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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 1 of 12)
Ian Johnson Jul 15th 2008 8:41AM
Ian Johnson, CEO of Out Now here.
Good story. One fact though that has been misreported above is that Out Now has not been paid for our work on the campaign. We have been. In full.
Your readers who want to learn more may like to visit Gay Market News http://www.GayMarketNews.com .
Thanks for covering our gay travel marketing campaign for Amro Worldwide.
Ian Johnson
http://www.outnowconsulting.com
CEO, Out Now
Bobby G Jul 16th 2008 12:16AM
I'm gay. I believe the ad campaign was well intentioned. But, I can see where the slogan oversteps. The impact to some may be that the ads are suggesting S. Carolina is predominantly gay or thought of as a well-known gay mecca such as San Francisco, Fire Isand, or Provincetown.
Personally, I don't think S. Carolina is so gay. I am 50 years old and have never heard anything about S. Carolina as being a destination for gays. Just because you SAY it in an ad does NOT make it so.
It would be like ad saying, 'Wyoming is so Bohemian'. That does not follow the regional identity any more than S. Carolina trends toward 'so gay'.
I don't think this is about restricting gay travel advertising. It's more about fairness and truth in advertising. I don't think we gays need to be taking any region by storm. This ad makes it look exactly like that. "So gay" is 'so pushy'. Let's mind our manners like we usually try to. (Most of the time.)
skurzban Jul 16th 2008 1:24AM
South Carolina doesn't want to be thought of as gay (original definition)? Well that sounds pretty gay to me (almost as outdated disparaging use).
jerrywarriner Jul 16th 2008 6:02AM
Won't those people ever grow up? They should stop complaining and just enjoy the tourists' dollars.
It's too bad that the official in the state's tourism department had to resign. Very childish.
So much for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
OceanCityLisa Jul 15th 2008 8:25PM
I am disappointed in South Carolina. Families come in many shapes these days. What has happened to Southern Hospitality? There is nothing to be afraid of. I live in an area that draws many gay tourist and they are no different than anyone else that's here to visit. The only problem you have is the one that you are making for yourself. Oh and speaking of problems you made for yourself "Yawl should stop littering." I've been behind you in traffic and it isn't the tourists tossing the stuff out the windows. It's the locals.
timothy Jul 15th 2008 9:26PM
Sweetheart...where do you live??? Southern Hospitality is a myth...or something reserved for nice, clean, relatively well-off white people....there's no welcoming spirit down here.... not for anyone with a different skin color, not for any one with a different ethinc backgroud...not for any one...(dear Jesus!)...with an alternative life-style!!! And don't expect any kind words or warm feelings if you're any Christian religion other than something mighty conservative, and you should pray to whatever false gods you believe in if you're not Christian. If there weren't so many black voters in SC, they would be just as offended by any marketing campaign that would suggest that black familes might want to vacation there....or Jews (horrors)...or Hispanics (yikes!)
From a gay athiest yankee living in gracious old south.
Junior Jul 15th 2008 10:08PM
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???
OceanCityLisa Jul 15th 2008 9:56PM
It's a shame. I've met some lovely people during my travels. Our gay visitors spend a lot of money here and no worries. I hope they learn tolerance and respect for all.
Wes Jul 15th 2008 10:55PM
This is so true... And I live in SC! And yes "families" come in different forms. WAKE UP AMERICA!
Clint Jul 16th 2008 10:26PM
Timothy, I disagree with your comment to a degree. I was born and raised in North Carolina and still live here, where Southern Hospitality is NOT a myth. I consider myself a "Southern Gentleman". I can say yes ma'am and yes sir. I even hold doors for people and say hello to people as they pass. It is all in how people are raised. My mama and grandma's would pop my mouth if I didn't respect my elders! My hometown has tripled its size in the past 8 years. Most of the "transplants" have moved from the northern states on the east coast. Maybe you live in one of those towns where your fellow yankees moved to. All in all I'm just saying that there are some of us down here in the South that know how to treat people and be polite reguardless of sex, race, or sexual orientation.
Bobby G Jul 17th 2008 12:17AM
To Beast #8: This is funny, "BEAST". Really good stuff. This would be great in a Cohen Brothers film. You could be the snarly guy with the yellow eyes in pee-stained boxers the townsfolk tie to the top of his trailer when the tornado comes heading in. You would be all thrashing around screaming a blue streak with the tornado bearing down. Then WHOOSH! Sucked off like a trucker at rest stop! Buh-bye Bubba the Beast! Have a nice flight! See you in the Drive-In movies! ha ha ha ha ha!
Steve Jul 15th 2008 8:29PM
Wow. South Carolina. In case noone has noticed, it's 2008. Gays are here to stay, and they are free to roam wherever they want to, including South Carolina. South Carolina may be a family place, why anyone would want to vacation there is beyond me, however just remember, gays can have families as well. Open your mind and come into the 21st century.
cutigers091 Jul 15th 2008 11:57PM
Wow people talk about looking for a reason to bash someone... Many people are misinterpreting this. Just because South Carolina (including myself) is enraged about the ad does not mean we don't want gays. It just means the ad is a little too forward and could give others the wrong idea about our state. I mean did a 10 year old come up with that slogan? And Timothy you know how I knew you were a yankee before I read the ending? Because Southern hospitality is very much alive and well today, we love other ethnicities, We do think its odd but we tolerate non-Baptists (I'm Catholic), but we hate transplanted Yankees. See not the ones who just come and visit and help tourism, but the ones who retire and decide I'll go somewhere to complain about the heat, a Southern drawl, and stop up traffic and live there. Those are called damn yankees. So in the words of Bosephus, "We say grace and we say ma'am, if you ain't into that we dont give a damn."
cutigers091 Jul 15th 2008 11:51PM
Wow people talk about looking for a reason to bash someone... Many people are misinterpreting this. Just because South Carolina (including myself) is enraged about the ad does not mean we don't want gays. It just means the ad is a little too forward and could give others the wrong idea about our state. I mean did a 10 year old come up with that slogan? And Timothy you know how I knew you were a yankee before I read the ending? Because Southern hospitality is very much alive and well today, we love other ethnicities, We do think its odd but we tolerate non-Baptists (I'm Catholic), but we hate transplanted Yankees. See not the ones who just come and visit and help tourism, but the ones who retire and decide I'll go somewhere to complain about the heat, a Southern drawl, and stop up traffic and live there. Those are called damn yankees. So in the words of Bosephus, "We say grace and we say ma'am, if you ain't into that we dont give a damn."
Steve Jul 16th 2008 12:39AM
The ad is forward, I will give you that. But remember, it's advertising...for tourism, and furthermore, it has a target audience (gay people). Consider, the context in which it is written. I'm from the Northwest, "aint" isn't in our vocabulary. And we live in the United STATES of America. We're all in this together.
Linda Jul 15th 2008 8:32PM
There is nothing wrong with South Carolina. I am a local and I have never heard as many complaints as I have as of late. Yeah families come in many shapes these days but remember this, its still the south and homosexuals are not as accepted in the south as they are in other locations of the country. Same goes with biracial couples. Not that I personally have anything against gays or bi racial people. But that ad was crude and like that one Charleston resident said, take it to California.
timothy Jul 15th 2008 9:26PM
I'm sure those folks in SC felt the same way when they freed the slaves.....black people are OK...as long as they stay where they belong and remember their place...
I hope you realize that you are extremely prejudice.
chris Jul 15th 2008 11:31PM
Linda, since you say that the south is not accepting of gays, I'd like to ask you why you think you speak for all of the south? I KNOW other areas of the the south that welcome gay people(Atlanta, and Key West FL as examples). I am not gay but I sure won't spend my money in a state that is soooooo narrow-minded if it's as you represent it. I have family and friends who are gay and will not insult them by going there.
Junior Jul 15th 2008 11:35PM
ofcourse there is nothing wrong with NC, but with the bunch of ignorant idiots that live there,,, this is not for those whom are normal, and loving human beings.. by saying this is the SOUTH and such and such is not accepte, you are admitting how ignorant, way behind and insensitive some people in your are are... this is America for ALL....
Linda Jul 16th 2008 12:02AM
No I was just telling you how the south was. I wasn't saying it was right or wrong. Not one time did I mention a word about being racist. I am not a racist, far from it. And as for your comment about being America, this is the land of freedom of speech. If you don't like what I have to say don't read it. But I have the right to speak what is on my mind.