Jai Rodriguez first came to national attention in 2003 on Bravo TV’s surprise hit series, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. As one of the show’s “Fab Five,” Rodriguez shot to fame along with foodie Ted Allen, fashionista Carson Kressley, style expert Kyan Douglas and design doctor Thom Filicia.
    In 2004, the five co-authored a book (a guide to “looking better, cooking better, dressing better, behaving better and living better”) and dispensed lifestyle advice for men on 100 episodes. The show ended in 2007.
    Rodriguez, now a singer, actor and DJ, came to Atlantic City in September as part of Harrah’s Entertainment’s first Out in AC Weekend, which also featured Lance Bass (formerly of the boy band N*SYNC) and cast members from Showtime’s The L Word.    
    Casino Connection Managing Editor Marjorie Preston recently talked with Rodriquez about the impact of Out in AC and the influence of gay culture in the straight world.
   
Casino Connection: Jai, talk about the significance of the Out in AC Weekend, both for the city and for the gay and lesbian communities.

Rodriguez: It was a really great opportunity for gay people on the East Coast to come together, and they seemed to love it. I’ve always wanted to play Atlantic City, and I’m so used to performing in front of straight audiences that it was really great to perform in front a receptive gay audience.

Stereotypes are usually perceived as negatives but there’s a positive stereotype about gays—that they’re the standard-bearers for style and fashion and all-around fabulousness. Is it true across the board?

No, it’s definitely not true across the board—there were a lot of fashion no-no’s at the weekend! But we do tend to be tastemakers and attracted to things that are really fun. We’re perfectionists in many ways. We know what’s entertaining, and that came out in Out in AC.     But I hate to generalize. Actually that’s one of the big jokes with friends of mine who say, “I hate that you were on Queer Eye, because now all my straight friends think I know something about fashion or interior design.”
    Not every gay guy has a flair for fashion, but those who are gifted that way rise to the forefront a little faster. I like to think attention to detail is one of our heightened senses, and if that comes across, it’s a good thing.

Did Out in AC draw a mixed gay-straight crowd?

There were a lot of straight people there, and I brought a ton of straight people with me, including my aunt and uncle. It was really a mixed crowd and to see people all coming together, that’s how it really should be.
    Atlantic City at some point might have gotten a very bad rap among gays. It used to be very gay and that sort of went away for a while, and now it’s being very gay-friendly again. It’s not just a very financially lucrative opportunity for Atlantic City, but a great opportunity for gays to commit to an exciting place to visit.

The so-called “pink dollar” accounts for a collective $641 billion in consumer spending by gays and lesbians. Are these groups freer with their discretionary income?

Generally, because a lot of gays don’t have children, we tend to have a lot more disposable income.

And are you more willing to part with it?

Apparently so, from what I’ve seen. Gays like nice things.

Have you done weekends like this in other major cities?

No, I haven’t. This is the first initiative I have ever seen or been a part of where gay people were welcomed into a full weekend extravaganza that was not considered a gay pride weekend. It was just a full weekend for us to come together—kind of like gay sleep-away camp.

Do lesbians have the same cultural cachet as gay men?

The women from The L Word prove that lesbians are not all toolbelt-wearing linebackers. Those roles and stereotypes aren’t consistent, and they’re being broken down over time. We’re seeing the perceptions change as gays and lesbians show up more in TV programming and in places like Atlantic City. It’s a great thing. It normalizes it and shows we’re just part of the community.

I’ve heard it said that these days, it’s hip to be gay. True?

I think that the more people make it known that they’re out and they’re gay, the better it is. Gays aren’t just on TV getting makeovers. They’re everyday people—the doctor, the mailman, anyone. It takes away the mystique of the unknown and the fear of the interaction.

What did you see in Atlantic City that warrants a makeover?

I’d never been to Atlantic City before, and the Out in AC Weekend really gave me a hunger to come back and perform.
    But overall, my time was limited to the casinos, and I didn’t see much of the city. Casino culture, it’s funny, it’s adorable. It’s fun to see the cocktail waitresses who, given their druthers, probably wouldn’t be wearing those uniforms. It was fun and funny and I can’t wait to come back.

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