One might assume that donating tents for the homeless would generate some goodwill, but unfortunately, this is not always the case. Take the recent case of the Deja Vu Showgirls club in Las Vegas, which provided hundreds of tents for the city’s homeless population. Because the tents display the Deja Vu logo, a woman (reportedly a resident of Las Vegas and not part of the homeless community) felt compelled to share her outrage stating that the tents from Deja Vu Showgirls are “immoral” and “disgusting,” and that she was “taken back” when she saw some tents on Bonanza Road. She also noted with frustration that it caused her children asked about what exactly “Deja Vu” is.
Representatives from Deja Vu contacted Vegas TV station KTNV to express the reasons for providing the tents, stating that the decision was in response to a recent ordinance passed by the city that will make it illegal for homeless people to sleep in public spaces if there is space at a local shelter. The ordinance goes into effect on February 1, 2020.
“It is 100% true that we provide warm clothing and sleeping tents for the less fortunate,” Deja Vu stated to KTNV. “This just seems like the right thing to do during the holidays. While some seem to think that the solution is a camping ban, we think that the solution is one that includes decency and kindness. We hope that others can show some humanity and do their share to take care of the most needy among us.”
Megan Swartz of the Deja Vu Love Boutique in Las Vegas was also quoted by KTNV, saying of the tents, “’It was so positive and so uplifting; this is amazing to read on Christmas Eve. This is great and it warms my heart.”
Deja Vu also responded to the mother who complained about the Deja Vu logo on the tents on social media by posting, “It’s a sad day when a strip club shows more humanity than an angry mother.”
