New York tourism officials announced a new campaign today to draw a specific demographic to the city: “The Rainbow Pilgrimage.” According to City Room, this $1.9 million initiative will consist of print ads, outdoor advertising abroad, online ads and more. The city hopes to draw tourists (specifically gay ones) to New York for this year’s gay pride celebration (June 20-28).
This year marks the 40 year anniversary of the riots at Stonewall, an incredibly significant jump-off point for the gay civil rights movement, and it is this anniversary that seems to be behind this innovative new approach. A new portion of the New York tourism website NYCGo details events designed to appeal to gay tourists and it also outlines important “must-see gay landmarks” that visitors should hit up during their trip.
Some find this commercialization of such a pivotal moment as Stonewall a bit jarring or ironic, as the city is now trying to profit off an event defined by the city’s aggression against LGBT freedoms. Others believe that it clearly signifies progress, because the city is now welcoming gays with open arms instead of, well, the complete opposite.
Personally, I’m mixed. The poster seems a bit caricatured, and some of the terminology is mildly offensive (Pilgrimage? Is New York the gay Mecca?), but overall it’s obviously a celebration, which is always appreciated. What do you think?
0 comments:
Post a Comment