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September 8, 2008 4:03:21 AM CDT

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'So Gay' Tourist Ad Stirs Flap in South Carolina

Posted Jul 17, 08 12:01 PM CDT in Arts & Living,  US 

(Newser) – "South Carolina is so gay," announce posters in the London Underground. Part of an advertising campaign targeting visitors to London's gay pride events, the posters have set off a backlash in South Carolina, drawing sharp criticism from senator David Thomas and resulting in the resignation of a state staffer involved in the ad campaign, reports the Greenville News.

The Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism said it would refuse to pay the $5,000 ad bill. But the negative backlash could cost the state even more. "In a time like this when the economy is on everyone’s mind, we should be looking for ways to boost tourism dollars, not hinder them or shut them down," said one activist.

Sources Greenville (SC) News, Atlanta Journal-Constitution

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Protesters from the South Carolina Gay and Lesbian Pride Movement, lead by Bruce Coverse, front, march silently outside the Township Auditorium, in Columbia, S.C.   (AP Photo/Brett Flashnick)
Destinations like Myrtle Beach could be a big draw for gay tourism, but not if the state continues to react negatively to ad campaigns like the one that touts South Carolina as "so gay."   ((c) rjones0856)
Amro Worldwide's ad campaign, designed to take back the "so gay" insult, includes such cities as Boston, Las Vegas, Atlanta, Washington DC, and New Orleans.   (Amro Worldwide)
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