Las Vegas Sun

March 18, 2024

Frank Marino relishes victory in ‘the fight’ for same-sex marriage

Frank Marino Turns 50

Christopher DeVargas

Las Vegas headliner Frank Marino transforms himself into Joan Rivers for his return to the stage after his most recent plastic surgery procedure Monday, Jan. 20, 2014, at the Quad.

Frank Marino Turns 50

Las Vegas headliner Frank Marino waits to meet with his plastic surgeon regarding the recovery of his recent procedure Dec. 10, 2013. Launch slideshow »

Decision Day Rally at The Center

The Center CEO Michael Dimengo gets the crowd fired up as they celebrate with a Decision Day Rally in conjunction with the Nevada Equality Commission on Friday, June 26, 2015. Launch slideshow »

Frank Marino asks it every night in “Divas Las Vegas,” his hit show at Linq Showroom in the Linq Hotel: “Can we talk?”

And when you turn the question around to him, especially when in reference to the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling last week that the Constitution guarantees a right to same-sex marriage, you need only ask once.

“What we have been fighting for, aside from the paper making it legal, is for people who are in gay relationships to have the same benefits of anyone who is in a straight relationship,” Marino said during a phone conversation Sunday afternoon.

“If your partner has to go to the hospital because he’s been injured or is sick, you can’t visit him — if Alex were in the hospital, I would have zero power to be in that room to see him.

“This has been the fight.”

Alex is Marino’s fiance, Alex Schechter, Marino’s partner for 21 years who is vice president of SPI Entertainment, which produces “Divas Las Vegas.” The two were engaged in characteristically theatrical fashion about two years ago to the day, July 2, 2013.

That night, at the end of Marino’s performance as Joan Rivers in “Divas,” Schechter appeared onstage bearing a 5-carat, white-and-black diamond ring with a white-gold band custom designed by Mordechai of the Jewelers of Las Vegas.

A video chronicling the couple’s path to that night was played to the capacity audience. Schechter then knelt and proposed. Marino, who had no idea this moment was in the offing, joked, “You’re asking me to marry you? Do you get 50 percent, though, if I say yes?”

How to deal with such a pre-nup has been a long-running joke among the couple, as Schechter shot back, “Seventy percent!”

But Marino did say yes as the crowd erupted. The couple had planned to hold the ceremony at their new home under construction on the city’s west side near Buffalo Drive and Sahara Avenue. But construction has been delayed, and the ruling has fallen advantageously into construction plans.

Meantime, the ruling that has legalized same-sex unions has been issued by the Supreme Court. Never one to couch an opinion, Marino fired on critics of gay marriage.

“I’m seeing these comments on Facebook and how ignorant people can be. I’ve seen where people say they’re going to move to Canada because same-sex marriage is now legal in the United States,” Marino said. “Same-sex marriage has been legal in Canada for 10 years. There is a feeling that gay culture is perverted, immoral, but I’ve always said the same Supreme Being, whatever it is, that made you straight made me gay.

“I didn’t fill out an application that said, ‘Yes, I’ll be gay, and I would like to struggle for equal rights and have people judge and shun me.”

He paused as he considered the long-term ramifications of last week’s ruling.

“I hope this ruling changes some minds, if not today, over time,” he said. “I think it will be a case of, ‘Oh my God, remember when it was not legal for men and women of the same sex to be married? It’s like a woman’s right to vote or any human-rights advancement. We’ll look back and ask, ‘Why did this take so long?’ ”

Marino has been nothing if not patient, as Schechter and he have been a couple since meeting in 1994. He now says there is a plan to go big fly with the ceremony and marry this marriage to Disney.

It’s all very preliminary, but Schechter and he are in talks to produce a documentary-style series titled “My Big Fat Gay Wedding,” which would begin taping in January, with the actual wedding set for next summer — which is also when the couple’s new home is to be finished.

“We’ll follow all the preparation that goes into this wedding, and my dream in this would be to actually have it at Disney World,” Marino said. “We’ve been going back and forth with Disney officials. It’s just a matter of logistics and working out all the details, but they think it’s a great idea.”

Marino would wear a white tux (with a veil), while Schechter would don black.

“Very traditional,” Marino said.

As Marino notes, Disney has been at the front of the effort to afford same-sex couples rights equal to those of married couples hired by the company.

“They’ve welcomed ‘Gay Days’ at both Disneyland and Disney World (though those events have not been formally produced or promoted by the company), and Disney was one of the first companies to offer same-sex benefits in the same way as straight couples,” Marino said. “Plus, it’s just over-the-top, which is what I’m about anyway.”

In September, Marino celebrates his 30th anniversary as a Strip headliner. He has long stopped concerning himself with how his opinions might undercut his ticket sales.

“Am I going to lose fans?” he asks himself, laughing. “Listen, if you don’t like my lifestyle, don’t come to my show. I don’t need your money.”

Follow John Katsilometes on Twitter at Twitter.com/JohnnyKats. Also, follow “Kats With the Dish” at Twitter.com/KatsWiththeDish.

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