Minn. mayor in Chicago hoping to lure Illinois gay couples northward to marry, open checkbooks

[MNBrewer]

That's my Mayor!!!

http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/222465311.html

CHICAGO — Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak was making a pitch Thursday to gay and lesbian couples in Chicago that they should come to his city to say their vows — and spend their money on weddings — rather than wait for Illinois to join Minnesota in legalizing same-sex marriages.

At a news conference in Chicago's predominantly gay neighborhood, Rybak said that while he hopes Illinois eventually allows gay marriage, as Minnesota's Legislature recently voted to do, he plans to take advantage now of his city's competitive advantage for tourism dollars.

"Have you met Mayor (Rahm) Emanuel?" he joked about the famously competitive Chicago mayor, when asked about whether it is fair to try to persuade residents of another city to leave to get married. "He would do this to me every day of the week."

Rybak said that if the mayor and Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn, both of whom have pushed to legalize gay marriage, should be afraid of all the money they are losing. He said gay marriages could generate tens of millions of dollars in tourism dollars, for everything from hotels to caterers to florists in states where the ceremonies are legal.

[exboyfil]

1. When the Iowa Supreme Court first opened up same sex marriage

That was my contention to bring tourist dollars to the state. Take advantage of whatever you can.

A politically incorrect Saturday Night Live skit spoke to this. The punchline:

Noab: Exactly! Exactly! All we want people to know is that they can come to Sodom, check into a hotel, visit a museum or a gallery in the afternoon, have a nice dinner in a fine restaurant in the evening, and then, if they want it, the sodomy is there.

http://snltranscripts.jt.org/77/77tsodom.phtml