Uma uhlela ukubhikishela ukuvinjelwa komshado wobulili obufanayo, iyiphi indawo engcono kuneWest Hollywood, Calif., idolobha elaziwa ezweni lonke njengesikhungo sokugqugquzela izitabane nezombusazwe?
Kodwa ukuya lapho eholidini?
I-West Hollywood - lapho abantu abangaphezu kwengxenye eyodwa kwezintathu bezibiza ngezitabane, abathandana bodwa, abathandana nobulili obubili noma abashintsha ubulili - yaziwa kakhulu kubantu endaweni yase-Los Angeles futhi iheha izivakashi eziningi ezivela eCalifornia. Kodwa akuyona indawo enkulu yezwe noma yamazwe ngamazwe.
Manje leli dolobha, lilangazelela ukuqoqa imali, lifuna ukwandisa indawo yalo. Futhi ngesizathu esihle: Ngisho nasemnothweni ontengantengayo, abavakashi abayizitabane nezitabane bavame ukusebenzisa imali eningi etholakalayo futhi maningi amathuba okuba bayisebenzisele ukuvakasha nokungcebeleka kunezivakashi ezithanda ubulili obuhlukile, ucwaningo luye lwabonisa.
Eminyakeni embalwa edlule, amadolobha afana ne-Philadelphia, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Chicago kanye ne-Bloomington, Ind., asungule imikhankaso yokuheha abavakashi abayizitabane.
Ingxenye yokuvakasha kwezitabane ishisa kangangokuthi i-American Airlines, phakathi kwezinye izinkampani ezinkulu, inomphathi wezokukhangisa umsebenzi wakhe uwukufinyelela kulelo zwe.
Umzamo wakamuva we-West Hollywood ubonakala kusizindalwazi sezokuvakasha esiklanywe kabusha (www.GoGayWestHollywood.com) esihlanganisa izinhlu zamahhotela, amakilabhu, amabha kanye nezenzakalo zasebusuku ihhovisi lezivakashi elikholelwa ukuthi zingaheha abavakashi abayizitabane nezitabane. Isayithi lihlanganisa igalari yezithombe kanye nohlu lwemicimbi yamasonto onke, okuhlanganisa namaphathi e-nightclub anezihloko eziyela ngasocansini. Lezi zithombe zihlanganisa izithombe zamadoda angagqokile esikhumba kanye nezigcawu zemibuthano yakamuva ephikisana nesiphakamiso sokuvinjelwa komshado wobulili obufanayo.
Okuqukethwe yisizindalwazi kungase kuphakamise amashiya kubantu bangaphandle, kuvuma uBradley M. Burlingame, umongameli we-West Hollywood Marketing & Visitors Bureau. Kodwa waveza ukuthi izikhungo zokuvakasha zezindawo zokungcebeleka zangaphandle ezibhekelela abavakashi abathandana nobulili obuhlukile zivame ukufaka abesifazane abakhangayo abagqoke amabhikini.
“Akuyona inhloso yethu ukuthi sibe yimoto yokuthi abantu baxhumane,” kusho uBurlingame. "Kodwa empeleni, abantu kwesinye isikhathi baya eholidini ngethemba lokuhlangana nomuntu abangamthanda."
Kodwa inhloso enkulu yomkhankaso wedolobha ukuheha izivakashi ezizochitha imali.
Inhlolovo yalo nyaka eyenziwe yi-Harris Interactive, inkampani yocwaningo lwemakethe yomhlaba wonke, ithole ukuthi abavakashi abayizitabane nezitabane bekulindeleke ukuthi bachithe isilinganiso samaRandi angu-2,300 eholidini entwasahlobo nasehlobo, kuyilapho abahambi abathandana nobulili obuhlukile behlele ukuchitha isilinganiso sama-$1,500 ngesikhathi esifanayo.
NjengeWest Hollywood, izikhungo zezokuvakasha nezinkampani zezokuvakasha kulo lonke elase-United States zamukela abavakashi abayizitabane.
“Bonke abakhangisi bezokuvakasha namuhla basebenza kanzima kunangaphambili kulo mnotho onzima,” kusho uGeorge Carrancho, umphathi wezokukhangisa we-American Airlines ukuze afinyelele amakhasimende angama-gay nama-lesbian. "Ngokwesipiliyoni sami, nokho, abahlakaniphe kakhulu baphinde bazwakalise ukwamukela kwabo kanye nedumela lokufakwa kwabavakashi abayizitabane nezitabane."
UJohn Tanzella, umongameli we-International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association, uthe izikhungo eziningi zezokuvakasha emhlabeni wonke sezijoyine usoseshini wakhe futhi seziqala imikhankaso yokuheha izitabane.
"Ama-bureas afuna izindlela ezintsha zokwenza imali, futhi amandla emakethe yokuhamba (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) abhalwe kahle," esho. "Umphakathi we-LGBT uyakuthanda ukuhamba."
LOKHO ONGAKUTHATHE KULESI SIHLOKO:
- Inhlolovo yalo nyaka eyenziwe yi-Harris Interactive, inkampani yocwaningo lwemakethe yomhlaba wonke, ithole ukuthi abavakashi abayizitabane nezitabane bekulindeleke ukuthi bachithe isilinganiso samaRandi angu-2,300 eholidini entwasahlobo nasehlobo, kuyilapho abahambi abathandana nobulili obuhlukile behlele ukuchitha isilinganiso sama-$1,500 ngesikhathi esifanayo.
- Even in a slumping economy, gay and lesbian tourists tend to wield more disposable income and are more likely to spend on travel and leisure than heterosexual tourists, studies have shown.
- West Hollywood — where more than one-third of the population identifies as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender — is well known to people in the Los Angeles area and draws many visitors from around California.
