Gay Couple Shown In U.S. Tourism Ad

[WillParkinson]

They're only on screen for less than a second, but predictably Tony Perkins is furious that a gay couple is shown in a new international ad promoting U.S. tourism. Via Right Wing Watch:

In 236 years, America's never had an international tourism ad. So when Congress passed the Travel Promotion Act, people thought it'd be a great chance to highlight American attractions. What they didn't know is that it would highlight same-sex attractions. That's right. The commercial invites people to America-not to see the Grand Canyon, but to celebrate homosexuality. In one scene, a gay man is sleeping on his partner's shoulder in a trolley. The actors said they were specifically recruited to add a "homosexual presence" to the commercial. According to Brand USA, the ads were supposed to "open up some minds as to what America really is"-which, based on this commercial, is a country of radical values and backwards priorities. I suppose this is part of the President's push to "rebrand" America. It's just too bad he used a travel ad to feature so much cultural baggage.

http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2012/05/gay-couple-shown-in-us-tourism-ad.html

[closeupready]

1. Here in New York on an elevator LCD screen, I saw a tourism ad targeted to gay people;

I forget exactly what it was promoting, but the guys were all really cute and clean-cut, and that totally piqued my interest - I was thinking like, "whoa! wait! if they are saying I can meet guys like that there, what is it/where is it/how much, and I'm there!"