Some folks in this old frontier mining town couldn't care less that Jessi Winchester, a grandmother and wife of an adoring husband, is a $500-an-hour prostitute.
It does raise a few eyebrows, however, now that she's competing for the title of "Mrs. Nevada."Winchester, 52, had already been named "Mrs. Virginia City" in a statewide competition conducted by mail. That qualified her for a "Mrs. Nevada International" pageant scheduled April 21-22 in Las Vegas. Promoters say her profession, legal in parts of Nevada, apparently doesn't violate pageant rules.
"We like her and she's great person," said Mike Wenszell, who was attending a fund-raiser organized to help cover Winchester's expenses at the pageant. "We don't care what people do as long as it's honest."
Critics complain that she's tarnishing the image of Virginia City, a tourist town of 700 about 20 miles south of Reno.
"I think it's drawing the wrong kind of publicity," Comstock Chronicle columnist Brandi Lee said. "I'm not opposed to prostitution but I'm opposed to a married woman being a prostitute and representing Virginia City."
Her backers say just the opposite.
"She represents what this town and Nevada is all about. That's self-reliance, self-respect and independence," said Winchester's husband, Michael.
Five years ago, he encouraged his wife to go to work at a brothel to help support them after he suffered a back injury in a construction accident.
He now works as an electrician while his wife works at the Moonlight Bunny Ranch.
About 30 supporters turned out Thursday for her fund-raiser.
"I think this is an event the whole town should support," said Roger Lavake, who pointed out that brothels generate tax revenue that helps keep property taxes down. "If others around here don't like it, tough!"
Winchester, who has four grown children from a former marriage, and two grandchildren, said she entered the pageant to make a statement "that ladies in my profession can be just as normal as women in other fields."
"It also makes a statement that life for women doesn't stop at age 30," said Winchester, a former movie motorcycle stuntwoman. "They can still be strong, vital and sexy, even after 50."