Though she was born in Detroit, Tina Long represents the epitome of a native Las Vegan. She attended Clark High School, worked on the Strip, and now has made a career in solar energy. It doesn’t get much more Vegas than that. “I couldn’t see myself living anywhere but Vegas,” she says. “I love it here. The heat gets me a little bit, but there is no town like it.”
Though she wants to open a restaurant one day—as she has a background in cooking and baking, specifically—Long is currently immersed in the solar energy industry . It was this focus on renewable energy that landed her a spot introducing Harry Reid and telling her story at President Obama’s Town Hall meeting on February 19 at Green Valley High School. “It was very exciting, I was very honored to do it,” she says. “Just listening to Obama was incredible, seeing him, hearing him say my name and thanking me for doing this, was amazing. Seeing him talk about and answer questions really inspired me.”
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Las Vegas is conducting their first 2010 HRC 101 event on Sunday, March 21.
Many of us know HRC—with over 750,000 members—is the largest national LGBT civil rights organization. A number of us may know that HRC Las Vegas holds the local annual “Dinner Gala” in August, which is their largest fund raising event for the year. Some of us may know about the HRC Family Event, which immediately follows the AIDS Walk. We also know HRC hands out the cool “equal sign” bumper sticker at many events, including Pride.
Each May, QVegas honors numerous deserving individuals from the Las Vegas LGBT community in our annual People with Pride issue. This year, we are opening it up to our readers to send in nominations for those you feel are deserving of this recognition. The requirements are that the individual must reside in the Las Vegas area and volunteer his or her time to non-profit organizations and causes that affect the LGBT community. The honor is also open to our straight allies. Those who are paid employees of such organizations do not qualify.
Send your nominations (including name of person, his/her contact information and why you feel he/she deserves to be honored in 50 words or less) to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it no later than April 1, 2010.
Note: These are nominations only. Honorees will not be chosen by popular vote.
Hello all my Naked people. I get asked all the time from tourists, "where should we go when we're in Vegas?" so I put together my Best of Sin City list and then I asked the readers on my online blog, www.SinCityTimes.com, what they thought. Here our my picks (Naked Boy News—NBN) and then the readers' choices for what are the best things to do in Sin City nightlife.
BEST GAY BAR
NBN Pick: Escape Lounge—You'll know you've arrived at the Escape Lounge when you see the mini-Statue of Liberty on Sahara Avenue just west of the Strip. This locals bar has great drink prices and a comfy lounge with couches, booths and tables. In the back there are pool tables and in the front there is a jukebox so you can set the feel of the night. Come in for a drink and enjoy this great locals bar with friends and the new friends you're sure to meet.
The 27th Annual Las Vegas PRIDE kicks off in less than two months and many are anxious to discover who will perform and what type of events will take place during this two-week-long celebration. Here is a sneak peak into the planning, struggles and triumphs that go into putting on such an incredible event.
Most people do not realize that planning events as large as PRIDE begins immediately after the last one ends. With over 12 months of planning, it’s literally a second job. This being my second term as the Entertainment Director (Entertainment Co-Chair) one thing I have learned is that entertainment never stops moving—it’s an endless road of socializing and networking, not to mention an endless stream of phone calls and e-mails.
NIGHTLIFE
GirlBar at Ultra Suede
Every Friday evening, find the hottest female go-go dancers at GirlBar, brainchild of Sandy Sachs and Robin Gans. Enjoy a $5 cover before 10:30 p.m. if you submit your name online to their guest list, $8 otherwise. Take advantage of Midnight Madness, $5 drinks from midnight until 12:30 a.m.
661 N. Robertson Blvd. • (310) 659-4551 • www.girlbar.com
The Abbey Food & Bar
Voted “Best Gay Bar In The World” by LOGO, The Abbey is and a must-visit when in Hollywood. Day or night, weekday or weekend, The Abbey is bustling with hot guys, girls and friendly staff. See the Oscars Abbey-style at “The Envelope Please,” a benefit for AIDS Project Los Angeles, on Sunday, March 7, open to the public free of charge. While enjoying the Oscars on big screen TVs, enjoy an exclusive prix fixe dinner but be sure to make reservations by contacting
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
. Anyone making a $25 donation receives a drink of their choice.
692 N. Robinson Blvd. • (310) 289-8410 • www.abbeyfoodandbar.com
Brendan Velasquez and Frenchie Davis sign on to hit the Las Vegas PRIDE mainstage on May 1.
NOT THE QUIET TYPE
Brendan Velasquez is livin’ out loud, according to the title of his album, released in the summer of 2008. Talk to him and you will find that this is an ethos that he strives to live by. Though he was nervous, “I thought it would be scary,” he explains, Velasquez came out to his mom when he was 14, and slowly, but surely, came out to the rest of his family over time. “I knew on the first day of high school that I had to come out,” he says with a chuckle. “But I also feel like love is love. Everyone is cool and very supportive. I never thought that it would be this good for me.”
Raised in Maryland by a single mom, Velasquez knew the struggles of trying to make it but did not let that slow him down. “I grew up pretty fast,” he begins. “I had to do a lot of stuff and kind of be my mom’s right hand man. She was my everything to me.” Even now, with an album out and touring for half the year, Velasquez keeps himself busy. “In the winter time... I’ve been working at California Pizza Kitchen. Waiting tables is kind of like being on stage,” he says, smiling.
DENISE R. DUARTE
If you’re a “First Friday” frequenter like Denise R. Duarte, you know that the arts district downtown has flourished into a vibrant community that continues to grow.
Duarte has either volunteered or presented her work at nearly every First Friday, the monthly art and design fair in downtown Las Vegas. “I am very excited about recent developments. The Brett Wesley Gallery is thrilling, it is a beautiful gallery and a wonderful addition to our community,” the artist stated. She also added she is delighted with the Holsum Design Center, the location of her once-a-month pop-up gallery for D’Arte Designs.
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