Monday, October 10, 2005

Bloomington Targets Gay Tourists

WTHR-TV reports that the City of Bloomington's Convention and Visitor's Bureau has launched a campaign to target gay and lesbian travelers because they "tend to travel more" and they have more of a "discretionary income." The report said: "Bloomington is one of only a handful of cities in the Midwest that covers sexual orientation in its human rights ordinance. And according to census figures, it has the fifth-largest population per capita of same-sex couples."

The Convention and Visitor's Bureau is highlighting "Bloomington's gay-friendly atmosphere - from an annual film festival to the popular Kinsey Institute" according to the report. "There are a lot of gay businesses here," said Helen Harrell, who host's the only gay issues radio show in the state. "Just that attitude that accepting philosophy has made it a welcoming community."

As much emphasis as our capitol city of Indianapolis places on tourism, you would think its convention and visitor's bureau would take a more active role in encouraging the Indianapolis City-County Council to pass the Human Rights Ordinance like Bloomington. Instead, it sits on the sidelines while a small minority of religious extremists holds sway over a cowardly council.

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