Just Look Away, Dixie Land
When does an ad campaign go so far? If you're the state of South Carolina, it's when you're promoting yourself as "So Gay"--at least for some lawmakers.
According to a July 11 article in Columbia, SC newspaper The State, the state's Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism has pulled out of an agreement with London-based travel agency Amro Worldwide for an overseas campaign with the tagline "South Carolina Is So Gay."
A June 27 press release announcing the campaign quoted South Carolina tourism spokesperson Kirsty Dillury as saying, “South Carolina has a lot to offer gay travelers, and we think that people may be surprised to see our destination reaching out to the gay market. We are delighted to be involved with the ‘So Gay’ campaign in particular as it sends a powerful positive message to everyone that there is nothing wrong at all with a destination being described as ’so gay.’”
Not so fast, Kirsty.
“South Carolinians will be irate when they learn their hard earned tax dollars are being spent to advertise our state as ’so gay,’” promised Sen. David Thomas (R-Greenville) to political website The Palmetto Scoop. “South Carolina is a wonderful, family-friendly destination, not a Southern version of San Francisco. This campaign goes against our core values.”
State Rep. Greg Delleney (R-Chester) chimed in, saying, "It’s simply unbelievable that [the Parks Department] would be using our tax money to promote the homosexual lifestyle."
Amro, which caters to gay and lesbian travelers, devised the "So Gay" campaign to tie in to gay pride week celebrations in London. Other U.S. cities such as Atlanta, Boston, and New Orleans signed on, apparently without destroying their respective social fabrics.
Ignoring for the moment the barely-disguised panic in the comments above, part of the brouhaha seems to revolve around the fact that a Parks, Recreation and Tourism agency advertising manager signed off on the contract without following proper procedure. It's a bit difficult to believe that the ad manager in question had never been involved in making such decisions before, but I'll suspend judgment on that until further details come out (if you'll pardon the expression).
In the meantime, the state will continue to promote itself to tourists by emphasizing its plantations and Civil War legacy (Come visit the first state to secede!). Now that's a heritage everyone can be proud of.
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