Marino sees long road for gay marriage
Frank Marino, the longest running female impersonation act in Las Vegas, isn’t optimistic that gay marriage will happen in his lifetime.
With the issue facing heated debate in the U.S. Supreme Court last week, Marino said he has his doubts that gay marriage will become the law nationwide anytime soon.
He questions whether gays can put up a united front long enough to make it happen.
“Women stuck together to get voting,” he told me Saturday. “Blacks stuck together to get their rights. Gays stick together one day and the next they are stabbing each other in the back.”
During a recent podcast interview with comedian Jay Mohr, Marino, who has been fronting drag shows in Las Vegas since the mid-1980s, said he knew he was gay “from birth.”
“You don’t choose anything. You’re born one way or another,” said Marino, who headlined at the Riviera in “La Cage” for two decades before taking his “Divas Las Vegas” to Imperial Palace (now The Quad) three years ago.
“And all these religious people that believe, oh it’s against God, I hate to tell you. Your god or whoever you believe in ... made me this way, made the others that way. It’s a shame I probably won’t be around when it’s all accepted.”
IN THE THICKE OF IT
Alan Thicke has a tip if you’re planning to follow the players this week in the Michael Jordan Celebrity Invitational, “the greatest event on the celebrity circuit.”
Don’t miss hockey great Brett Hull.
“It’s sort of like golfing with Rodney Dangerfield,” Thicke said.
“He stops and tells a joke on every hole. Hit the ball and tell a joke. He’s a A-list golfer and a C-list joke teller.”
That’s not the only reason to shadow Hull around Shadow Creek during the Thursday-Sunday celebrity charity fest.
Hull and Mario Lemieux are as tough on the golf course as they were on ice.
Thicke, who has played in all but one of Jordan’s 11 events, said his greatest moment came on the green felt of a poker table.
He won the $20,000 first prize for his charity, the Alan Thicke Center for Juvenile Diabetes Research. His oldest son, Brennan, has diabetes.
“I never play poker. I needed a cheat sheet. All those guys thought I must be kidding,” he said.
He was winning left and right, but he couldn’t figure out why his chips kept mysteriously disappearing.
“My wife came bursting through the restricted security area and said, ‘That guy is taking your chips!’ ” The culprit seated next to Thicke was baseball slugger Barry Bonds.
“We became great pals,” Thicke said.
THE SCENE AND HEARD
Federal investigators are close to naming names of top Las Vegas gaming executives under scrutiny. Unclear is what the feds are probing in this new case, but my source said indictments are anticipated.
SIGHTINGS
Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps, with a bachelor party of 12 on Friday at Heraea (Palms). They were watching the Michigan-Kansas NCAA Tournament game won by Michigan, Phelps’ alma mater. Yes, Phelps’ had his money on Michigan. ... Jenny McCarthy, dining Friday with her sister JoJo McCarthy at Andrea’s (Encore). ... Edith Lederer and Linda Deutsch, two decorated reporters for The Associated Press, celebrating Lederer’s birthday Friday with friends at Binion’s Steakhouse.
THE PUNCH LINE
“North Korea is warning the U.S. that war with South Korea may break out at any minute. Or as (President Barack Obama put it, ‘Can’t believe I’m doing this. Get me Dennis Rodman.’ ” — Jimmy Fallon
Norm Clarke’s column appears Sunday, Wednesday and Friday. He can be reached at 702-383-0244 or email him at norm@reviewjournal.com. Find more online at www.normclarke.com. Follow Norm on Twitter @Norm_Clarke. “Norm Clarke’s Vegas,” airs Thursdays on the “Morning Blend” on KTNV-TV, Channel 13.
