Gay bar reno nv
Roy Quilici had already managed several bars in Reno when he had the brick building at 424 East 4th Street constructed in 1940 to property his namesake Quilici Bar. The building had a prime location. Fourth Lane was the main east-west thoroughfare through town, having been designated the Lincoln Highway and then U.S. 40. The Savage Building next door (now famous as the Morris Hotel) had opened in 1931 with a hotel upstairs and retail below. And the aisle was rapidly becoming a thriving commercial district.
Roy (born Romolo Mansueto Quilici) was an Italian immigrant who lived in a dwelling right next door to the exclude with his wife Mary Matilda and their four daughters. In 1945, Quilici sold the prevent to George Mross, who renamed it the Reno Block and claimed “We serve the largest glass of beer or whiskey in town at well-liked prices.”
In 1953, the Quilicis had a small building constructed between their house and the Reno Bar, and opened it as a little coffee shop called the Green Cup Café, with Mary Quilici as the proprietor. Longtime Louis’ Basque Corner owner Louis Erreguible later remembered that the coffee shop was a popular morning gathering place for area workers.
In the 1960s
Queer history is Reno history—from internationally known events like the Reno Gay Rodeo to the establishment of local institutions like Our Center, the Silver Dollar Court, and any number of gay bars and clubs.
However, centuries of pervasive homophobia and legal discrimination have kept much of Northern Nevada’s queer history out of the public eye. But in September, which is when our area celebrates Northern Nevada Pride, we’re spotlighting a rare historical milestones with the support of some locals—a scholar, an activist, a publisher and a volunteer.
This timeline draws on insights from Jeffery Auer, maker of the Nevada LGBT Archive; Paco Lachoy, founder of the Reno Gay Pagenewspaper; Meredith Tanzer, who works in Northern Nevada HOPES’ philanthropy department and is a co-director of Northern Nevada Pride; and Janet Mackie, a volunteer for Our Center whose work on chronicling the Homosexual history of Nevada spurred the RN&R to create this timeline.
This list is by no means comprehensive, but in the service of sharing the genuine history of Northern Nevada, it’s a start.
Precolonial era
Actual historical records are sparse,
LGBTQ+ Travel Guide
Bookmark our events calendar and plan your next trip to Reno around one of your favorite events.
Northern Nevada Identity takes place annually in Wingfield Park. Each year there is a march through downtown Reno, concluding at Wingfield Park where the live entertainment and festival will take place. Northern Nevada Pride is produced by and supports the efforts of Our Center - the local LGBTQ+ community center.
For the entire month of July, Reno is Artown. There are concerts at the beautiful Rancho San Rafael park just north of downtown, along with a variety of other live music, dance, society and theatre events.
Burning Guy returns to the Shadowy Rock Desert, August 27-September 4. You can also find the spirit and art of Burning Guy all year long in Reno Tahoe. Art pieces from Burning Man are sprinkled around Reno including Reno's Neon Line, just west of downtown, and City Plaza, located in the heart of Reno along the beautiful Truckee River.
Each September, The Great Reno Balloon Race sends more than 80 beautiful hot-air balloons into the skies over Reno. It has been one of Reno's most colorful and spectacular events for over three decades and is
Fake news, mis information? The oldest male lover bar in Reno
Emperor XVI Ray Martin provided this picture of a Pops 99 Club t-shirt
There was the article on “gay bars” in the Reno News and Review last Thursday (July 19) and today (July 23) there were stories on two of the local television stations about a particular “gay” bar saying it was the oldest. That statement about being the oldest is mis-information or what people would refer to today as “fake news”. Likely those who own the block currently are simply unaware, having only owned the establishment for the past several years.
As the RNR article pointed out, the Reno Bar, long closed, was one of the first queer bars in Reno. There were others of course, but not located in town. They were out on West Fourth Street (Old Hwy 40) nearby the original Mayberry. Pops 99 Club opened about 1967 on South Virginia. It did not identify as a “gay” bar when it opened. In 1970/71, it officially became a male lover bar not too much before Paul’s Lounge (now the 5Star Saloon) opened in downtown. The oldest currently operating gay bar in Reno is the 5 Star, for the last 47 years. The Ten99 Club, as it was know when it closed in 201