Las
Vegas
attracts
more
than
37
million
annual
visitors.
A
2004
survey
by
Community
Marketing,
a
San
Francisco-based
gay
travel
research
and
marketing
firm,
found
it
ranked
second
among
destinations
for
gay
travelers,
behind
New
York
and
ahead
of
San
Francisco.
There
is
no
secret
to
Sin
City’s
draw
—
grand
casino
resorts,
amazing
entertainment,
world-class
dining,
abundant
shopping
and
a
24/7
approach
to
life.
Vegas
is
a
town
that
doesn’t
care
if
you
are
straight,
gay
or
from
Mars.
As
long
as
your
money
is
green
and
you
wish
to
have
fun,
you
will
feel
welcome.
Most
visitors
opt
to
stay
on
or
near
“the
Strip,”
a
six-mile
stretch
of
Las
Vegas
Boulevard
that
is
the
heart
and
soul
of
the
city.
Gay-friendly
accommodations
on
the
Strip
include
Aladdin
(changing
to
Planet
Hollywood
next
fall),
and
the
MGM
collection
of
hotels,
which
includes
Bellagio,
Luxor,
New
York-
New
York
and
Mandalay
Bay.
There
is
also
the
gay-owned
and
operated,
all-male
Blue
Moon
Resort.
It’s
a
clothing
optional,
45-room
property,
about
a
mile
from
the
Strip.
MADE
FAMOUS
BY
the
likes
of
Liberace
and
Siegfried
&
Roy,
Vegas’
entertainment
offerings
are
beyond
compare.
Among
the
current
must-see
shows
are
New
York-
New
York’s
“Zumanity,”
a
Cirque
du
Soleil
production
exploring
love
and
eroticism
via
amazing
acrobats.
Joey
Arias,
the
show’s
emcee
and
veteran
New
York
drag
diva,
is
simply
fabulous
and
so
is
the
show’s
steamy
man-on-man
action.
The
pro-gay
sensibility
may
come
as
a
surprise,
considering
that
Cirque
du
Soleil
settled
an
HIV
discrimination
suit
filed
by
a
gay
performer
who
was
fired
after
disclosing
his
positive
status.
The
Riviera
Hotel
features
two
shows
of
interest.
“La
Cage,”
hosted
by
the
witty
and
talented
Frank
Marino,
is
a
20-year-old
classic
where
female
impersonators
have
the
audience
doing
double
takes.
“American
Storm”
features
the
hot-male
strippers
from
the
VH1
reality
show
“Strip
Search.”
The
show’s
Web
site
says
“gentlemen
are
welcome,”
but
the
show
attracts
a
mostly
female
crowd.
In
addition,
Elton
John
is
doing
a
special,
limited
engagement
through
2008
at
Caesars
Palace
when
Celine
Dion’s
show
is
on
hiatus.
At
the
Luxor,
Harvey
Fierstein
will
reprise
the
role
of
Edna
Turnblad
for
the
opening
12
weeks
of
Vegas’
production
of
“Hairspray,”
which
is
scheduled
to
launch
in
February.
VEGAS
KNOWS
THAT
gambling
and
shopping
can
take
a
lot
of
energy,
so
it
likes
to
keep
visitors
well
fed
with
dining
options
for
every
taste
and
budget.
Since
the
first
resort
was
built,
all-you-can-eat
dining
has
been
a
Vegas
tradition
and
many
resorts
have
radically
up-scaled
their
buffets.
The
Mirage’s
Cravings
is
one
of
the
best
buffets
in
town,
featuring
11
food
stations
and
open
for
breakfast,
lunch
and
dinner.
Just
around
the
corner
from
the
restaurant
is
the
Roasted
Bean,
which
serves
up
the
finest
coffee
in
Vegas.
A
superb
place
for
dinner
is
Tremazzo
at
Aladdin.
It
serves
wonderful
Italian-inspired
dishes
at
affordable
prices;
entrees
start
at
just
$13.
Seating
near
the
windows
offers
a
brilliant
view
of
the
Fountains
of
Bellagio.
Gay-specific
nightlife
has
been
limited
in
Vegas
for
a
number
of
years
but
that
is
changing
slowly.
KRAVE,
the
first
gay
nightclub
on
the
Strip,
opened
in
2004,
and
has
quickly
made
its
presence
known.
In
addition
to
hosting
some
of
the
world’s
best
DJs,
the
space
is
also
home
to
“Fashionistas,”
an
erotic
dance
revue.
Other
longtime
local
favorites
include
Gipsy
Nightclub
and
the
Las
Vegas
Eagle,
the
city’s
leather
bar.
