Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
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 5 of 12)
chris Jul 15th 2008 11:48PM
SueTwee, Choice? Get real lady. I had a gay friend point out to me that she would NOT choose to be so, facing so many ignorant, judgemental, pathetic people who would all to willingly point their fingers. I, as a Christian, want to ask you something. Do you recall the part of the Gospels where Jesus says something like, how can you take a splinter out of your brothers eye when you have a log in your own...? Who are you to judge? I say live and leave others alone. Learn to love without bias or judgement. I think that is the real Christian thing to do...
brewercr Jul 15th 2008 9:48PM
Get back in the closet!
Audrey Jul 15th 2008 9:54PM
CaLiFoRnIa?!?!
If YOU don't want to be insulted by being called "gay," then don't insult others by calling them "gay!!"
Junior Jul 15th 2008 10:21PM
Thank you! and Thanks God there are people with hearts and love in them, unlike "Oran Smith" which stands in such important position and has no clue of what the true meaning of the WORD "FAMILY" means.
Perhaps his family has never had a GAY relative which I doubt very much since in every family God sends at least ONE GAY member, only he knows why and is to JUDGE; but I am sure that in "Oran Smith" 's family team, a GAY SON, or family member would rather be buried alive or be totally disowned... WHAT A "FAMILY" HUH???
dcmaughan Jul 15th 2008 9:53PM
WOW! I just happen to be passing through and well..... I can't help but notice that the bigotry, hate talk, ignorance, and arrogance seems to be a reciprocated thing in this conversation. Most of you regardless, of the which side of the fence you stand on, don't seem to have the moral high ground to be pointing a finger at the other. All of you have a right to your opinions but the verbal diarrhea here is suffocating. Comical... but suffocating.
charlie Jul 15th 2008 9:53PM
the new key west ! hilton give me head island!
in the gay way lol
go to north north carolina where the men are men and there sisters are nervus!
Tony Jul 15th 2008 10:05PM
'cause its paid for by tax dollars and going off thinking that people in the south are hicks and rednecks is just as lamo as the state of south carloina backing out of its ad campaign. People all over the world are educated and still believe in childish religious stories, how can any free thinking person go to college and have a doctoerate degree believe in fables such as of that appear in the King James Bible or any religion and take it seriously. Familes were created by humankind as was marrage to raise children. I am not for Gay life style people want to practice go ahead just not in front of me, they still have the right to if they so chose and makes them happy.
Peace,
Tony
charlie Jul 15th 2008 9:55PM
didnt mean to upset the fdge packers! lol
brewercr Jul 15th 2008 10:05PM
Hey, all you freaks! Go back to the UK and have fun slam dancing. Bunch of rump rangers.
Junior Jul 15th 2008 10:54PM
Oh and by the way you ignorant freak, DID YO KNOW that scientist state that the bigger of a HOMOPHOBIC you are, the strongest it demonstrates you are a suppressed homo... get a grip and be careful, perhaps you are just extremely frustrated cuzzz you are needing some...
B. Jul 15th 2008 10:05PM
To whom it may concern,
As a edumacated college graduate I take offense at the comments made about people from SC being stupid and hicks. I am neither as are most of the people I know. Seems to me that the only ones that are ignorant and intolerant of other people are you for not respecting and tolerating the beliefs of others from SC.
If it even matters anyway, I was raised, in the south I might add, to be nonjudgemental and tolerants of others. IF you mind your own business then you shouldn't have time to be sticking your noses in everybody elses anyway. Speaking as a married heterosexual male , I and my wife have no derogatory feelings at all about people who are gay or lesbian.
People are people no matter what race, gender, sexual orientation or anything else and therefore should be treated like they are, with respect for them as people. You get back what you give out !!
If I have offended anyone then I am sorry to do so but all I can say is if all ya'll that think it is so bad here and the people are so bad then I guess you should just leave or take ya'lls asses on back to where ever you came from to start with.
Geezzzz, didn't ya'll know that us "Southerners" can do bad all by ourselves , we don't need any help.
Thank you for your time.
Tom Moore Jul 15th 2008 10:12PM
Just goes to prove that South Carolina is not as dumb as most people think.
Melanie Jul 17th 2008 1:14AM
I had hoped that the people of the United States had matured in recent years, but clearly I was wrong. Why do people still bash others? Why call others nasty names? What satisfaction do you get from it?
This is the 21st century, and I believe it is time for people to open their minds about things they do not understand or particularily like for that matter. It does not matter if you like gay or lesbian people, but as people in living in this century, you should at least be open to the fact that there are people that are different from you. You should at least have the decency to keep your thoughts and feelings to yourselves instead of acting reminiscent of the 1800s.
Junior Jul 15th 2008 10:21PM
You are not from the south, but surely from the most ignorant place on the universe... total empty skull...
Chaney Jul 15th 2008 10:17PM
I am from SC, and for a state that is outraged, this is the first that anyone I know has heard this. What is irritating to me, is the ignorant responses to this article. Not all South Carolinians are homophobic or racist. Because TWO men from South Carolina were quoted, and I am sure the author of this article only used such quotes to fan the flames, does not mean all South Carolinians feel the same way.
Most of the tourism in South Carolina is on the coast, and welcomes ALL tourists. There is still southern hospitality throughout our beautiful state, and I can't think of anyone that I know, that wouldn't be welcoming to anyone, gay or straight visiting our community. Oh sure, there are still bigots and homophobic people here in our state, just as they are everywhere. I don't believe this article, in my humble opinion is accurate on the feelings of South Carolina. He certainly didn't get the facts correct on the payment of the advertising campaign. A good writer/reporter would get quotes from people on both sides of the issue.
I have much pride in being a South Carolinian, a southerner, and an American, and hold my head high. But because I am, it doesn't mean I take pride in the idiosyncrasies of a anyone trying to represent who I am, where I live or what I stand for. It's an unfortunate thing that the posters in the UK are being frowned upon by anyone, anywhere.
To those of you that think homosexuality equals pedophilia, *rolling my eyes* please research facts before you enter an argument that you know nothing about, and stop repeating the ignorance you hear.
To those of you that are judging all South Carolinians as uneducated, under informed, backwood hicks, etc., you are no better than the other idiots judging homosexuals.
The family values that I was raised with, and I am raising my children with are this, you should never judge anyone because of what they are, but who they are. To show kindness to all living beings and be the friend you want to have, love the way you want to be loved and to respect others the way you want to be respected. I think that should apply to everyone, in all families, no matter how diverse they are.
I hope that the poster in the UK remain, and I hope that the gay community still visits the warm, beautiful places South Carolina has to offer.
I just hope they don't run into the uninformed, under educated, ignorant people that think the opinion of some is NOT the opinion of all or factual. I guess they missed the Gay Pride parade that was held in all our cities, from the upstate to the coast. Sigh, many of you should get your facts straight.
and fyi SC is soo Gay!
TfromSouthernCali Jul 15th 2008 10:26PM
I never had any desire to vacation in So. Carolina, sorry, lol. BTW, Erika: the fires we have here are very dangerous and are not something to talk about in that way. Many people last year lost their homes. Shame on you and your bigoted trash talking self to say such things.
Tyler Jul 15th 2008 10:25PM
I'm from SC and I just have to say, What the hell?
Craig Jul 15th 2008 10:30PM
AS A SOUTH CAROLINA RESIDENT, I AGREE THAT GAYS WOULD BE BETTER OFF IN LAS VEGAS.....WE DON'T WANT 'EM HERE.....BEING GAY IS AN ABOMINATION IN OUR EYES, FOR THE MAJORITY.....SORRY, LIBERALS, BUT WE STILL BELIEVE IN OUR BIBLES AND GOD'S WORD HERE.....NO, WE ARE NOT "FAGGOT FRIENDLY"!!!!!! DON'T LIKE IT???? THEN DON'T COME HERE!!!! SOUNDS SIMPLE TO ME........AND YES, I'M PROUD TO BE CALLED A REDNECK....THOSE THAT USE THE WORD AS AN INSULT OBVIOUS DON'T KNOW WHAT A REDNECK IS......BUNCHA IGNORANT YANKEES THAT YA ARE!!!!!
Irish Jul 15th 2008 10:29PM
Maybe if people didn't continue to use the word 'gay' when they mean SEXUALLY CHALLENGED this wouldn't happen!...EDUCATE YOURSEELF!...Gay means happy, it has NOTHING to do with sexual deviants!
LilMizMargi Jul 15th 2008 10:31PM
Just because some of you feel like you're so open minded and politically correct doesn't mean the rest of us have to be. I'd rather obey God and his tenets, than bend to any pressure y'all may choose to put on me. Homosexuality is a perversion of God's creation and intention for mankind, and an abomination in the eyes of the Lord. I do not hate gays and I do not bash them but the "gay" liefstyle is just not an option or alternative. Just like me and everyone else who ever lived and will live in the future, "gays" will have to answer to God for their actions, lifestyle, and what they did with their time, talent and treasure while visiting this earthly realm.