved to Las
Vegas 14 years ago and works in the Gaming
Technology Field. In 1994 he experienced his
first Pride festival in Las Vegas and has
attended regularly ever since. As the city has
grown and evolved Matt saw the potential for
Pride to evolve into a bigger event and wanted
to help out. Two years ago he began volunteering
at Pride events and assisting SNAPI before
joining the board himself early in 2007. His
goal is to help Las Vegas Pride grow into a
larger, more professional event, similar to
other large cities along the west coast.
Nathan Mares
Director
Nathan Mares moved to Las Vegas four years ago
from Albuquerque, New Mexico. Nathan is Mr. Las
Vegas Pride 2007. Striving to better our
community, Nathan has worked with HRC,
MPOWERMENT, The Imperial Court, and SNAPI.
Chris Matsumoto
Director
Jake Naylor
Director
Jake moved to Las Vegas from San Diego,
California over five years ago. During his time
in Las Vegas, Jake has volunteered with many
local non-profit groups. Currently, Jake
volunteers his graphic design skills with the
HRC Las Vegas Gala Dinner committee, Las Vegas
Pride, and the Community Counseling Center of
Southern Nevada. A professional in the graphic
design and marketing fields for nearly ten
years, Jake has an innate ability to take an
idea and create a marketing piece that conveys
not only the required information but the
feeling intended as well. Jake has volunteered
with Las Vegas Pride for over 5 years and looks
forward to continuing his volunteer efforts with
them for the Las Vegas community.
Brian Rogers
Director
Brian grew up in Texas where he developed a love
for the sport of rodeo. After 10 years in New
Hope Pennsylvania, Brian moved to Las Vegas to
pursue a career in Gaming. He presently works
for Station Casinos as Table Games Director at
Texas. Brian has a passion for volunteer work
and raising money for worthy causes. He has
served the community for the Nevada Gay Rodeo
Association in many capacities over the last 11
years. Some of those contributions include –
Four years as Rodeo Director, Two years as
President, Assistant Rodeo Director, NGRA and
Rodeo Treasurer. Brian starts a 3-year term as
NGRA Trustee to IGRA in January. For many years,
Brian has also served the International Gay
Rodeo Association, NGRA’s parent organization.
His IGRA credentials include Rodeo Resources
Chairperson since 2002, 4 years as IGRA
University Chancellor, IGRA Convention 2000
Co-Chair. Brian was just selected for the great
honor of serving as a Director of IGRA Finals
Rodeo for the next three years. Brian is
grateful for an opportunity to serve on the
SNAPI board. He is excited about the vision
SNAPI has for the community and the annual Pride
event and hope to be able to contribute to that
success.
Dan Shoaff
Director
Tracy Skinner
Director
Tracy D. Skinner a.k.a. Sister Loosy Lust
Bea Lady was born and raised in a small country
town in Eastern Oregon, moved to Washington to
finish school and then moved to Las Vegas 23
years ago to be with his family. Tracy was in
the gaming industry for over 17 years before
becoming disabled with AIDS. 2002 was the
year that changed his life again. That's when he
decided to dedicate his life to the education of
others about HIV/AIDS. He joined the Ryan
White Planning Council and chaired Community
Access and Needs Assessment, then moved to a
Co-Chair position of The Ryan White Planning
Council. Over the years Tracy has taken
courses in many different areas, Certified
Health Outreach Worker, Peer Education, and
Project Up Front (a positive speakers bureau).
Over the years Tracy has been an advocate and
volunteer in our community to help people living
with HIV/AIDS. In 2005 Tracy founded the
Holy Order-Sin Sity Sisters of Perpetual
Indulgence in Las Vegas. He pulled six of
his dearest friends together to become a part of
the order, each taking a name referencing on of
the 7 Deadly Sins. The Sisters have made
their mark in the city, working with every
agency and organization they possibly can.
This year the Sisters were voted Non-Profit of
the Year. Tracy would like to see our
community grow and knows that the best way to do
that is to get involved with as many projects as
possible to make that difference. Joining
the SNAPI board is just one more step that he
has made to help make a difference for our
community.
Kalani Tai Hook
Director
Ernie Yuen
Director
Ernie (Eleneki Owai Kano Akua Alika Kalani Yuen)
served as a member or officer on a number of
organizations across the state of Hawaii over an
18-year period before moving to Las Vegas. His
charity contributions began with his work on the
Children’s Miracle Network Telethon, which
raised more than $20 million per year for the
children of Hawaii. Ernie served as a
coordinator for Toys for Tots, a charitable toy
drive initiated by the Marine Corps. He also sat
on the Board of Directors for Festivals of
Trees, a joint fund- raising program to benefit
the homeless conducted by the city and county of
Honolulu. Ernie was a family coordinator for the
Ronald McDonald House in Honolulu and a member
of Honolulu Big Brothers for four years. Ernie’s
contributions to the gay community of Hawaii
also spans 18 years as a board member or officer
of Gay Pride Board, Aids Walk, and Project Aids
Quilt.
Ernie moved to Las Vegas in 1998 to help open
the Bellagio Hotel. He continued to develop
strong ties to the Las Vegas business community
as a casino manager, his next job was at the
Cheesecake Factory as Corporate Trainer. Ernie
also owns an interior and landscape design
company. Ernie is the Producer for Sin City
Pageantry Systems. Ernie currently works at the
Las Vegas Convention Center where he is kept
very busy showing his pride as the Restaurant
and Starbucks Manager.
During the past nine years, Ernie has developed
strong relationships within the gay community of
Las Vegas and plans to use his personal and
professional relationships to further the goals
of Southern Nevada Association of Pride, Inc.
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Meeting
Minutes
Public meetings
of the Board of Directors of the Southern Nevada
Association of Pride are held every third Tuesday at
6:30pm at the Gay and Lesbian Community Center
(unless otherwise noted on the
events page).
Minutes are available in Microsoft Word format. If
you do not have Microsoft Word installed on your
computer, please download the Microsoft Word Viewer
here.
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May 6-14 and June 18,
1983 University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Las Vegas’s first Gay Pride celebration was
a week-long series of events jointly
sponsored by the Gay Academic Union, the
Metropolitan Community Church, and Nevadans
for Human Rights. On May 6 a Human Rights
Seminar in the Moyer Student Union included
speakers David Goodstein, publisher of the
Advocate; Kevin Kelly; Terry Wilsey; Dr.
Walt Herron; and Gudrun Fonfa. The First
Annual Gay Pride Banquet and Awards Ceremony
was held on May 7 in the student union’s
Grand Ballroom. The Gay Academic Union
sponsored a party at Lake Mead on May 8,
Loretta Holloway and Kenny Kerr starred in a
special Pride show at the Gipsy on May 9,
while on May 10 Maxie’s bar on Nellis
Boulevard threw an all-you-can-eat chicken
barbecue. There was a Pride show at the
Garage nightclub on May 11, a Snakebite
Party at the Backdoor on May 12, and on May
13 the Buffalo sponsored a Pride beer bust.
On May 14 Nevadans for Human Rights held its
monthly potluck meeting, then retired to
Snick’s Place for drink specials. Finally,
on June 18 Nevadans for Human Rights and the
Gay Academic Union sponsored the first Gay
Pride Dance in the Grand Ballroom of UNLV’s
Moyer Student Union where more than 200
people were entertained by the band, Faces
of Eve and comedian/magician Berry.
June 2-9, 1984 University of Nevada, Las
Vegas and Sunset Park
The theme for Las Vegas’s second Gay Pride
celebration was “Unity and More in ‘84.” The
community’s Gay Pride celebration events in
June were preceded by a second Human Rights
Seminar on the UNLV campus on May 4-5. Pride
this year was sponsored by the Lambda Pride
Coalition, and the main events included Las
Vegas’s first outdoor Pride rally on June 2
at Sunset Park where more than 200 people
braved wind gusts past 40 mph; production of
the original gay-themed play, The Lost
Balloon, at Reed Whipple Center on June 6
[written by Kent Anderson, the first openly
gay student body president at UNLV]; and the
Pride Awards Banquet on June 9 in the UNLV
student union Grand Ballroom where tickets
cost $12.50. Speakers this year included gay
Laguna beach city councilman Bob Gentry;
feminist Valerie Kirkgaard; and noted
statistician Peter Berke. The week was also
filled with special bar events sponsored by
Maxie’s, Gelo’s, Buffalo, Gipsy, Fantasy,
and Snick’s. The cost for producing Gay
Pride in 1984 was borne almost entirely by
Will Collins, who contributed money he
intended putting down on a house, hoping he
would recoup his outlay--which he did,
barely.
June 2-9, 1985 University of Nevada, Las
Vegas and Sunset Park
Las Vegas’s third Pride celebration,
sponsored by the Lambda Pride Coalition, was
not very well attended. The energy evident
in the community during the early 1980s had
begun dissipating as the AIDS epidemic swept
Las Vegas. The 1985 theme of the celebration
was :”Alive With Pride in ‘85.” MCC opened
Gay Pride on June 2 with two special
services. On June 4, the gay gift shop R & R
Assordid Sundries held its Camp Awards,
while on June 7 the Rev. Troy Perry
addressed the Pride Awards Banquet in the
Grand Ballroom of the UNLV student union.
Gay singers Romanovsky and Phillips
entertained that night, and tickets for the
dinner and banquet cost $15. The banquet was
notable for the award given activist
Christie Young: it was the first time a
straight person was recognized for her work
in the gay community. There was a Pride
rally June 8 in Sunset Park, and on June 9
MCC closed the week with another special
service. Less than 100 people attended the
awards banquet, and about that number came
to the Sunset Park rally.
1986 MCC
There was no Gay Pride celebration in Las
Vegas this year, although MCC offered a
special Pride service on June 8. Commenting
on Las Vegas’s lack of Pride in 1986, MCC
Rev. Ralph Conrad wrote, “For the first time
in three years Las Vegas will have no
organized pride events. What happened? It
seems that not enough people cared and the
Lambda Pride Coalition died for lack of
interest. … Metropolitan Community Church of
Las Vegas will be having a special service
on June 8 … to celebrate the pride that we
all should have in ourselves.”
May 31 - June 7, 1987 Various Venues
The organization which sponsored this year’s
Pride events was the Silver State Lambda
Coalition. Events opened on Sunday, May 31
with a Gay Pride service at MCC and a
softball game between Women United of Nevada
and the Las Vegas Professional Men’s Club
[the men won]. That evening Romanovsky and
Phillips entertained at MCC. Throughout the
week Vegas bars hosted parties and drink
specials, while on Thursday, June 4, MCC
Rev. Ralph Conrad spoke at the Newsroom
coffee house [where Café Espresso Roma
stands today]. The topic of Conrad’s lecture
was, “God Says It’s OK to Be Gay.”
June 18-19, 1988 Four Queens Hotel Royal
Pavilion and MCC
Romanovsky and Phillips opened Las Vegas’s
Gay pride weekend on June 18 with a concert
attended by 285 people at the Four Queens
Hotel. On June 19, MCC sponsored a Gay
Freedom service. Once again, Rev. Ralph
Conrad noted Las Vegas’s apparent lack of
interest in celebrating Gay Pride: “It is
like pulling teeth to get this community to
put together any kind of celebration of our
lifestyle. … I think that it is time we
started thinking seriously about what we are
doing here in Las Vegas. … It is time to
stop fighting amongst ourselves: men against
women, cross dressers against non-cross
dressers, Levi-leather against preppy,
monogamous against non-monogamous, bar owner
against bar owner … . It is time to pull
together and let the world know that gay Las
Vegas is ready to come out of the closet.”
June 28, 1989 Las Vegas Racquet Club
This year’s Gay Pride celebration was hosted
by Will Collins and the Lambda Pride
Festival Committee, and was the first Pride
celebration in several years to include many
of the community’s organizations and notable
activists. This outdoor celebration began at
6 pm and included a Western barbecue,
tennis, volleyball, and a dance. Speakers
included Terry Wilsey, who described the
history of Stonewall; Judy Corbisiero, who
detailed the history of women’s
organizations in Nevada; Ken Tomoroy,
representing the Desert and Mountain States
Lesbian and Gay Conference; and Rob
Schlegel, who spoke about the Human Rights
Campaign fund. At sunset, Collins led a
lavender balloon release.
June 2-3, 1990 University of Nevada, Las
Vegas and Sunset Park
“ Look to the Future” was the 1990 theme of
Gay Pride, although that future still wasn’t
looking too bright in Las Vegas. The Nevada
Association of Pride [NAP] sponsored this
year’s Gay Pride weekend. On Saturday
evening, June 2, Will Collins emceed an
awards ceremony with hors ‘oeuvres and
speakers including Ken Tomoroy, Judy
Corbisiero, Ron Lawrence, and Youth Council
President Christine Robinson. Pianist Jay
Varga entertained, Brian Allen recited
selections from Phantom of the Opera, and
Murphy sang Patsy Cline numbers. Following a
Pride service at MCC on Sunday morning, June
3, there was a rally at Sunset Park
decorated with lavender ribbons. Music was
provided by the Neon Café, and a handful of
community businesses and organizations set
up tables: Bright Pink Literature, Las
Vegas’s first commercial gay bookstore and
gift shop, owned by Rob Schlegel; Rick
Grumbach and Joe Howard of Festive Tours;
Terry Wilsey from Celebrity World Travel;
and bartenders from Steppin’ Out and Gipsy.
Both the awards ceremony and the
rally--where temperatures exceeded 109
degrees--attracted less than 300 people.
June 9, 1991 Sunset Park
This was the year Las Vegas Pride was going
to sink or swim. Las Vegas Bugle publisher
Rob Schlegel and Will Collins pooled their
resources and began planning the Pride event
early in 1991. They advertised and promoted
it tirelessly, committed their own money,
Bugle money, and used Chuck Melfi’s credit
from the Gipsy. The rally was timed to
coincide with the last day of the Desert and
Mountain States Lesbian and Gay Conference
when several hundred gay people from
throughout the West would be in Las Vegas.
Schlegel and Collins persuaded the community
to get more involved: Sue Melfi of Lace and
her lover, Vanessa, agreed to provide food
services; Susan Carratelli and Lee Plotkin
donated their talents; Michael Gentille and
the boys from Delta Lambda Phi created and
hand-delivered thousands of fliers
throughout the community; and many others
whose names are lost in time worked together
to produce a Pride event more successful
than any Las Vegas had celebrated. Unable to
afford fencing, the Lambda Pride Association
marked off the Pride area in Sunset Park
with a pink ribbon. There were two shows: at
5 pm the Community Leadership Awards were
presented with live music, Murphy, the
Badlands Line Dancers, and Will Collins
doing “Liberace Coming Out of the Closet.”
At 8:15 Tim Henson hosted A Tribute to the
Stonewall Drag Queens. Admission was only $5
and included free beer donated by Nevada
Beverage, while booth space was $15. Where
Schlegel and Collins hoped for 300 people to
at least surpass 1990, more than 1,300
showed up. Pride ‘91 was a smashing success
and set the barre for the next decade.
June 14, 1992 Sunset Park
Flush with success from 1991 the informal
group of people who sponsored Pride
formalized as the Las Vegas Lesbian and Gay
Pride Association [LVLGPA] with its own bank
account and legal identity. LVLGPA sponsored
Pride in 1992, 1993, and 1994. The 1992
theme was “Invisible No More,” entrance was
$10 and included free beer and soft drinks,
and booth spacewent for $10 to $120. Women
United of Nevada and the Las Vegas Men’s
Club together provided food services, and
for the first time the event drew
out-of-town vendors, including Lesbian News
and Olivia Records and Tours. Clark County
Commissioner Thalia Dondero opened the
celebration with a welcome speech; Ron
Lawrence of Community Counseling Center led
a candlelight Ceremony of Unity; pop/gospel
singer Marsha Stevens entertained; and the
celebration was covered by all three local
television news stations. On Pride Day the
Las Vegas Review-Journal ran a front-page
feature on the Las Vegas LGBT community.
Pride ‘92 drew about 2,400 people as well as
a letter to the editor from homophobic
attorney Joel Hansen in which he pointed out
that, “It is a sad spectacle to see [Thalia
Dondero] pandering so pusillanimously to
such a degenerate and decadent interest
group in the name of ‘tolerance.’ Dondero
has forgotten to uphold the laws of Nevada.
NRS 201.190 makes the vile sexual acts
habitually committed by these homosexuals
felonies. … The invasion of our county by
these proud purveyors of pestilence can only
hurt our tourism and give Clark County a
black eye.”
June 13,1993 Winchester Park and
Community Center
By 1993 Las Vegas Pride had become a truly
professional annual event. The theme this
year was “A Decade of Pride,” and the
celebration at Winchester Park included 28
exhibitors, workshops and video
presentations, and more than two dozen local
entertainers including Strutt Hurley, Debi
St. John, Michelle Holiday, the Neon
Squares, and the Men’s Chorus. Entry was $10
and the Pride committee provided a day care
center for the first time for those who
brought children. Attendance dropped to
about 2,000 people. The June 13 celebration
was presided over by the community’s first
Gay Pride Royalty, chosen at the First Vegas
Pride Pageant on June 5 at the Gipsy.
Crowned were Joel Jaralillo [Miss Vegas
Pride]; Rod Tyrell [Mr. Vegas Pride]; Marina
Kness [Ms’tr Vegas Pride]; and Anne Mulford
[Ms. Vegas Pride]. It’s from being crowned
Ms. Vegas Pride that Mulford earned her nom
d’celebrité, Princess Anne.
June 5, 1994 Sunset Park
Pride ‘94 was a celebration of the 25th
anniversary of the Stonewall Riots in New
York. Las Vegas Mayor Jan Jones, a candidate
for Nevada governor and always a strong
supporter of the LGBT community, addressed
the crowds, while Kenny Kerr and his crew
from Boylesque entertained the 2,700 people
who attended. The event drew more than 40
exhibitors and admission was $5.
May 28, 1995 Sunset Park
The Las Vegas Lesbian and Gay Pride
Association this year changed its name to
the Southern Nevada Association of Pride,
Inc. [SNAPI], announcing that it had changed
from a “tow hall organization to a
corporation.” The theme of Pride ‘95 was
“From Silence to Celebration,” and the event
drew more than 4,000 into Sunset Park. The
$8 admission bought entertainment from Kenny
Kerr, dance diva Kristine W., singer Randy
Riggs, and comic Lynda Montgomery. Events
included a Lambda Business Expo, volleyball
tournament, workshops, and seminars.
May 3-4, 1996 Riviera Hotel and Sunset
Park
For the first time a major Strip hotel
became involved in the Las Vegas Gay Pride
celebration. On May 3 the Riviera Hotel
sponsored a Gay Pride Jam in the Mardi Gras
Plaza Outdoor Pavilion. Tickets were $14.95
and the entertainers included acoustic duo
the Belle Curves; Frank Marino; Romanovsky
and Phillips; and comedian Scott Silverman.
The Gay Pride rally, whose theme this year
was “Pride Without Borders,” took place in
Sunset Park on May 4--the earliest Gay Pride
celebration in the Southwest. SNAPI chose
this date in order to give attendees a break
from the Las Vegas heat, and to boost
attendance from out of state. Disco star
Martha Wash and Kenny Kerr both entertained
at the Pride festival, while workshops that
day included “Sexuality and Spirituality;”
“Gay Parenting;” and Knowing Your Civil
Rights.” Admission was $8 and drew nearly
6,000.
May 9-10, 1997 Riviera Hotel and Sunset
Park
The Riviera Hotel opened Pride weekend on
May 9 with its Gay Pride Jam for $16.95.
Entertainers included Lea DeLaria, White
Light, and the Midnight Cowboys. The Pride
rally in Sunset Park on May 10--$10
admission this year--showcased nearly 50
vendors, and included entertainers Jeff
Krassner, Men Out Loud, Michelle Malone, and
a very pregnant Cyndi Lauper. Unfortunately,
the event drew only 4,500 people. This
year’s celebration was also marred by
controversy. The Las Vegas Bugle sponsored a
Gay Pride parade which included 44
participants from community organizations
and bars. The parade wound across Las Vegas
from Flex nightclub to Sunset Park. Because
SNAPI did not sponsor the parade, yet felt
wrongly associated with it as sponsor of the
Pride event, it sparked an acrimonious
rupture between the Pride organization and
the Bugle that took a long time to heal. In
following years when SNAPI did sponsor a
parade, it refused to recognize the Bugle’s
parade, referring to it as a “motorcade.”
Semantic arguments aside, credit for
sponsoring the first Gay Pride parade in Las
Vegas belongs to Rob Schlegel and the Las
Vegas Bugle .
April 24-26, 1998 Inferno, Sunset Park,
West Las Vegas Library
Pride ‘98, whose theme that year was “Unity
Through Diversity,” started off on a
positive note on April 24 with a Pride Jam
at Kevin Kelly’s Inferno nightclub on
Highland Drive hosted by Kenny Kerr. And the
weekend ended at the West Las Vegas Library
on April 26 with a screening of Over the
Rainbow, a documentary on the history of the
gay equality movement. But in between, Pride
‘98 was a disaster. On Saturday, April 25,
SNAPI sponsored its first [Las Vegas’s
second] Gay Pride parade which included
participants from gay communities throughout
the Southwest. But that day a freak storm
front blew through Las Vegas bringing rain,
winds over 50 mph, and snow flurries. Even
though the skies cleared in the afternoon
and Thelma Houston entertained that evening,
the weather killed the Pride celebration.
For the first time Las Vegas’s Gay Pride
event lost money and was unable to provide
the financial support to the LGBT community
it always had. Admission was $10, and
attendance was less than 5,000.
May 7-8, 1999 Gipsy and Sunset Park
The theme of Pride ‘99 was “Community …
Pride … Our Vision.,” and this was reflected
in the joint venture agreement signed by
SNAPI, the Center, and MCC to co-produce the
1999 event. SNAPI had no seed money for
Pride ‘99 due to the failure of Pride ‘98,
so if 1999 were going to have a Pride event
it would have to be a community effort. Blue
Neon Productions sponsored the Pride Jam at
Gipsy on May 7, while on May 8 a more modest
parade and festival were held at Sunset
Park. This scaled-back Pride event succeeded
not only financially, but it brought back to
Pride a sense of true community support many
till then had complained was lacking.
Admission was $10 and about 5,000 people
attended.
May 20, 2000 Sunset Park
Still scaling back a little bit, Pride 2000
skipped its parade, promising something
larger and more extravagant in 2001. For the
first time, SNAPI advertised the event as
the “Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and
Transgendered Pride Festival” in an effort
to be more inclusive of the burgeoning Las
Vegas community. Admission this year was
again $10, there were more than 100 vendors,
and the entertainment included local band
Nurse Ratchet, blues and jazz duo After
Hours, acoustic musicians White Light, and
Sasha Scarlett. Pride 2000 drew about 5,000
people and was produced within its $70,000
budget. The most notable thing about this
year’s Pride, however, was the political
figures who showed up: U. S. Congressman
Shelley Berkley; U. S. Senate Candidate Ed
Bernstein; Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman;
and Clark County Commissioners Mary Kincaid
and Myrna Williams. Pride 2000 also marked
the debut of Tom Carns’ short-lived
publication, the Las Vegas Breeze, which
died after only three issues.
May 11-12, 2001 XFL Fields at Sam Boyd
Stadium
2001 was a turning point in the history of
Las Vegas Pride celebrations. This year
SNAPI became LVAPI--Las Vegas Association of
Pride, Inc.--and the theme of the
celebration was “Stepping Out With Pride.”
As promised the year before, the parade
produced for Pride ‘01 was light years ahead
of past Pride parades. To begin with, it was
held at night--only two other cities in the
world had night-time Pride parades. Through
the efforts of Mayor Oscar Goodman Fourth
Street in downtown Las Vegas was emptied for
more than 10 blocks to accommodate the
parade and Goodman himself served as Grand
Marshall. The May 11 parade was a dazzle of
lights and flamboyant floats with more than
50 entries. Closing downtown streets for the
Gay Pride parade and Mayor Goodman serving
as Grand Marshall were powerful
affirmations--at a time when the Las Vegas
LGBT community was fighting its losing
battle against Question 2. The Pride
festival on May 12 was equally successful,
featuring entertainers CeCe Peniston and
Jeff Krassner, the First Annual Pride
Festival Health Expo, and three dance tents.
Admission was still $10 and the turnout was
astonishing: more than 10,000 people watched
the parade and 5,500 people attended the
festival. Even more astonishing: the Las
Vegas Convention and Visitor’s Authority
electronic billboard on Paradise Road
flashed news of the Gay Pride Parade and
Festival for several days before the events.
May 10-11, 2002 XFL Fields at Sam Boyd
Stadium
The theme of Pride ‘02 was “Rainbow in the
Desert,” and admission was bumped to $12.
The May 10 parade followed the same route it
had in 2001 and was led by actress and
activist Alexandra Paul. This year’s
festival was notable for the array of talent
brought in by entertainment director Sasha
Scarlett, which included Susan Anton, Clint
Holmes, and Paige O’Hara. Pride weekend was
also celebrated with a variety of parties
scattered around Las Vegas. The House of
Blues at Mandalay Bay sponsored an
after-Pride party on May 11 with part of the
proceeds donated to AFAN; the Center,
Cobalt, CoolCat Café, and XY Magazine
sponsored the Kurfew dance party in
Commercial Center after the parade; and the
brand new Wet Bar and Café hosted a Suds
Party to celebrate Pride and its own grand
opening on May 10.
May 6-10, 2003 The Sport Center Las Vegas
“Inside the Oasis” was the theme of Pride
‘03,and the year’s series of parties and
pageants marked a return to the week-long
Pride celebrations the Las Vegas LGBT
community originally observed. It also
marked a significant change in venue: the
Pride festival itself was held mainly inside
the The Sport Center Las Vegas. Pride ‘03
opened May 6 with a Girlz Party at SRO,
followed on May 7 by a Men’s Circuit Party.
On May 8 a formal banquet in the Staten
Island Ballroom of New York-New York noted
the 25th anniversary of [Out] Las Vegas
Bugle, the 20th anniversary of Las Vegas
Pride, and the 10th anniversary of the
Center. The community’s celebrations ended
on May 10 with the Pride festival in the All
American Sport Park.
May 8 - 16, 2004 Las Vegas Event Center
"Winds of Change" turned out to be just the
success that SNAPI needed it to be. Held
again at Las Vegas Event Center (formerly
The Sport Center Las Vegas), over 6,000
people attended, as well as over 90 vendors.
The week was kicked off with the Royalty
Pageant on May 8 in the banquet hall of St
Tropez/Hamburger Mary's. Then, a string of
events followed leading up to the festival.
On May 9, SNAPI participated in the MCC
Miracle Sunday. On May 11, Colors of Pride
Bingo proved to be the most successful up to
that point. On May 12, the Girlz Party at
Gipsy was attended by 400, while the Boy's
Party the next night, also at Gipsy was
attended by 600- surpassing the record from
the year before. On Friday night, May 14,
the traditional night-time parade marched
down 4th Street. The day after the festival,
Sunday May 16, SNAPI held a T Dance at Blue
Moon Resort to close out the week. The
superb planning and dedication of the
2003-2004 Board of Directors, and support of
the community, led to an instant payment of
all outstanding debts for both 2003 and
2004! |
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