South Carolina’s gay no more. Well, their tourism board isn’t, anyway.
Hoping to profit on the pink dollar, an eager beaver state tourism agent signed up with London-based Amro Worldwide to market the Palmetto State to the gays. South Carolina would have joined London, Atlanta, New Orleans and a host of other cities in the “So Gay” campaign.
The deal would require the state to pay $1.4 million, as well as cost about $5,000 from the tourism agency.
Conservative politicians were displeased, to say the least, and squashed the plan…
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…Lawmakers were shocked to learn about the campaign, with state Sen. David Thomas, R-Greenville, calling for an audit.
Joel Sawyer, spokesman for Gov. Mark Sanford, said using tax money to support a social or political agenda is inappropriate.
“Our state tourism dollars should be talking about the beaches and attractions of South Carolina,” Sawyer said.
Senator Thomas also remarked, “South Carolina is a wonderful, family friendly destination not a Southern version of San Francisco. This campaign goes against our core values.” No San Fran values here, no sir!
Meanwhile, a tourism board spokesman said the rogue deal-making agent “exercised extremely poor judgment.” So did the ad campaign’s designer – “From the plantations to the Civil War”? Yeah, the slave days sure are enticing!
Brandon
id rather go to miami anyway lol
Darth Paul
^^YES. No one cares about tired SC anyway.
dfrw
Even if SC did advertise to the gays, I wouldn’t go there. Lipstick on a pig is just that. SC is a state full of hateful racist bigots led racists and bigots. Yeah, like I would spend a dime there. I drive through it non-stop. Yuck.
thefrontpage
South Carolina is the most progressive state in the United States.
It’s just that no one knows it yet.
michael
I’d rather slam my dick in a door than go to any of those white trash southern states. They are a lost cause of ignorance, racism
and bigotry.
Ian Johnson
Our company, Out Now designed this ad campaign.
Your story is not correct.
There was no $1.4 million involved at all. Total cost to reach 2 million people these past two weeks — just $4800.
Despite your criticisms, the plantations are included because, whatever you may think, it is actually one of the things that many tourists visiting that area very much wish to visit. Not to glorify slave trading in any way, but often to reflect upon the implications of it.
The campaign has been generally well received by the lesbian and gay communities in the UK — who seem to think that any effort to stop “so gay” being a negative, and turning it into a positive is to be applauded.
This latest action by the South Carolina Parks, Recreation and Tourism Department though has a lot of politicking behind it. None of it pretty.
Trust me — I know.
Thanks for covering the “So Gay” campaign in your reporting.
Ian Johnson
Out Now
Sparhawk864
I grew up in SC, 22 years there. As pretty as the plantations and charleston are, I would never suggest it as a gay destination. I don’t plan on going back very much myself. One of my gay friends got a $1500 disturbing the peace ticket for joining his fag hags in a empty girls room, the police officer saying “Put your make-up on before you go out…”
SC is nice to visit, but only if your comforable pretending you and your partner are just close friends or something and never show that you’re gay.
I, for one, am not.
Paul Raposo
I was in SC for a few days back in the early nineties. I was shocked that I could walk into a few tourist shops and buy White Power flags and posters displayed along side the Stars and Bars confederate flags. The only good thing I can say about SC is that the food was great and the gays and lesbians I met were strong and proud while surrounded by intolerance and outright hate.
Miss Kiti
I was just in London and was delighted to see the “South Carolina is So Gay” posters flanking the escalators in the tube stations – I thought it was a great step forward for my state. It’s too bad that it has turned negative.
Walsingham
“South Carolina is too small for a republic and too large for an insane asylum.” – James Petigru
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Mr C
I wouldn’t give my tourist dollars would your money. Hateful, racially insensitive state!
Evji108
Yes, Charleston is an amazing anomaly in an otherwise fairly suck state. It is in fact one of the most charming and beautiful towns in the USA. I hightly recommend it and a visit to nearby antebellum mansions. They have a fabulous cultural festival called Spoleto USA in the spring with music, dance, art and other cultural festivities. Also in early spring they have a wonderful garden tour of the most beautiful gardens in and around Charleston, which gives you a peek into a very exclusive world not normally open to the public.
I wouldn’t recommend Hilton Head Island. What a dull spot on the map, a place of identical upscale condos, houses, golf courses, outlet malls and slightly overweight ,middle-aged Republicans in white tennis or golf outfits. B O R I N G !
Myrtle Beach is a junky urban strip on the coast, universally referred to across the South as the Red-Neck Riviera.
The rest of the state is crammed with Burger Kings, McDonalds, Wal-marts and bigots. The 5th fattest state in the Union. Just for fun go park near the entrance to a Wal-mart and count the FATTEST ASSES YOU HAVE EVER SEEN IN YOUR LIFE.
If this is South Carolina Family Values, I’ll take San Francisco’s anyday.