OUT in AC events planned for Halloween weekend in Atlantic City geared to LGBT market.
Last year, they opened the door a crack, peeked in the closet and liked what they saw.
This year, the four Atlantic City casinos owned by global gaming giant Harrah’s Entertainment, Inc. have thrown the doors wide open and are going all-in for the second OUT in AC weekend, a series of shows, special events and activities geared toward the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities. The events run from Friday through Sunday (Oct. 29-31) at Harrah’s Resort, Caesars Atlantic City, Showboat and the House of Blues and Bally’s Atlantic City.
“Atlantic City is an entertainment-driven destination and at Harrah’s Entertainment it is our mission to provide diverse entertainment to be enjoyed by our customers,” says Jennifer Weissman, regional vice president of marketing for Harrah’s Entertainment. “OUT in AC is a great example of the unique programming we offer and we’re looking forward to celebrating Halloween weekend in Atlantic City with this great event.”
The three-day celebration includes a one-two comedy punch from GLBT favorites Margaret Cho and Sandra Bernhard at Caesars Atlantic City on Saturday and tacky celebrity blogger Perez Hilton hosting his popular “One Night in…” concert series at the House of Blues at Showboat on Friday.
The idea behind OUT in AC weekend is to showcase Atlantic City as a destination that’s responsive to the entertainment needs of a broad cross section of the public, adds Erin Chamberlin, vice president of marketing for Caesars Atlantic City.
“OUT in AC will showcase Caesars, Harrah’s Resort, Bally’s and Showboat as a year-round, friendly destination for the LGBT community,” Chamberlin says.
With its successful debut last year, OUT in AC 2010 has “upped the ante” to offer even more events that are geared toward the LGBT community, but is also considered “straight-friendly” programming.
OUT in AC is another example of how Harrah’s Entertainment is looking to provide new and innovative entertainment options for its guests, Chamberlin adds.
Although casinos here have dabbled in special events that catered to LGBT guests over the years, such as “red ribbon” bingo games, OUT in AC is the first to devote an entire weekend to this demographic.
Years ago, the gaming halls had targeted alternative lifestyle guests as an untapped market. While they’d never say it publicly, behind the scenes some executives were reluctant to do anything on a broader scale for fear of repercussions from guests and gamblers who don’t embrace the lifestyle or find it offensive.
But as the public became more accepting of the LGBT communities, the casinos have responded by organizing events such as OUT in AC.
What makes same-sex couples such an attractive demographic is that many are considered DINKs, which stands for “dual incomes, no kids.” Not having the financial responsibility that comes with children means there’s more disposable or discretionary income to spend on entertainment and gaming.
Among the entertainment offerings scheduled for OUT in AC weekend are:
• Perez Hilton’s “One Night in A.C.,” Friday in the Music Hall at the House of Blues at Showboat. This musical celebration features performers including La Roux and Kelis, with surprise guests and live DJ sets by Larry Tee and Mia Moretti. The event will be hosted buy the celebrity blogger (no relation to celebutante Paris Hilton; his real name is Mario Armando Lavandeira, Jr.)
• Comedian Margaret Cho and Sandra Bernhard, performing under the banner “Queens of Comedy,” in the Circus Maximums Theater Saturday at Caesars Atlantic City.
• Designer Richie Rich’s Poolside Extravaganza, Saturday at The Pool at Harrah’s Resort, which will include a swim-inspired fashion show. Look for the cast of Logo TV’s “The A-List” to attend.
• Perez Hilton will host “The Pool After Dark” at Harrah’s Resort, Saturday night.
• The cast of the MTV series “The Jersey Shore” will be hanging out in the Dusk nightclub at Caesars Atlantic City Saturday night.
• The weekend concludes Sunday with the “Hallo-Queen Brunch & Tea Dance” at Caesars Atlantic City.
For a complete list of OUT in AC events, go here or to outinac.com. Tickets for most events and shows can be purchased through ticketmaster.com or (800) 736-1420.
Editor's Note: Infamous blogger Perez Hilton (pictured above at the Borgata) makes two appearances at this year's OUT in AC weekend. Watch the cyber-star's Twitter page to find out what he really thinks about Atlantic City. This is what he had to say after appearing in Atlantic City over the past July 4 weekend.
"Calling ourselves beautiful is the best thing we can do for ourselves. There is something very empowering about seeing yourself as beautiful, to say that no matter what society dictates as beautiful or what we should strive for, I know I am beautiful and no one can take that from me."
The closet door must remain wide open. Members of our community are often the victims of brutal attacks and the more we expose our beauty as fellow travelers on this planet, the more hatred we overcome.
ATLANTIC CITY — Caesars Entertainment has again assembled a weekend full of fun events focused on Atlantic City’s gay community. It starts Friday night, Sept. 23, with a four-course dinner party at House of Blues’ Foundation Room featuring the Hearty Boys — a gay couple who host a cooking show on the Food Network — and several other segments served up in a festive atmosphere and hosted by famed Las Vegas drag queen Frank Marino. This is the third annual OUT In AC event put on by Caesars Entertainment (an organization that regularly receives high commendation from the Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index), and one of many GLBT (gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender) events to materialize on the Atlantic...
Funny thing is, it’s the casinos and land speculators who first closed and knocked down gay businesses that thrived for 100 years in Atlantic City. Now, money’s tight, and they’re sorry they did.
In town for this weekend's 'Out In A.C.' events, Kristine W. last performed in Atlantic City as Miss Washington in the 1981 Miss America Pageant (winning the pageant’s preliminary swimsuit and non-finalist talent portions).
Sometimes, recessions can present unexpected opportunities. For members of the Atlantic City region's gay and lesbian community, what might be called a civil rights struggle, an attempt to form a real community or even just an effort to create some kind of gay social life in the area, also has one other good thing going for it.
Out in AC, the lesbian, gay, bi-Sexual and transgender signature event brand of Harrah’s Entertainment in Atlantic City, NJ, will feature a “Hands Up for Marriage Equality” benefit on Saturday, Jan. 16, at Club Worship in the House of Blues at Showboat, hosted by LGBT advocate, Lady Gaga. Lady Gaga has been an outspoken supporter of [...]
“To me, I live in such a gay world. And the way that I communicate and the way I talk about myself and the way that I am is very gay. And everything around me is gay. So I don’t know what it’s like to be in a world where that’s somehow a bad thing.”
The show was created in the early 1990s by former Atlantic City Councilman John Schultz and his partner, Gary Hill, and held at their old Studio Six nightclub, once considered the epicenter for gay life in Atlantic City.
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