Las Vegas mayor pro tem to receive award for leadership on LGBTQ+ issues

When Mayor Pro Tem Brian Knudsen first began campaigning for his spot on the Las Vegas City Council more than five years ago, he and his husband had to ask themselves an important question: How “out” did Knudsen want to be?

After some deliberation between the couple and Knudsen’s campaign team, a holiday card was sent out across Ward 1 with a picture of Knudsen, his husband and their two kids plastered to the front of it.

Knudsen received a flood of support on the way to serving as the first openly gay member of the council. Tonight, he will be honored with Silver State Equality’s Equality Leadership Award for his contributions to the LGBTQ+ community in Southern Nevada.

“I don’t like recognition at all, so anybody who knows me knows that it’s not my favorite thing, but I do feel really grateful for the fact that I’m in the position that I’m in, and I do feel a sense of responsibility to let anybody else know who’s a little bit different that Nevada allows you to be in positions of power; you just have to work really hard at it,” Knudsen said. “I’m fortunate that I get to stand up on the stage and talk about how proud I am of my family — of my kids in particular — and that I identify as a gay man.”

Silver State Equality, the statewide LGBTQ+ civil rights organization that was established in 2019, is having its annual Silver State Equality Awards gala tonight at the Palms.

André Wade, state director of Silver State Equality, says the event gives the organization “a chance to recognize and honor people in the LGBTQ+ space who are doing great work here in Nevada or have made an impact in Nevada.”

It also gives them an opportunity to “reflect upon the year that (Silver State Equality) had and the accomplishments (it’s) been able to achieve as an organization and as an equality movement.”

Wade said Knudsen was deserving of the leadership award because of his financial support for the LGBTQ+ Center of Southern Nevada; participation in the Silver State Equality Institute LGBTQ+ Leadership Academy, which develops LGBTQ+ leaders considering running for political office by connecting them to current public officials; and representation of the community while in office, including as a member of the LGBTQ Council.

“Mayor Pro Tem Knudsen is the first openly out member of the City Council, which speaks volumes and which is really important, but we want some of those historical benchmarks to go away,” Wade said. “As we’re always, unfortunately, in an environment where we’re at risk of losing rights and protections, knowing that we have someone like Mayor Pro Tem Knudsen in office says a lot, so there are conversations happening at the city around LGBTQ+ issues (and) we know that we have someone supportive to speak on our behalf.”

Knudsen has been the target of hate on the job. During a virtual town hall in 2020 he was sent a few “super negative and mean and nasty” homophobic messages from some constituents, he said. He stressed that those incidents were rare, and it was important to focus on the good.

“Anybody out there who feels like they’re part of the LGBT community — or even if they just feel a little bit different — if they work really hard, Nevada opens its doors for you, and I’m hoping they see me, who was a little bit different, who was scared to be in office, that if I can do it, anybody else can do it, too,” he continued.

For Knudsen, who began working for City Hall in 2006 while still a closeted man, the work he’s done for the LGBTQ+ community wasn’t a solo effort. It was the combined effort of the many city employees — some who also identify as LGBTQ — who have taken the initiative and supported Knudsen in everything from policy implementation to participating in Las Vegas’ Gay Pride Parade in October, he said.

Knudsen said he would continue to represent the LGBTQ+ community in his capacity as a local leader, but wanted to also continue “diligently” working on building a more robust health care system in Southern Nevada. As a husband and father, one of Knudsen’s priorities is to turn the dream of a standalone children’s hospital and pediatric mental health care services to reality.

All his efforts are to make sure “that we don’t fail the next generation,” and create a brighter future for Nevadans, he added.

“I think it matters to understand the community, and I think it matters to the community that they can see someone that understands them, and so while I may be the only openly gay local elected official in Southern Nevada, I firmly believe ... you don’t have to be one to stand with; that I can represent different kinds of people, and the people on the council, or county commission, or state Legislature can represent different kinds of people, too,” Knudsen said.

Singer and actress Debbie Gibson will also be honored during the event with the group’s Ally Leadership award. Gibson was selected for her “staunch” support of the LGBTQ+ community throughout her career, when she performed at many Pride and charity events, as well as her allyship in battling to end HIV, Silver State Equality said in a news release. Additionally, Our Center — the LGBTQ+ resource and advocacy group in Northern Nevada — will receive the Community Leadership award.

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