Harrah's Hotel and Casino Pleads for Gay Rights on Economic Grounds

The Harrah's chain of Las Vegas casinos and hotels has written a letter to Nevada's legislature warning about a potential loss in gay tourism if Gov. Gibbons vetoes that state's pending domestic partners bill.

In a letter to lawmakers, Harrah's Senior Vice President Jan Jones said that Nevada must compete with other destinations for the growing gay and lesbian business and that there could be a "negative economic impact" if the bill does not become law.

"Our state cannot afford to lose any more revenue to other destinations because of a reputation as a place which is not socially or politically the right place to do business or to vacation," Jones stated in the letter, dated Tuesday. Gays and lesbians have the highest disposable income of any segment of the population, according to Jones. "Our company does aggressive marketing to this community," Jones said Wednesday. "How can we say to them 'we want your business, but we don't care about your rights."

Honesty is the best policy, and diversity is the right thing to do. Harrah's has accomplished both with this letter of support for the Nevada domestic partnership bill, which the governor promises to veto.

Send Harrah's Hotel and Casinos a thank you letter for supporting LGBT customers in Nevada and for their overall ranking and awards by the Human Rights Campaign.

Crossposted via Joe My God.

Wanda Sykes - Newest Member of the Gay Community

Comedian and same-sex marriage activist Wanda Sykes has announced today that she is gay and has married her partner. Wanda Sykes at a rally in Las Vegas today said:

"You know, I don't really talk about my sexual orientation. I didn't feel like I had to. I was just living my life, not necessarily in the closet, but I was living my life," Sykes told a crowd at a gay rights rally in Las Vegas on Saturday.

"Everybody that knows me personally they know I'm gay. But that's the way people should be able to live their lives," she said.

"Now, I gotta get in their face," she said. "I'm proud to be a woman. I'm proud to be a black woman, and I'm proud to be gay." (AP)

Welcome aboard Wanda Sykes, you definitely make my list of top 3 funniest lesbian comics.