Having lived in both Cleveland, Akron and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, I can honestly say that all the people that I have encountered in all three of these cities have been generally nice and accepting. The city of Akron may not do this right now but it is coming. Just a little more time and it should be suggested again and agian until people are willing to step up to the plate. Akron and Cleveland both can't afford the loss of revenues to either of the cities.

Steve, the word IGNORANCE, look it up. A noun meaning "the state or fact of being ignorant; lack of knowledge, learning, information, etc."

I highly doubt you are the chosen one to decide on the planet what is morally wrong or right.

Posted by: Mark (Cleveland) on August 31, 2007 2:51PM

I just noticed the comments by "Steve."

I'm gay and was considering a visit to Akron.

I'll go somewhere else. It's a big world.

Posted by: Ed (Hagerstown, MD) on August 29, 2007 4:31PM

Its a VERY big country/world. If we're not welcome someplace, we are more than willing to take our share of the LGBT $640 billion market share elsewhere. After all, our money is the same color and spends the same as everyone else's in this country. Many LGBT friendly places (Ptown, Key West, San Francisco, etc) have lots more to offer from the get go for natural beauty, culture and things to do. Guess Akron will not be on the list of gay friendly places one must visit before they die!

Posted by: Karen (Catskill) on July 21, 2007 6:25AM

Steve is just a rable rousing hater, Y'all just pandering to him.

Posted by: David (Flint, MI) on July 21, 2007 1:20AM

steve, get a life...go into therapy and find out why it is so important to you to hate others...life is short, too short to waste it on hate...go meet some gay people..get to know them...horrors!! you might actually like them...or are you afraid that maybe you are just a little bit gay yourself????

Posted by: DAVE (Santa Monica) on July 20, 2007 11:09PM

Hospitality and diversity make good business sense. That's why 49/50 of the Fortune 50 include "sexual orientation" in their non-discrimination policies. Recognizing different people and accepting them for who they are is neither pandering or wrong. It's what Jesus did.

Posted by: Julie Nemecek (Michigan) on July 20, 2007 3:35PM

Victoria, check out www.affa-sc.org before you write off South Carolina. I think you will be surprised. It took Miami at least twenty years to get itself together and work with the LGBT community. Keeping the conversation going and always "educating, not alienating" is the thing to do. Akron should study the work of "Save Dade" and SC's "Alliance for Full Acceptance" then try to adopt this progam again soon.

Posted by: Charlie (Charleston,SC) on July 20, 2007 3:27PM

My fellow South Carolinian, Steve, is obviously not from Charleston, where LGBT people are welcomed with open arms. Charleston was the only city in SC to defeat the anti-gay marriage amendment to the state constitution last year. So speak for yourself Steve, there are plenty of South Carolinians who unlike yourself have open minds, open hearts and open doors. It's a shame that Akron fails to see the benefit of making people feel welome.

Posted by: Charlie (Charleston, SC) on July 20, 2007 3:16PM

Thank you Steve for reminding me why I wouldn't
want to travel to either Akron or anywhere near South Carolina.

Posted by: Victoria (Miami) on July 20, 2007 3:15PM

Come on now, Steve....adultery and divorce are far more damaging to far more people than being gay....should we put up barriers to non-virgins and the divorced visiting?
Folks welcome the divorced...they do not make moral judgements about the morality of their personal lives.

Posted by: Billy C (Wash DC) on July 20, 2007 3:13PM

Gosh, Steve, recognizing that there are gay tourists is not "promoting" anything except the city's businesses. We're going to be out there traveling, come what may. It's nice when a city says we're welcome, but it doesn't "promote" us. We don't need promotion. We exist, despite the wishes of a great many that we did not.

Posted by: Allan (Palm Springs) on July 20, 2007 3:06PM

A city shouldn't promote something that is morally wrong like homosexuality and that's what I mean.

Posted by: Steve (South Carolina) on July 20, 2007 12:38PM

Gee, Steve. "Panders to the homosexuals" sounds so sinister. How about just making visitors feel welcome? Or maybe you expect the city to exhibit the same bias that you obviously have.

Posted by: Richard (San Diego) on July 20, 2007 11:29AM

Darn it, and I had my bags all packed and ready to go! Oh well, guess I'll have to drive to Provincetown where I'm welcome.

Posted by: Chris (Boston, MA) on July 20, 2007 10:32AM

What's the big deal? Please forgive my sisters for making much ado about nothing as usual. We have that element who would be very unhappy if they didn't have something to constantly agitate and complain about. On the average these people have more, do more and dissipate more since they don't have anything else to do! They have every freedom except those that all people lack i.e. being liked is dependent on the individual not the ACLU.

Posted by: Kooky Gay (Columbus) on July 20, 2007 9:51AM

What a shame; here in Cleveland, the Convention and Visitor's bureau has an active campaign to attract gay tourists AND lure former gay residents back to Cleveland. The city recognizes the talents and good citizenship of gay folk. But hey, Cleveland is less than an hour's drive from Akron; so you can all come here instead! :)

Posted by: Jim (Cleveland) on July 20, 2007 9:41AM

Since akron is the home of Alcoholics Anonymous, I think Akron should try to attract gay tourists. After being treated so horribly for most of our lives, (for example the post before mine, Steve from South Carolina), many LGBT people have addiction issues and are now sober. I am sure Akron is a beatiful city.

Posted by: Hunter mills (san francisco) on July 19, 2007 11:49PM

Why would anyone travel to Akron? I would think they (the citizens of Akron) would be grateful to anyone who happened to stumble into their little town to spend a few bucks. It's ok Akron, we'll just take our tourism dollars elsewhere.

Posted by: Jason (Dallas, TX) on July 19, 2007 10:33PM

Good news. Any time a city panders to the homosexuals in this way is a sad day. I trust that the good people of Akron were responsible for pooh-poohing this nonsense.

Posted by: Steve (South Carolina) on July 19, 2007 9:15PM