Louisville Welcomes Marriage Tourism

Via the Louisville Courier-Dispatch:

On the heels of the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling in support of marriage equality, Louisville tourism officials are embarking on a marketing campaign encouraging LGBT couples to get married in Louisville. The Louisville Convention & Visitors Bureau started the campaign earlier this week with a series of digital ads across social media promoting the slogan, “Say I Do in Lou.” It focuses on Louisville as a welcoming wedding destination, without regard to gender. The Louisville bureau formed a task force in March to see if it can attract tourism-related business involving the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community. The group includes representatives of local attractions and accommodations as well as members of the Kentuckiana Pride Foundation, the Louisville Fairness Campaign and Louisville Metro Government.

More from Insider Louisville:

The campaign will culminate with an all-expenses paid weekend getaway (or staycation, should the winners be Louisvillians) and wedding for one lucky LGBT couple. The CVB is currently working to line up sponsors for the wedding. “We want to do this campaign to welcome LGBT couples that can now get married,” she says. “Now they can come to Louisville to do it.” The wedding festivities will take place the weekend of Sept. 18-20, with the ceremony on Sept. 19. The reception will be held at the inaugural Louisville Pride Festival, also Sept. 19, and the CVB is calling this, tongue-in-cheek, the “World’s Largest LGBT Wedding Reception.” Louisville advertising firm Red7e created the digital and social media ads, all of which were done in short order given it’s been just a few weeks since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of marriage equality. “We wanted to follow on the heels of the excitement,” Ritchie says.

Say "I do" in Louisville. But not in Rowan County. Or Casey County.

KENTUCKY: Crackpot "Ex-Gay" Preacher Erects Billboard In Downtown Louisville

AdWeek reports:

Controversial ministry Abba's Delight has put up a billboard in Louisville, Ky., that targets "people of faith who are uncomfortable with their same-sex attractions." Abba's Delight founder Daniel Mingo says the billboard, which tells unhappy gay people that "you have options," was intended to be a helpful message, so he was taken aback by the negative feedback he's gotten. Gay reform ministries are quackery to begin with, but they usually aren't this passive-aggressive. Abba's Delight is still denouncing homosexuality and claiming it's incompatible with religious faith, but if gay people are happy being sinful and wrong, this ministry seems to say, they can have at it.

Abba's Delight? Seriously? From their about page:

Abba’s Delight was founded in April 2008 in Louisville, Kentucky by Daniel Mingo, the Ministry Director. It is a Christian, Biblically based ministry, inter-denominational in nature. As a not-for-profit 501(c)3 organization, Abba’s Delight seeks to be funded by donations from churches, individuals, businesses, and from ministry service fees. The ministry serves the Louisville, KY and Southern IN areas, and beyond. Abba’s Delight was established to provide ministry opportunities through a relationship with Jesus Christ and His church to those who are sexually broken. Though the ministry’s main focus is towards those who initiate contact with us dealing with unwanted same gender attractions, we are equipped and experienced in working with heterosexual brokenness as well.

And about the "ex-gay" preacher:

Daniel Mingo became a born-again Christian at age 17, yet for nearly 30 years secretly involved himself in homosexual activity through anonymous encounters. Intensely pursuing discipleship in Jesus while dying to the temptations of same sex attractions proved a monumental internal conflict, yet Daniel neither took on a gay identity nor immersed himself in the gay culture. Realizing he had been feeding a sexual addiction for nearly 30 years, Daniel went into recovery in 1993 through mentor counseling and attending support/recovery group meetings, and continues that overcoming process today.

All "ex-gays" are selling something. All of them.

VIDEO: Below is a report from a Louisville television station, which includes a reaction from the Kentucky Fairness Campaign.