Gays go gaga for Khloe Kardashian

By Melissa Arseniuk

Monday, Oct. 26, 2009 | 11 a.m.

There’s no shortage of celebrities when it comes to hosting events at Las Vegas Nightclubs.

Stars big and small line-up for the opportunity to get in front of the cameras and enjoy a high-profile night in one of our city’s glittery nightspots.

Paris Hilton has a deal with the Hard Rock; Holly Madison is always eager to please (especially at MGM Grand venue Studio 54) and the Kardashians are regular installations at Tao and Lavo.

But amidst the constellation of nightlife-loving stars, there are few go-tos when it comes to promoting the city’s gay nightlife – and even fewer if your want to put a female face on a predominantly (gay) male demographic.

Yet somehow, Khloe Kardashian is carving out the niche.

She hosted last night’s one-year anniversary party of Revolution’s gay night, Closet Sundays.

No, the youngest Kardashian sister is not a lesbian; she’s straight, through-and-through. (In fact, she’s recently – and happily – got married to basketball player Lamar Odom.)

What’s more, it was her eldest sister, Kourtney Kardashian, not her, who engaged in a highly-publicized girl-on-girl kiss in a Miami nightclub earlier this year.

(Naturally, E! cameras caught the whole episode on video, as they were trailing the small screen reality TV starlets while shooting scenes for “Kourtney and Khloe Take Miami.”)

The youngest of the sisters Kardashian has long been a supporter of gay and lesbian rights, and has talked about the issue on her weekly radio show.

Eyebrows were raised earlier this year when a Miami party promoter asked her to host a contest where contestants were asked to dress like her.

While it might not seem too scandalous at first, there was a controversial catch: The Khloe Kardashian look-a-like contest was for transvestites. She was to determine which man could resemble her the best.

(The 25-year-old is frequently criticized for her fuller figure and critics have often been compared her appearance to that of a man masquerading as a woman.)

After some consideration, she agreed to take part in the contest as a judge. Unsurprisingly, the entire thing was showcased during an episode of “Kourtney and Khloe Take Miami.”

While the physical tranny comparisons still pop up, especially when she compared to her older sisters, Kim and Kourtney Kardashian, the youngest sister’s figure has recently been slimming down, apparently due to a recent deal she struck with QuickTrim. (Middle and most famous K-sister, Kim Kardashian, is also a spokesperson for the diet aid.)

Though Khloe Kardashian’s sexuality has never truly been called into question, she recently further distanced her image from transvestite comparisons when she married the LA Laker last month.

(Previous to Odom, Kardashian had a high-profile romance with another NBA basketballer, Rashad McCants.)

Despite her increasingly attractive, though still curvy, form and the gigantic sparkler on her left hand, Kardashian is still one of the bigger heterosexual advocates for the LGBT in Hollywood. (Her fellow E! personality, Chelsea Handler, is another.)

Given Kardashian’s reputation for both Vegas nightclubs and advocacy for alternative lifestyles, she was an obvious choice to host last night’s Closet Sundays’ birthday party.

Event founder, promoter and organizer, Eduardo Cordova, said Closet Sundays has a lot to celebrate, with or without this week’s famous hostess.

“The night’s doing great and we’ve already tripled the numbers,” he said.

The three-fold increase in attendance and revenue comes after Closet Sundays made the move from its original home, the lounge at CatHouse at the Luxor, to Revolution at the Mirage over Memorial Day Weekend.

The venue was packed again last night for Kardashian’s appearance.

Though her new husband, Odom, apparently chose to sit this one out and did not join her at the party last night, celebrity hairstylist, Kim Vo, came out for the event.

Kardashian posed for photographers as she arrived just before 12:30 a.m. but could not talk to waiting reporters.

Yet another deal had been struck, this time between the club’s management, Kardashian’s handlers, and the gossip magazine In Touch. The agreement guaranteed the tabloid the exclusive and prevented the usually chatty and friendly socialite from speaking to other publications, including both People magazine and the Las Vegas Sun.

Melissa Arseniuk writes about Las Vegas entertainment and celebrity events. She can be reached at 702-948-7823 or by e-mail at [email protected].