March 14, 2008.
I thought of Melvin Cain and his time there working and studying with Father Bernard and Father Thomas, who wrote for ONE magazine too, and their attempt to get the American Eastern Orthodox Church going there in the ’60s.
I know I hate such “info” but I don’t want to forget, so I am sending this tidbit that I saw mentioned in one of the magazines I saw at the bookstore (Books-A-Million here in Bossier City). Probably Instinct, but it has articles covering gay Las Vegas. It says that it is not that gay, but then in a sense that may be because most people there are “integrated.”
Most people are working at casinos, and one man from Louisiana is typical in that he is single and finds little support as he works the night shift, at a table, and has, like most, only been there four years and has seen great changes in that little time. One person who likes it admits that may be because he has a partner.
It talks about several new hotels/casinos being built and that, while they are going to be gay-friendly, they are aimed at tourists of all types. And the local Pride is not that good compared to others. And the local center has a budget, donated by individuals, of about $350,000 compared to a $35 million dollar budget for the gay center in Hollywood — most of which comes from local, state, and federal government grants.
But the interesting and personal item that caught my attention is a mention of what I think was called St. Therese Center, run by a priest, that, while dealing mostly with AIDS cases as a support resource, is a lot like the working philosophies Fathers Bernard and Thomas had were when they were in Las Vegas, back in the 1970s.
We should let them know of the work being done back then.
