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Fruit Loop | America 250 Nevada
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Gipsy Nightclub, a landmark gathering place for Las Vegas’ LGBTQ+ community, 1995.
Photograph Collection on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender History, 1993-2002. PH-00336. Special Collections and Archives, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Nevada.
Fruit Loop
Corner of Naples and Paradise
4633 Paradise Rd, Las Vegas, NV 89169
Officially Recognized as a Historic Landmark in 2025
Recognized as a historic Las Vegas landmark in 2025, the “Fruit Loop” is home to LGBTQ+ nightclubs where guests can celebrate their identity and build support networks. During an era when police raids targeting the queer community were common, these early establishments established a vital legacy as safe havens where LGBTQ+ individuals could find mutual support. In the 1980s, one of the very first HIV/AIDS fundraisers in Las Vegas was held at the Fruit Loop. Today, it continues to serve as a vibrant home for the LGBTQ+ community in Clark County.
People:
- Bert Hood (1930-)
- In 1972, Australian entertainer and entrepreneur Albert “Bert” Hood established The Red Barn, which was among the earliest openly gay establishments in Las Vegas.
- Marge Jacques (1935-2001)
- In 1971, Marge Jacques launched Gay Notes from Le Café, one of Las Vegas’s very first publications dedicated to the gay community, helping to grow local activism and foster a sense of belonging for LGBTQ+ individuals in Las Vegas.
Learn More:
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GkwFnA_N9o
- https://www.8newsnow.com/entertainment-news/inside-the-history-of-las-vegas-fruit-loop/
- https://neonmuseum.org/news/one-of-the-first-gay-bars-in-las-vegas-the-red-barn-pride-month/
- https://lasvegaspride.org/2026/01/08/a-nugget-of-history/
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The Red Barn, one of Southern Nevada’s earliest gay bars, 1984.
Dennis McBride Photograph Collection, 1904-2018. PH-00263. Special Collections, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Nevada
For questions or comments, please reach out to the Clark County Museum at ccmuseum@clarkcountynv.gov.