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Gay travel: South Carolina in an uproar over advertising campaign
South Carolina is outraged over an advertisement campaign by Amro Worldwide, a UK specialist in gay and lesbian travel, which labeled the Palmetto State "so gay" in a series of posters throughout the London Underground.Looking to boost its profile among the UK's gay and lesbian community, Amro devised its 'so gay' campaign nearly a year ago and reached out to various U.S. tourism boards last October to see if they would participate.
Shortly thereafter, Atlanta, Boston, Las Vegas, New Orleans and Washington, D.C. confirmed their participation. Last November, South Carolina jumped on board.
The campaign debuted at Underground stations in Leicester Square and Covent Garden during London's recent Gay Pride Week celebrations. For South Carolina, the posters touted the state's gay beaches and Civil War-era plantations.
Apparently, it seems that South Carolina tourism officials didn't really understand what they was agreeing to. At first, top officials said the campaign sent a positive message to gay travelers. But as outrage increased, they now say they knew nothing about the campaign and are disavowing participation, according to MSNBC.com, refusing to pay the campaign's promoter, Out Now, the $5,000 fee for the posters.
The low ranking official in the state's department of parks, recreation and tourism department who got the state involved with the campaign in the first place has resigned.
Oran Smith, the president of a South Carolina conservative activist group, tells MSNBC.com: "I think with today's economy, we have to be really smart with our tourism dollars, and South Carolina's market, very clearly, is the family-friendly market. So if we want to spend our dollars in a way that's wise, we need to go after our market, and our market is families."
Amro Worldwide wants to know what all the fuss is about. The view among many in the gay and lesbian community is that being 'so gay' is not the putdown it perhaps once was, but rather a positive thing, the company says.
Just don't expect Main Street South Carolinians to agree. One Charleston resident who spoke to MSNBC.com says, "We're so gay? Nah. Wrong state. Go to California."
It's worth noting that the other U.S. destinations involved in the campaign are not complaining.
Dispatches from around the world
Filed under: Activism, North America, United States
Reader Comments (Page 12 of 12)
Stacey Jul 16th 2008 2:21PM
Okay, so a lot of you assume this is a race issue. Race has nothing to do with this argument. Not only that, but to say that a group of people "disgust" you? My god, how tolerant can you possibly be to exclude a region and say everyone there "Disgusts" you?
Anyway, let's put this ad in perspective. What if the ad said "South Carolina is so hispanic" or "South Carolina is so Muslim"? Just because there are hispanics and Muslims living in South Carolina doesn't mean the entire state should be defined as such.
Stacey Jul 16th 2008 2:25PM
AND not to mention that I've travelled all over the US and intolerance exsists EVERYWHERE! From California to New York to South Carolina to Anytown, USA, biggots live everywhere. Don't believe me? Go ask the straightest guy you know if he'd ever kiss another man.
Leah Jul 16th 2008 4:43PM
I live in South Carolina now and all I can say is...all those antiques, chandeliers, ornate furniture, puffy drapes, pillows, dust ruffles....maybe the slogan should be "South Carolina ...is their any place Gayer"?
LOL.
Seriously though, I don't know what the problem is with gay/straight, I seriously don't get it. From my experience, gays are welcome here, we just have our loud-mouths like everywhere else. If only closed minds had closed mouths.
Jim Jul 16th 2008 5:55PM
MIKE T you are a Bigot you are probally the same Bigot who my mother told me about who tried to clean out my Baby bottle with Kerosene, when they saw the Virgin Mary on the Dash board.
SC does nto produce anything other than Nascar Drivers and Tobacco Both of which the US can do with out.
Concerning Clinton cutting the Military Budget remeber in 1991. The Soviet Union Collapsed and with it the Warsaw Pact. Pentagon opted against the Heavy Armored Divisions that we had facing the Soviets in Germany.
After the Civil War the US Government should have taken all Terorist Rebels (and that was all of them) and deported them to Canada.
Theresa Jul 17th 2008 1:39AM
I live in South Carolina. I agree that the ad is too forward and maybe the person who designed the slogan should think of something a little more creative and more tasteful instead of applying a label on everybody. The uproar was not due to the fact that they were advertising to the gay community. It is because the ad sent a message that portrayed our state as a whole. No one likes being labeled here. You would'nt like it either if you lived in a place where the majority of the nation thinks it is "common knowledge" that if you live in the South, you must be a redneck, racist, or a radical christian. That is OUR reality..of having to deal with ignorant people who assume they know everything about us because of the way that we are portrayed in the media.
You probably don't understand what it's like to have people move in and decidedly bash your city because they have to drive all the way to Charlotte or Atlanta to find designer clothing..Or that you can't buy beer on Sundays...Or that its too hot..or that we are too slow..Yet they continue to complain about how everything is different instead of going back to where they came from. Very frustrating indeed. We welcome everyone as long as you keep your complaints to yourself.
South Carolina is a beautiful place. Southern Hospitality is alive and well. It is quite the melting pot down here and if you are with us, you are family.
To those who have had negative experiences~Maybe you should ask yourselves..Did you really give us a chance? Or did you sit there and believe the stereotype and act like you are someone special.
Please don't believe everything you watch on TV.
Have a nice day.
Theresa Jul 17th 2008 1:57AM
I live in South Carolina. I agree that the ad is too forward and maybe the person who designed the slogan should think of something a little more creative and more tasteful instead of applying a label on everybody. The uproar was not due to the fact that they were advertising to the gay community. It is because the ad sent a message that portrayed our state as a whole. No one likes being labeled here. You would'nt like it either if you lived in a place where the majority of the nation thinks it is "common knowledge" that if you live in the South, you must be a redneck, racist, or a radical christian. That is OUR reality..of having to deal with ignorant people who assume they know everything about us because of the way that we are portrayed in the media.
You probably don't understand what it's like to have people move in and decidedly bash your city because they have to drive all the way to Charlotte or Atlanta to find designer clothing..Or that you can't buy beer on Sundays...Or that its too hot..or that we are too slow..Yet they continue to complain about how everything is different instead of going back to where they came from. Very frustrating indeed. We welcome everyone as long as you keep your complaints to yourself.
South Carolina is a beautiful place. Southern Hospitality is alive and well. It is quite the melting pot down here and if you are with us, you are family.
To those who have had negative experiences~Maybe you should ask yourselves..Did you really give us a chance? Or did you sit there and believe the stereotype and act like you are someone special.
Please don't believe everything you watch on TV.
Have a nice day.
gus dell Jul 18th 2008 3:28PM
sweet home alabama!!
Andrew Roberts Aug 12th 2008 5:34AM
Andrew Roberts, chief executive of Amro Worldwide here.
I appreciate you covering this story.
Amro Worldwide thinks it is long past time when "so gay" should be considered acceptable as an insult, so we decided to reclaim it as meaning "so good."
We are a small boutique gay-owned business based just north of London. If any of your readers have travel plans, from hotels, tours and cruises or flights out of the United Kingdom right up to complicated worldwide travel itineraries -- we'd love to help.
You can browser ideas and buy online in USD, GBP or Euros at www.amroworldwide.com and pay using your local credit card. Alternatively, contact us directly via the link in the top right hand corner of our web pages.
Thanks very much for your support and we look forward to sending you off on your travels.
Andrew Roberts
CEO, Amro Worldwide
http://www.AmroWorldwide.com