By Rob Schlegel
The “Fruit Loop,” a historic LGBTQ+ entertainment neighborhood at Paradise and Naples intersection, is about to be officially recognized by the State of Nevada. A Nevada Senate Committee On Government Affairs hearing was held on Monday, March 17, to hear the resolution introduced by Nevada State Senator Fabian Donate.
The genesis of the neighborhood was presented by local Las Vegas Spectrum publisher, Rob Schlegel, and additional explanations were provided by Garret Pattiani, publicist for the Gipsy and Piranah nightclubs, along with a statement by Billy Pilesky, manager of Quads Video Bar.
Schlegel explained that the Fruit Loop name was in response to attempts by some former McCarran Airport (now known as Harry Reid International Airport) officials to drive the gay bars out of business. They hated the idea that tourists, traveling to the airport, had to drive past the gay bars and possibly be exposed to seeing gay persons. This was the culture and mentality of many some people in the 1980s and 1990s. To put the bars out of business, the McCarran airport purchased the vacant lots next to Angles (now known as Piranah), where 100 to 300 vehicles would park on the weekends. The premise was that without the now fenced-off parking, the bars would go out of business.
In addition to the reduced parking, the county, at the airport’s request, made part of Paradise Road one-way and made Naples Drive one-way going west. It was extremely difficult and dangerous to drive across Paradise Road, and even more difficult for pedestrians.
The “loop” part of the name was because the airport and Clark County Public Works, designed a loop, exiting from the airport on Swenson (now known as University), looping around at Naples and then heading north or south onto Paradise.
Based on the “loop” from the airport and the contempt shown to the gay community by the airport officials, Ed Uehling, the major property owner in the area, suggested calling the area the “Fruit Loop.” Initial plans were to have a billboard, facing the northbound traffic on Swenson, where all visitors exiting the airport would be welcomed to the Fruit Loop.
While the billboard never happened, the name Fruit Loop stuck. Schlegel, then owner of the Bright Pink Literature, a feminist, gay, lesbian and recovery bookstore, handed out snack bags of Fruit Loops cereal at a National Coming Out Day celebration in 1993. At the time, as part of an effort to promote the area, all the bars and LGBTQ+ businesses in the area, purchased flag poles. The rainbow flag proudly marked the area, now popularly known as the Fruit Loop.
The Nevada Senate resolution is expected to pass during this session. It will officially designate the area as the Fruit Loop. Lambda Business Association, the LGBTQ+ chamber of commerce, will donate the funds to post signage along the roads, identifying the area.
