| Roth forum to focus on gay, lesbian issues
La Quinta resident David Roth, a Democratic candidate for the 45th Congressional District, will host a town meeting Sept. 18 in Palm Springs focusing on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues.
The meeting is set for 6:30 p.m. at The Desert Pride Center, 611 S. Palm Canyon Drive, in Suite 201 of The Sun Center.
Audience members are encouraged to ask Roth questions. Though the primary focus of the forum will be the LGBT community and its issues and concerns, others are welcome to attend and participate, Roth campaign officials said.
Information: 202-2828.
Roth will face incumbent Rep. Mary Bono, R-Palm Springs, in the Nov. 7 general election. .
Tourism industry seeing a lot of green in pink
As the tourism industry in Canada struggles to maintain ground in the face of high gas prices and U.S. border issues, travel experts are looking to "pink dollars," or money spent by gay and lesbian travelers, as a sure thing. Recent U.S. research shows gay and lesbian travelers represent about 10 per of the overall travel market, but the annual amount spent is estimated at $700 million. This year was also the 20th anniversary of the Pride Week in Ottawa and it's estimated about 300,000 people attended events over the 10-day schedule. It's this combination of spending power and the growing perception of Canada as a gay-friendly country that is making pink dollars a hot commodity. "The numbers prove that the gay/lesbian consumers are one of the most loyal markets and overall less are traveling with children, so they have a larger discretionary income," says R.
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