Having survived AIDS, homophobic legislation and national boycotts, the future of gay rodeo – even such long-standing events like the Rocky Mountain Regional Rodeo – is far from assured.
In this Sept. 23, 2017, photo, Chris Tobin is thrown from a steer during the wild drag race event at the Bighorn Rodeo in Las Vegas. Tobin, of Denver, participated in various events at the Las Vegas rodeo, including bull and steer riding. Colorado’s historic gay rodeo is facing harsh economic conditions after decades of fighting against discrimination.
As Reno’s rodeo stumbled and eventually collapsed in 1984, Rocky Mountain Regional Rodeo members worked with groups in Texas, California and Arizona to form theJakino was particularly interested in bringing a sense of professionalism to gay rodeo, though that emphasis was always balanced with fun, campiness and sexual freedom.
This group urged voters to pass Amendment 2, which would prevent towns or cities from creating laws to protect LGBTQ+ people and void the ordinances already in place in cities like Aspen and Boulder. Funded by national conservative groups like Eagle Forum and Focus on the Family, conservatives successfully passed the amendment in late 1992. This prompted a nationwide response called Boycott Colorado. The boycott cost the state roughlyin lost tourism.
In 1993, Jakino wrote to fellow rodeo associations: “We will not be driven out of Colorado or any other state and we pray that you will be there in even greater numbers as a message to Colorado and the nation – We will fight against discrimination and for our Equal Rights!”
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