Atlantic City Attracting more Gays
IS IT time to resurrect Atlantic City’s old tourism slogan — the Queen of Resorts — and give it a new twist?
With a bevy of cross-dressing beauties strutting around Boardwalk Hall, a drag queen serving as a new tourism ambassador and contests for lavish gay weddings at the casinos, the resort town has a message for the LGBT crowd: Come “out” and see us for a good time.
“The LGBT market is a good business market for Atlantic City,” Guaracino said.
Atlantic City’s expanding outreach to the LGBT market includes a recent partnership with internationally known drag queen Miss Richfield 1981 to serve as the resort’s gay ambassador. The hope is that Miss Richfield, the alter ego of entertainer Russ King, will draw a big following of LGBT customers to town.
This summer will see a number of major events catering to the LGBT market. They include Sand Blast AC, billed as the largest Mid-Atlantic summer gay and lesbian beach party. Sand Blast moved from Asbury Park to Atlantic City in 2014 and is scheduled for July 17-20 this year.
FIBO, one of the largest events catering to LGBT African-Americans, is coming to Atlantic City Aug. 7 to 9 after being held the last 12 years at Fire Island, New York.
Atlantic City’s casinos and noncasino hotels have been aligning themselves with Miss’d America, Sand Blast and other LGBT events, but they have also been launching their own gay-themed promotions. Caesars Entertainment Corp., owner of the Bally’s, Caesars and Harrah’s Resort casinos, was a leader in the gay-travel trend by starting the “Out in Atlantic” LGBT party series in 2009.
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