A new ad campaign is putting diversity at the forefront as Florida draws attention over its controversial Parental Rights in Education law, nicknamed by critics as the “don’t say gay” law.
This latest “We Are” ad campaign recently began by the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau, promoting the region as “respectful” and “champions of diversity.”
In one video, there are images of loving same-sex couples having a drink and playing in the surf. In another, a smiling man leans in to get a kiss from his companion, with the caption, “We are gay.”
The ads promote South Florida as having “open minds and open hearts.”
County officials say national attention to the controversial bill signed by the governor means doubling down on efforts to promote South Florida as a welcome destination.
“We are forced to respond with a message of inclusion against one that is hate,” said Stacy Ritter, president and CEO of Visit Lauderdale, Broward County’s tourism promotion arm.
The bill, signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis, says that the instruction of “sexual orientation or gender identity may not occur in kindergarten through grade 3 or in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards.”
The new law also bars the instruction of sexual orientation or gender identity for kids in higher grades, in “a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards.”
Opponents have repeatedly warned that the law will stifle important conversations in classrooms, although DeSantis has framed the bill as a matter of parental rights, and as a way to protect kids.
New York City even announced earlier this month it was launching a digital billboard campaign in five Florida markets. Messages on the digital billboards include: “People say a lot of ridiculous things in New York. ‘Don’t Say Gay’ isn’t one of them” and “Come to the city where you can say whatever you want.”
Ritter said Broward’s move was reminiscent of the county’s “Greater Together” slogan that came about because of the “bully pulpit” in Washington, D.C., in 2017 when she said there was “anti-immigrant” sentiment.
“We closely follow what the Legislature does, [and the] past couple years have been particularly hateful,” Ritter said. “We’ve chosen to message ourselves as we have done for 30 years as diverse and inclusive, not necessarily as a direct response, but certainly as a response to the Legislature and the governor’s targeting of minority communities.”
It will only be a social media-only campaign and there is no timeline for it to end. “It will continue to live on, on our website,” Ritter said.
“The message is we are a welcoming, inclusive destination where everyone under the sun not only lives here, [but] also visits here.”
Ritter said she hasn’t seen numbers yet to know how successful it has been, although there no extra cost because it was part of Visit Lauderdale’s monthly marketing agency’s fees.
That’s a far cry from the last marketing campaign where the county dropped $800,000. In the prior campaign, Broward County’s tourism arm spent that much on ads meant to lure the type of tourist who is sexy, exciting, and either rich or “wealth adjacent.” Those ads have run their course.
The next ad is coming this summer. Ritter won’t give more details other than to say it’s “provocative, edgy and cosmopolitan.”
Lisa J. Huriash can be reached at lhuriash@sunsentinel.com or 954-572-2008 or Twitter @LisaHuriash
