Tips on throwing a houseparty?

My name is Tina and I'm a 23-year-old female who has been living on her own for about a year. I've lived a very sheltered life when I was younger, through no fault of my own (you can't choose your parents and teachers - lol), and now that I'm on my own, I'd really like to change that. I would really like to throw a houseparty, but since I don't know all that many people in the area (I'm 500 miles from my home/college town), it seems like my only hope is inviting strangers. Has anyone ever done that? How would I go about it? How could I go about setting up the houseparty (besides buying booze by the barrelful - hey, that's an alliteration! lol), so it doesn't look like it's my first one? Also, is it legal to have female-only houseparties in the state of MA, or can I be sued for discrimination? If this case makes it to the courtroom, would I have to prove that the opposite sex would be a legally-recognized inconvenience, e.g. that it was a lingerie party? My mother, who was not very reasonable (if she were, she'd let me socialize as a child), insists that I might as well not let black people come to this supposedly-open houseparty. I mean, there have been racism suits over private clubs and parties (where the hosts can allegedly invite whomever they want), but I thought sex was treated differently. I mean, if I were allowed to dorm in college, they couldn't make me room with a boy because the government recognizes that boys and girls are fundamentally different. Similarly, Hooters can get away without hiring any male waiters. Please let me know what you think. Every bit of advice helps....