Brian Rogers takes visitors on journey back to 1988, when local homophobic county officials canceled the IGRA Finals Rodeo weeks before it was scheduled to start.
Follow along as IGRA is turned away from several alternate locations to host the finals. Contemporary newspaper coverage, photographs and eyewitness accounts allow us to trace the legal maneuvering as IGRA fights the cancellation to the Nevada Supreme Court.
Learn what happened in the final act of this saga, from eyewitness accounts about IGRA’s hateful treatment by townsfolk, culminating in its dramatic eviction at gunpoint from a private ranch rented at the last minute to hold the association’s 1988 rodeo season finals rodeo. The video presentation will be followed by open discussion.
Participant Bios
Brian Rogers, born August 26, 1953, in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, grew up in Fort Worth, Texas, and spent summers on his uncle’s farm in Oklahoma. His childhood experiences working with Quarter Horses and Black Angus cattle, attending rodeos, and helping at the Fort Worth Stock Show fostered a lifelong passion for the cowboy lifestyle and Western culture.
Brian joined the Nevada Gay Rodeo Association (NGRA) in 1996 and served in numerous leadership roles, including Rodeo Director, President, Treasurer, and Trustee to the International Gay Rodeo Association (IGRA). He also served IGRA as Rodeo Resources Chair, University Chancellor, convention co-chair, and Division I Trustee chair, and held leadership positions with the World Gay Rodeo Finals.
As IGRA Archives Committee Chair, Brian helped expand and digitize its historical collection. He has also supported the Gay and Lesbian Rodeo Heritage Foundation, Sonoma County Pride, and Sonoma County’s Human Rights Commission. His career reflects decades of service, leadership, community building, and dedication to preserving gay Western heritage.
Remembering Reno – The Rodeo Finals That Never Happened is organized by Roger Bergmann as part of the 2026 Circa: Queer Histories Festival, presented by One Institute.
One Gallery is an art gallery and cultural programming space operated by One Institute, the oldest active LGBTQ+ organization in the country. Located in the heart of West Hollywood, One Gallery is dedicated to hosting archival and contemporary art installations that showcase LGBTQ+ history. Through partnerships with established and emerging community partners, the gallery also serves as a low-cost, multi-purpose space for community meetings, creative workshops, classes, and other mission-aligned programming.