Peace be with you. In the near future, the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered (LGBT) population of Costa Rica will be able to enjoy a new dance venue in Downtown San Jose, specifically across from the Roman Catholic Church of La Soledad (The Solitude) in Chinatown.

According to a recent news report filed by entertainment journalist Ariel Chaves Gonzalez of daily tabloid Diario Extra, Club One-Two-One is a project currently being undertaken by various LGBT impresarios in Costa Rica. To this effect, Mr. Chaves interviewed Father Carlos Humberto Rojas of La Soledad and Jeffrey Calderon, one of the club’s business partners and a former actor who used to appear in pornographic films that cater to male homosexual audiences.

Father Rojas explained that he was surprised to learn about the LGBT club opening within stone-casting distance of the church. The clergyman is very concerned that the club’s proximity to the church will be problematic due to noise pollution. He is also concerned about the club being located about 100 meters away from Escuela España, a public elementary school, in the sense that most dance clubs in San Jose serve alcoholic beverages. If anything, La Soledad is one of a few churches located within the “Gringo Gulch,” a cross-section of San Jose that encompasses a number of massage parlors, hook-up bars, nude cabarets, and underground brothels enjoyed by sexual tourists in Costa Rica.

Mr. Chaves, who is well-known for his interviewing style of asking unexpected questions, queried Father Rojas: “Do you hate gay people?” to which the priest replied “I have nothing against them. They deserve my respect and our church doors are open to them.” For some reason, Mr. Chaves then asked if the club being located in Chinatown will be a problem, to which Father Rojas answered: “That is irrelevant. It does not matter if it is a Chinese, Japanese or Italian neighborhood. If the club has all the required permits, it can open.”

For his part, the former pornographic actor Mr. Calderon explained that the club will have the support of 700,000 people, which could roughly be the census count of the LGBT population in Costa Rica. Mr. Calderon also said that Father Rojas should respect the gay community, and that as soon as the club opens its restaurant section, they will invite the priest for dinner. Mr. Calderon added that no one will be allowed to display any obscenities in plain view of the church, and that he would like the priest to be a friend.

Mr. Calderon also doubted that Mass would be conducted at midnight across from his club, and thus he thinks noise pollution should not be a problem. It so happens that the Roman Catholic liturgy does hold a Midnight Mass to celebrate the birth of Christ, and the midnight hour may also be chosen to hold the Easter vigil before daybreak on Sunday. One presumes that the club and the church may come to an agreement on these two religious celebrations.