Posted on 07/17/2008 4:44:00 AM PDT by Rebelbase
COLUMBIA, S.C. — The flap over an ad promoting South Carolina as “So Gay” will cost the state tourism dollars, according to an industry expert.
Gay and lesbian travelers will likely be turned off by the political posturing surrounding the ads, which were pulled by the state tourism agency and led one employee to resign.
“We experience discrimination every day, so we certainly don't want to when we travel,” said Wesley Combs of the Washington-based communication firm Witeck-Combs, which specializes in gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender travel.
Combs noted that national media attention about the ad, including jokes on Conan O'Brien’s late-night TV show, sends a sour message to gays and lesbians who spend an estimated $712 million a year in travel.
“We read,” he said. And state government leaders “are sending a signal that gay people are not welcome in South Carolina.”
Gov. Mark Sanford and Greenville Sen. David Thomas on Wednesday reiterated that tax money should not be used to target gay travel.
“We welcome anyone to visit our state,” Sanford spokesman Joel Sawyer said, “but we agree with Sen. Thomas about using tax money to promote any group with a particular social or political agenda.”
Thomas softened his tone toward gay travel, saying he would “love” for gays and lesbians to visit and spend money in the state's $16 billion-a-year tourism economy. He just doesn't want ads like the one in question that promotes the state's “gay beaches.”
“If the ad had said, ‘You will love the Southern Baptist beaches,’ I would also be offended,” he said. “If a homosexual is attracted here, that's great. But I have a problem with tax money being spent on ads with a social viewpoint, particularly with sexual orientation.”
Gay and lesbian leaders called those comments hypocritical.
“I'm sure (Thomas) is softening his tone to appear less bigoted,” said Ray Drew of the South Carolina Equality Coalition. “Tourism is a huge industry in this state and targeted marketing is not only appropriate, but smart. He is hiding behind the words ‘social viewpoint.’”
But Drew also called the “So Gay” ad childish and counterproductive. For example, he said the ad touts the state's gay beaches, when there are none he knows of.
“If I were going to the gay community, that's not the tone that I would use,” he said. “’So gay’ is a slur — not as bad as some — but it's clearly done by a company that is not familiar with South Carolina. It's inaccurate.”
A state tourism agency spokesman said the ads were created by the company Out Now and ran in London to coincide with that city's gay pride festival this month.
The ads cost $4,942, but the state said it will not pay for them because they were not approved properly, said Marion Edmonds, a spokesman for the S.C. Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism. An unidentified parks employee resigned over the ad.
Drew said a smart, tasteful campaign would be appropriate.
“Gay money is just as green as straight money,” he said.
A niche business, for sure.
If they promote South Carolina as “so Gay”...I can’t imagine the promotion for San Francisco.
Welll now there is a state I wont be staying in..... Pandering to the G/L/T communities is over the top. I am sick of it.... they need to get over themselves and realize that they do not deserve special rights.... what they do deserve they will get in the afterlife.
So stupid.
Lets see... Cater to 98% of the population or 2% of the population... What to do...
sends a sour message to gays and lesbians who spend an estimated $712 million a year in travel
So boys and girls, let's do the math. As a group gays spend $712 million a year and the in South Carolina alone the industry generates $16 billion.
Can we say deck chair ... can we say Titanic.
If this means I can go to South Carolina without seeing sodomy on the beach, good. Please be too offended to come to North Carolina, as well, y’all. Tell me what else we can do to offend, and I’ll email my state legislators!
“I can’t imagine the promotion for San Francisco.”
San-Francisco penetrates your soul!
Truth in advertising would be “Cape Cod is so gay”.
Good thing I haven’t eaten breakfast yet. YUUUUUUUUCK!
Who also happens to cater to queers. I'm glad the media have given up all pretense of balance.
Good. Then I'll feel comfortable with my family vacationing there.
Obviously, he has never been to Folly Beach. It is not as bad as Key West, but is definitely frequented by the gay community.
Makes perfect sense to me.
These minority groups howl and cry "unfair!" when they don't get special treatment.
They need to grow spines and that shouldn't be our problem.
Because people are too scared to take strong stands and tell them to go pound sand. (Somewhere else)
We have to get out of this PC liberal dictate where feelings override logic and common sense. The only way I know currently what will definately work is to defy this PCism which we've allowed to take hold.
Compassion is not allowing decadence and deviance to reign. The majorities must learn to make a stand without the minority continuing to make the false premise that the majority is unruley or uncompassionate. By telling the deviants, society will not TOLERATE your behavior, nor will it allow convoluted ways to define acceptance or foist what is a perverted lifestyles on a community!
Really? Well I'm not religious but you should read the bible and stop acting like a queen.
The reason this is in the news is because the State Legislature through a fit when they found out that someone from the tourism board approved this message. South Carolina is NOT promoting it, they want the promotion to stop.
By the way, is the NAACP still boycotting? I wonder how much that hurt? /s
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.