C OLUMBIA, S.C. - Members of a South Carolina gay rights organization said Tuesday they hope a recent controversy about ads proclaiming the state "so gay" will stir up interest in this year's gay pride celebration.
"We truly believe that this week, South Carolina is 'so gay,'" said Ryan Wilson, president of SC Pride.
The annual South Carolina Pride Festival and Celebration is being held in Columbia this week. Events include a film festival, parade and appearance by entertainer and female impersonator RuPaul. Wilson said he expects about 7,000 to attend.
The theme: "South Carolina will be so gay," a reference to an ad campaign that roiled the state this summer. The South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism originally joined the campaign, which was to include posters overseas saying "South Carolina is so gay" and encouraging gay travelers to visit the state's historic sites and beaches. But the state agency dropped out in July, saying the project hadn't been properly reviewed, and a tourism department employee involved in the promotion resigned.
Now, Wilson says his group has raised more than $1,000 toward paying the state's $5,000 bill for the ads, receiving donations from across the country.
"We had one letter from a gay couple. They were getting married in California and they said their gift to each other was donating to gay organizations around the country, and $50 of that was for our organization," Wilson said. "Getting letters like that really show that an international movement is happening."
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