History - Pride in Reno
I found an excerpt called "Queerest Little City in the World" from the book LGBTQ America: A Theme Study of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer History published by the National Park Service, with support from the Gill Foundation.
John Jeffrey Auer IV authors this chapter, and notes the Wild West history of our area. Back then, western states didn't do much in regulating the behavior of their citizens.
Reno specifically has "historically prided itself on being different from other cities in the United States, especially since becoming the divorce capital of the US in the 1910's and legalizing gambling in 1931 when it was illegal in every other state in the Union."
Even though casinos were segregated until the 1960's, you would see a truly mixed community in the gay bars of the time. Even if certain racial groups weren't exactly welcome, they were served. A longtime resident recalls more issues with transphobia than race.
Focus is often put on larger cities, such as San Francisco, when talking about LGBT cities - but in smaller cities like Reno, where the LGBT population itself is smaller, we see more integrated communities.
In 1931, Belle Livingstone opened The Cowshed. The former barn became a hotspot downtown for gambling and entertainment, including theatrical cabaret. Born of the "pansy craze" from New York, these were shows that, for the first time, put LGBT performers on stage in large numbers.
In 1935, Rae Bourbon, a cross-dressing performer, played at the Cowshed.
By this time in the 30's, many cities were cracking down on these performances as conservatism grew with the Great Depression. Performers like Rae had to move about the country with their shows. But Reno kept with it through 1937, when the Cowshed burned down.
Pansy craze performances lessened as drag acts became more popular. In 1962, the Riverside Hotel booked the Jewel Box Revue from Miami, Florida.
The Reno City Council received so many complaints, they passed an ordinance that made it illegal for establishments with a liquor license to have shows "featuring impersonations of the opposite sex."
But in 1975, William Harrah brought the Frisco Follies Grand Illusion drag show to his casino at Lake Tahoe. It was such a hit, he booked them in Reno as well and the show ran until 1981.
Still standing today, Abby's Highway 40. In 1964, they would serve straight people during the day, and gay men at night, so now it's considered the oldest gay bar in Reno, and was the only gay bar to have a pool table. Abby's is just a bar now, gay friendly, but open to all.
5 Star Saloon is also open to all, but is the oldest continuously operating gay bar. It opened in 1974 (as Paul's Lounge), right across from the First United Methodist Church, which "would have been unthinkable five years earlier but shows how gay/LGBT public presence, in Reno and in general, was becoming more accepted." It has been 5 Star since 1984, and is one of the nation's most persistent LGBTQ bars.
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