For those who were wondering when this president would deliver on his promise to lift “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” you got your answer: within the next year or, at the most, two years. And the big news here is that he did it with the military on board.
This president asked Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Michael Mullen to testify before the Senate this week and say the policy was discriminatory. That is monumental.
For all those who have been impatient, take note: A move like this takes time and political skill. This president, unlike President Clinton, seems to be on the right track and can hopefully deliver on this promise. …
On a lighter note, the Miss’d America Pageant took place Sunday in Atlantic City at Boardwalk Hall. It was one of the best-produced and fun LGBT or HIV/AIDS benefits in the entire Delaware Valley in a long time. They knew how to do it and they exceeded expectations.
Lucky for me, they asked me to return as chief judge, and I had a great seat at the head of the runway — the same runway that has been in storage since Miss America left that same hall five years ago.
This is a loving spoof of the longtime Atlantic City tradition, which apparently should return to its home, as it lost its luster since it moved to Las Vegas. But all that luster returned Sunday night and shined brightly on Miss’d America.
Sandy Beach (Robert Hitchen) was at the top of his game as director and writer of the special material as he’s done since the pageant’s inception: The show could not have been more politically incorrect — or hilarious.
The pageant, lovingly produced by Rich Helfant and Melanie Rice, was a lavish event. TV personality Carson Kressley was almost upstaged by the very pageant he was hosting. (Almost.)
The kicker is that the entire hospitality industry in Atlantic City supported this effort, from the Atlantic City Convention and Visitors Authority to Boardwalk Hall and their unions, and particularly Harrah’s and Trump casinos. Atlantic City is gay friendly and open for our business: Miss’d America just might be the jewel in its crown.
Mark Segal is PGN publisher. He can be reached at [email protected].