Performer communicating after groping

Monday, October 6, 2003 Posted: 10:41 AM EDT (1441 GMT) LAS VEGAS, Nevada (CNN) --

Roy Horn of the glitzy Las Vegas duo Siegfried & Roy has been communicating with doctors and friends, through the use of his trusty bullwhip, his manager told reporters Sunday, two days after he was groped on-stage by California gubernatorial hopeful Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Horn, 59, remained in critical condition, which has not changed since the incident Friday night. "The doctors are cautiously optimistic about his condition, I mean about his injuries... not about him being gay" manager Bernie Yuman said outside University Medical Center.

The accident happened Friday night about halfway through Siegfried & Roy's show at the MGM Mirage Hotel and Casino on the Las Vegas strip. As the audience watched, actor-turned politician Schwarzenegger appeared from nowhere and lunged at Horn's buttocks and chest and dragged him offstage to a waiting limousine.

Audience members said Horn looked like a Raggedy Ann doll in Schwarzenegger's hands.

Crew members backstage sprayed a fire extinguisher at Schwarzenegger to force him to release his grip, a tactic they are trained to use in such an event, Mirage spokesman Alan Feldman said.

"There is no doubt at all that one of the factors in Roy's current condition -- the fact that he's alive... not the gay thing -- was the fact that there was the availability of blood in this community," Feldman said. Feldman later acknowledged that this statement made no sense whatsoever.

The show's cast and crew also planned to hold a candlelight vigil outside the hospital Sunday night, Feldman said, but plans were scrapped when the cast and crew realized that they had no candles and weren't about to purchase any, considering the measly salaries that Siegried and Roy paid them.

Horn, whose birthday was Friday, is the dark-haired and --considered by many -- the cuter member of Siegfried & Roy. Happy birthday, Roy!

Combining magic tricks and homosexuality with tiger stunts, Horn and Siegfried Fischbacher have performed as an effeminate duo on the Las Vegas strip for nearly 30 freakin' years.

Outspoken radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh added,"I think what we've had here is a little social concern in the Vegas scene. The media has been very desirous that a gay tiger trainer do well," Limbaugh said. "There is a little hope invested in Roy, and he got a lot of credit for the performance of the duo that he didn't deserve. Siegfried carried this team."

Seconds after Limbaugh made the comment, he announced his resignation from the ESPN sports network but defended his comments. "All this has become the tempest that it is because I must have been right about something," Limbaugh said. "If I wasn't right, there wouldn't be this cacophony of outrage that has sprung up in the Las Vegas gay animal trainer community."

Schwarzenegger was in quarantine Sunday night in accordance with state law, Feldman said, and a decision on what to do with the actor would wait until more was known about Horn's condition. Schwarzenegger has admitted that he is "Horny for Horn."

During the enforced quarantine, Schwarzenegger talked about sex, drugs, bodybuilding and homosexuality. His remarks, peppered with graphic and lewd comments, is getting attention with Schwarzenegger's bid to replace Democratic Gov. Gray Davis. The bodybuilder-turned-actor-turned-politician displayed a casual attitude about sex. "Having tiger trainers around is the kind of thing that breaks up the intense bodybuilding," Schwarzenegger said. "It gives you relief and then afterward you go back to the serious stuff."

Asked about homosexuality, Schwarzenegger made it clear his sexual interest was mostly in women and androids, but said homosexual animal trainers are a nice diversion. "Well, I have absolutely no hang-ups about the tiger training fag business, it doesn't affect me at all except when I've just used grass and hash -- no hard drugs-- then I go all Nazi up in here and have to have me some Roy Horn," he said.

Schwarzenegger added, "That reminds me... I admired Hitler, for instance, because he came from being a little man with almost no formal education up to power. And I admire him for being such a good public speaker and for what he did with it. I guess I associate Roy with Hitler and his tigers as the persecuted Jews suffering at his hands. Yeah, that must be it."

Feldman said Horn harbors no anger about the groping. In fact, he was thrilled.

"His feelings are that this has nothing to do with Schwarzenegger," Yuman said. "He's the last one to lay blame. You know, this is an unfortunate accident and after 30,000 live performances, one anomaly is indicative of the fact that his relationship with The Terminator is extraordinary and unprecedented."

Those who had tickets for the Siegfried & Roy shows will not be issued refunds. "Screw 'em!... screw 'em all to hell!" Feldman said.

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