Written by John Katsilometes
Pop star Debbie Gibson has lived in Las Vegas for 15 years. Bruno Mars says he wants to move to Las Vegas.
Any advice?
“He doesn’t need my advice about much of anything,” Gibson said with a laugh Thursday during the annual Silver State Equality Awards at Kaos at the Palms. “But go find things off the beaten path, off the Strip. The hidden gems. And, he should come over to my place and play my Liberace piano, right?”
Right. Gibson owns one of Liberace’s pianos from his Vegas headlining days, a 6-foot, mirrored Baldwin. It is her prized possession, reflecting (as it were) her fondness for Liberace’s artistic flair. Gibson bought it from Smith Center President Myron Martin, a former Baldwin rep, more than 30 years ago.
Gibson joined Las Vegas Councilman Brian Knudsen as the night’s honorees. Gibson was honored with the Silver State Equality Ally Leadership Award. Knudsen received the 2024 Equality Leadership Award.
Coco Montrese of “Ru Paul’s Drag Race” hosted the event, in most fabulous fashion.
Silver State Equality State Director André C. Wade was on hand, repping the statewide LGBTQ+ civil rights organization. Gibson has long supported such causes. But she is not issuing any political endorsements.
“I have made it like a steadfast rule, up to this point in my life, to not talk politics,” the “Lost in Your Eyes” hitmaker said. “But I do talk about human rights, and that’s why I love Silver State Equality. It is really about that, and anything that eclipses human rights is not right.”
