If any of you have disposable income right now, and feel like flitting it away on slot machines and craps tables, casino giant Harrah’s would just love it if you spent those 20s with its gambling properties. After all, they’ve been doing so much for the gays lately.
Let’s get this right out of the way: Harrah’s Entertainment is a freakin’ giant corporation. Its annual revenue is in the upper ten-figures (that’s billions, BTW). It operates casinos, hotels, and other entertainment venues in Las Vegas, Atlantic City, Reno, and elsewhere. And with revenue falling, you can be sure every move it makes is pure business.
And yet, or because of, Harrah’s wants you gays.
The owner of Caesars Palace, Bally’s, Flamingo, Harrah’s, Paris, and the Rio came out swinging for the gays earlier this year when it called on Gov. Jim Gibbons to pass a civil unions bill. (He declined, but legislators overrode his veto.) You could say Harrah’s was on the right side of equal rights, or more accurately, it didn’t want to miss out on the wedding industry biz a law like that would ultimate provide.
How about we take this to the next level?
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Harrah’s’ inroads with the gays isn’t new. It regularly targets the LGBT demographic. (The company is a Queerty advertiser. This post is not tied to any paid ad campaign.) As Transracial points out, it’s doubling down on an East Coast effort to draw the homos to its Atlantic City properties. September’s “Out in Atlantic City” is a weekend of Harrah’s-sponsored gay festivities, with some 1,000 gays expected to drop in to see Amanda Lepore’s breasts and Lance Bass’ ass.
But the company’s friendliness with the gays appears to be more than a gimmick; Harrah’s provides things like health care benefits to the partners of its gay employees, something it’s not required by law to do.
At a time when certain corporate behemoths continue turning their backs on LGBTs (while reaping enormous profits), might we candidly suggest it’s time to start, or at least firm up, our own efforts to spend dollars with the companies who don’t consider us “less than”?
Rick
Yes.
Check this link: http://queersunited.blogspot.com/2009/05/harrahs-hotel-and-casino-pleads-for-gay.html
The takeaway is as follows: “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.””
GeoVaughn.com
We need MORE companies like Harrah’s 😉
Daniel
Harrah’s staff is genuinely gay-friendly. And they get among the best entertainment around.
trickytoro
I stayed in a suite recently and while it was pleasant it really is like an upscale motel circa 1980’s in decor and appointments.
Rakeback
I think any customer will feel really comfortable here.They are really customer friendly.
scott ny'er
well if I had disposable income, I’d frequent Harrah’s.
thanks for the heads up.