COLUMBIA — After South Carolina’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism (PRT) refused to pay its bill for a British advertising campaign, a statewide LGBT organization has stepped up to the plate to save the state from indebted embarrassment.
The Board of the South Carolina Pride Movement has decided to raise the $5,000 necessary to pay the debt owed by the state for the “South Carolina is so gay” ads created for London Pride Week.
Q-Notes broke the story late Wednesday evening that the directive to do away with the ads came directly from the office of Gov. Mark Sanford.
“Unfortunately, South Carolina has sent a message to the world, that a signed contract from any state agency could be nullified if someone says, ‘Oops, we made a mistake in signing this contract,’” suggested Board member Bruce Converse, who also works as the and executive producer of Rainbow Radio. “In other words, the ‘word’ of South Carolina can’t be trusted. We believe it is the right thing to do, to repay this debt.”
Ryan Wilson, President of SC Pride stated, “We feel it is our duty to keep the word that the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recs, and Tourism gave through their contract with ARMO Worldwide and we intend to raise the necessary funds since they have refused to pay their bill!”
The group also officially announced that a joke image circulated by supporters after the news broke of the ad dust-up will become one of its official ad campaigns for the Sept. 20 SC Pride Festival.
The “South Carolina WILL BE ‘So Gay’” campaign will be launched first at the group’s website.
“Someone needs to rise above and do the right thing, and the GLBT community of South Carolina should be the ones to do it, and the SC Pride Movement is going to take the lead,” Wilson added. “South Carolina may not be “so gay” currently but we are going to show the world that we can be and we WILL BE so gay, and gay friendly some day!”
info: Anyone interested in donating to help pay South Carolina’s “So Gay” debt should contact Ryan Wilson, prideinsc@yahoo.com; call the Harriet Hancock Community Center, 803-771-7713; or visit www.scpride.org.
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related stories:► SC Pride allowed to hang rainbow banners in downtown Columbia, August 30th, 2010
► SC Pride announces date change, April 22nd, 2010
► State-by-state movement could be successful, January 11th, 2010
► SC Pride announces 2010 board, president, December 30th, 2009
► Thanks to Upstate Pride, June 22nd, 2009
► SC Pride revs up for 2009 after biggest fest ever, October 4th, 2008
► State officials’ emails released in ‘So Gay’ ad flap, August 9th, 2008
► Pride: Not just for state capitals anymore, May 31st, 2008
I think SC PRIDE should use that money to something for the LGBT Community of SC not repay a debt that a bigot is refusing to pa ARMO Worldwide can retrieve their monies owed by enforcing the terms and conditions of there contract against the state of SC or the responsible party signing the contract.
Comment by Claudia Zacchara — July 17, 2008 @ 9:43 am
I believe that $$ can be put to better use. Let the Tourism Board go to court. Paying for it is not rising above the fray.
Comment by amanandamouse — July 17, 2008 @ 11:37 am
The point is that SC Pride is getting international press now. Google “SC will be so gay” and notice how time.com has the story. Money isn’t nesc. the issue. It’s the fact that now people all over the world will hear that SC does have a gay rights group and that we have a pride and lots of wondeful gay people. Plus, the company might not even take the money back pending a law suit so SC Pride might get to use it for it’s programs and other expenses.
Comment by JohnDoe — July 17, 2008 @ 3:20 pm