A gay hotelier who was slammed last week after hosting an anti-gay Republican Senator has hit out at the gay community, calling them “entitled” and cheap, complaining that his venture the Out NYC hasn’t yet shown a profit.
Speaking to New York Magazine, Ian Reisner, was talking about how hard he has found it making profit from the gay community. Last Monday a rally was organised outside his New York hotel The Out, after he controversially hosted a reception for Republican Senator Ted Cruz, who has opposed marriage equality, protecting LGBTs from discrimination and banning conversion therapy.
Reisner said that he wanted to invite everyone at the boycott in for an open dialogue, however the police and security suggested that he didn’t.
Speaking about hosting Mr Cruz, Reisner took to Facebook to say:
“…I made a terrible mistake.
“I was ignorant, naive and much too quick in accepting a request to co-host a dinner with Cruz at my home without taking the time to completely understand all of his positions on gay rights.
“I will try my best to make up for my poor judgement. Again, I am deeply sorry.”
However in his latest interview with New York Magazine speaking about the incident out side his Hotel he said,
“You know, it’s so ironic — I wanted to build kind of a community center in the gateway to Hell’s Kitchen, which in 2008–2009 was already a gay place and now it’s even gayer.
“Very close to Broadway. We decided there’d be so many different ways to give back to the community. We show gay artists there.
“For gay performers, we have let this cabaret club go on for three and a half years. And you don’t make money when you let drag queens in on Tuesday night and 30 people drink at $10 a drink and you have to pay five people to watch over the place.
“You don’t make money … My only point is, this has not been a profitable venture. Gays are cheap. They’re frugal; gays are frugal. Let me retract that … gays are entitled …
“Do you know how challenging it is to make a penny off a gay person? ‘I’m gay, I don’t pay cover. I’m gay, where’s my comp drink?’ [Everyone laughs.]
No, I’m being serious! The Out NYC has not shown a profit yet …
