“Massachusetts for Us All” campaign billboard – Photo: Gov. Maura Healey, via Twitter.
In a dig at conservative states, Massachusetts has launched a tourism ad campaign touting the state as a better place for LGBTQ people to live, work, and spend their money.
The campaign, titled “Massachusetts For Us All,” shows LGBTQ couples on billboards in Florida and Texas and seeks to portray the Bay State as a welcoming, diverse, and affirming environment for LGBTQ people.
“At a time when other states are misguidedly restricting LGBTQIA+ rights, we are proud to send the message that Massachusetts is a safe, welcoming and inclusive place for all,” Gov. Maura Healey, who was elected the state’s first out LGBTQ executive last fall, said in a statement.
“The ‘Massachusetts For Us All’ campaign sends a clear message that Massachusetts stands for freedom and civil rights,” added Healey. “To anyone considering where they want to live, raise a family, visit or build a business — we want you to join us here in Massachusetts.”
The campaign is intended to counter the push for laws restricting LGBTQ rights in more conservative states, especially in Florida and Texas, both of which have touted their relatively low tax burden and opposition to “woke” ideas in order to convince conservative-minded Americans to relocate there.
By providing a message that portrays Massachusetts as a beacon of individual freedom and tolerance, organizers hope the campaign will encourage LGBTQ or more liberal-minded residents of so-called “red states” to visit and potentially even relocate to Massachusetts.
“We want the campaigns to remind and show visitors that, especially in other parts of the country that perhaps aren’t inclusive, we’re proud of our legacy here, whether it’s marriage equality or reproductive freedom, that we’re a welcoming place for everyone to visit,” Sarah Stanton, the commonwealth’s Undersecretary of Economic Strategies, told Metro Weekly.
“This campaign around ‘Massachusetts for all’ [is] not just for Pride month, but now is included as a part of our year long tourism effort,” she added. “We want to say to the rest of the country, if you want a place that’s going to fight for your freedoms and help you thrive, whether you’re here for a short time or a long time, it’s Massachusetts.”
“Massachusetts for Us All” campaign billboard, Photo: Gov. Maura Healey, via Twitter.
When asked why the campaign chose to focus on Florida and Texas, Stanton replied that “Texas and Florida are doing quite well economically, but they don’t share our values.” By comparison, Massachusetts has a “great” economy, per Stanton, as well as vibrant business, health care, education, and information technology sectors, and an inclusive environment that prizes diversity rather than seeking to suppress it.
“We wanted to highlight the stark difference between Massachusetts and Florida and to remind folks it is safe to come here,” Stanton said.
”If you’re thinking of taking a vacation this summer, if you’re thinking about visiting one of our amazing historical amenities, our beaches, our parks, you, your family, your partner, your friends, you’re welcome here [and] warmly embraced here,” she added.
“If you are unhappy in the state that you’re in or you’re looking for a change or you want to be somewhere where your values are shared, and want a place to come to and to be safe and to raise a family, to visit, to go to college, to start a business. You name it, we want you here.”
The tourism ad campaign launched alongside Governor Healey’s address to the Irish Senate on the 30th anniversary of decriminalizing homosexuality in Ireland. In her speech, she highlighted the progress of both Ireland and the U.S. on LGBTQ rights and stressed the importance of unity over discrimination.
“We share the belief that we must move forward together – in fact we can only succeed – if everyone has the opportunity to exercise their rights, be free from discrimination, reach their full potential, share their talents, and live fully as their true selves,” Healey said in her speech. “We must stand together now, not only to celebrate our progress, but to meet these challenges, rise to this moment, and show a better way forward.”
Last week in Orlando, restaurateur Trina Gregory transformed 49 parking spots outside her eatery into canvases for local artists, who painted rainbow-colored murals in protest of a new federal mandate targeting street art. Under U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, the department has ordered states to remove rainbow crosswalks and other murals deemed "visual distractions" from public streets, a directive embraced by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Both DeSantis and Duffy argue that rainbow crosswalks -- the primary target of their mural crackdown -- amount to political messaging and are inappropriate for public roads.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has signed a bill requiring transgender Texans to use bathrooms and other facilities in public buildings that match their assigned sex at birth.
The Republican-backed law, passed largely along party lines, applies to government-owned buildings, including public schools and universities. In addition to bathrooms, it mandates sex-segregated locker rooms, changing rooms, and shower rooms, which the law defines as "multi-occupancy private spaces."
Exceptions apply to parents, guardians, and caretakers of the opposite sex, as well as law enforcement, emergency responders, and custodial staff entering for official purposes, reports The Hill.
The FBI has arrested a Texas man for allegedly threatening to carry out a mass shooting at a local Pride event.
Joshua Cole, of Anson, Texas, allegedly posted a Facebook comment earlier this month criticizing the Abilene Pride Alliance for banning weapons and certain bags at its annual indoor festival, held September 20 at the Abilene Convention Center on the same day as the group's Pride parade.
The original poster argued the group could not legally stop people from carrying guns into a city-owned building and shared a screenshot of the event flyer listing the venue and restrictions.
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