CONTACTAbout UsCAREER OPPORTUNITIESADVERTISE WITH USPRIVACY POLICYPRIVACY PREFERENCESTERMS OF USELEGAL NOTICE
© 2025 Equal Entertainment LLC.
All Rights reserved
All Rights reserved
By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Private Policy and Terms of Use.
A new TV ad campaign featuring a same-sex couple in colonial costume invites gay tourists to come to the City of Brotherly Love, and a gay media group said it's the first time a television commercial for a U.S. tourist destination has reached out to gay men and lesbians. The 30-second spot, which was scheduled to air for the first time Wednesday night in Philadelphia and other parts of the country, ends with the tag line "Come to Philadelphia. Get your history straight and your nightlife gay." The commercial will play on channels such as Bravo, MTV, VH1, and Style in Comcast Corp. cable markets nationwide. Comcast is the country's largest cable company, with 21.5 million subscribers. "This is an invitation, that you [gays] are welcome here, because of what Philadelphia is and what Philadelphia has to offer and because we have a strong gay community," said Meryl Levitz, president and chief executive of the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corp., which is sponsoring the ad campaign. "And we're not saying it's a gay destination; it's a gay-friendly destination." The private tourism group began its gay-themed campaign with print ads last November, and Levitz said only a few people complained about them. A man in the commercial is seen writing a letter by candlelight to his "dearest beloved" and asks to meet at Independence Hall. Once at the hall, he rebuffs an interested female and gives his bouquet of flowers to his male partner. As the scene plays out, a narrator says, "Philadelphia and its countryside has a long history of making everyone feel welcome and free." The word Philadelphia is shown in a rainbow of colors. The commercial is the first TV ad by a city or resort to target a gay audience, said Mike Wilke, executive director of the Commercial Closet Association, a nonprofit group that tracks gay representation in ads.
From our Sponsors
Most Popular
31 Period Films of Lesbians and Bi Women in Love That Will Take You Back
December 09 2024 1:00 PM
18 of the most batsh*t things N.C. Republican governor candidate Mark Robinson has said
October 30 2024 11:06 AM
True
These 15 major companies caved to the far right and stopped DEI programs
January 24 2025 1:11 PM
True
Latest Stories
Federal government to remove gender dysphoria from protected disabilities list
April 16 2025 7:29 PM
U.S. activists call U.K. anti-trans ruling 'a serious blow' to human rights
April 16 2025 4:38 PM
Maine Gov. Janet Mills hits back after Trump sues state for transgender sports policies
April 16 2025 11:09 AM
Can ‘Protect the Dolls’ move fast enough to save trans youths?
April 16 2025 7:00 AM
Marriage equality or same-sex marriage? Why the language matters
April 16 2025 6:00 AM