by Scott Laird
Last updated: 9:40 AM ET, Thu October 19, 2023
Las Vegas is known for
reinvention. It’s a city where there’s always something new and hot—a new
spectacular stage show, a different headliner in residence, a new resort
tower—with something newer and hotter waiting in the wings to immediately
overtake it.
What
the city gets less credit for is the wide variety of LGBTQ+ entertainment
available—both during Pride each October and throughout the rest of the year.
From gay nightclubs to intimate, organic drag brunches to over-the-top
production shows, Las Vegas is a top destination for LGBTQ+ travelers.
Local Pride
In
a city of constant change, one has to look a bit beneath the surface (in Las
Vegas, that generally means “off-Strip”) to find an indefatigable LGBTQ+
community supporting a locally-grown Pride event each year. In fact, 2023 marks
the 40th year of Las Vegas Pride, since the first was held on the University of
Nevada, Las Vegas campus in 1983.
Famously
hot, even outside of summer, Las Vegas is one of only two major cities (the
other is Melbourne, Australia) that host a Pride Parade in the evening. In
early October 2023, the theme was “Red and Wild” (drag fans will note the
reference to the 1995 hit film To
Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything, Julie Newmar), and over a hundred Southern Nevada organizations
and large employers put together floats. Delta Air Lines, Alaska Airlines, and
Resorts World won recognition for their floats.
The
weekend rounded out with the Pride Festival at Craig Ranch Regional Park in
North Las Vegas, and the Elevate Pool Party at Sahara Las Vegas.
In
a city that hosts some 88,000 visitors each day, it’s refreshing to see such
banner events by and for the local community. Many residents even distinguish
between Vegas (where you go on vacation) and Las Vegas (the community they call home).
A Year-Round LGBTQ+ Entertainment Destination
Although
many of the visitors in town on that early October weekend were undoubtedly
there for Pride, it’s worth mentioning that many of the LGBTQ+ entertainment
options many visitors enjoyed during Las Vegas Pride are ongoing, offering
LGBTQ+ visitors and fans of LGBTQ+ entertainment (like drag shows) nonstop,
top-quality shows and interactive events.
RuPaul's Drag Race LIVE at Flamingo Las Vegas. (Photo Credit: Gabe Ginsberg)
At
The Flamingo Las Vegas, visitors can take in RuPaul’s
Drag Race Live, with an
original stage production of drag based on the popular reality TV show. A mix
of resident and rotating drag queens perform through a mini-competition,
supported by a troupe of topless male dancers. There’s ribald humor, gentle
harassment of audience members, shameless plugs for merch, and, of course, some
queen will invariably lip sync
for her life!
Where
the show at the Flamingo is Las Vegas production value par excellence, the Señor
Frog’s Drag Brunch at Treasure Island is more of a traditional drag show. The brunch
comes with bottomless mimosas and ninety minutes of drag without all the
stagecraft—just drag queens making their way through the audience, performing,
accepting tips, and interacting with attendees—about half of whom appeared to
be LGBTQ+ community members, and half of whom appeared to be simply fans of
drag. If you forgot to bring dollar bills, this is Las Vegas—there’s an
attendant available to provide change.
Also
on the Strip, closer to Downtown Las Vegas is the Drag
Brunch at Queen Las Vegas,
where the experience is even more organic. Admission here includes bottomless
mimosas and a plated entrée. This is like “Deep cuts” for drag enthusiasts—the
drag is a bit more outré in this 21+ nightclub, the jokes a little bluer, and
the sense of community and message of acceptance just as strong.
Drag Bingo at Gold Spike in Downtown Las Vegas. (Photo Credit: Gabe Ginsberg)
Queen
Las Vegas, and nearby, The
Garden (which has its
own drag brunch) are also top-flight nightclubs in their own right, offering
nighttime DJs, drag, and VIP seating with bottle service, offering similar
experiences to the lounges in the large resorts further south on the Strip.
Of
course, all this LGBTQ+ entertainment is merely the icing on the larger
entertainment cake in Las Vegas. LGBTQ+ visitors will find the city’s resorts
famously welcoming and affirming (most of the large Strip resorts’ parent
companies sponsor floats in the Pride parade), and the top-flight shopping,
dining, and gaming available throughout the city has broad appeal.
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