Minneapolis mayor tries to woo gay couples to his city to get married

By guest blogger Bookworm

Gay marriage cake

Minneapolis mayor R. T. Rybak is trying to promote his city as the gay marriage Mecca of the Midwest. He’s been traveling to neighboring states, such as Illinois, urging same-sex couples who want to get married to make a trip to Minneapolis, rather than to traditionally gay-friendly cities such as San Francisco and Boston, both of which are in states that allow gay marriage.

The city has also introduced an official ad campaign, called the “I Want to Marry You In Minneapolis” campaign. (Is it just me, or is that a singularly un-catchy campaign?) Catchy or not, the town is digging into its bank account to run ads in publications in the Midwest and mountain states, including Chicago, Denver, Madison, and Milwaukee.

The stated reason behind the campaign is economic. Rybak has dreams of Minneapolis become a profitable gay mecca, along the lines of San Francisco. Couple in the Midwest who can’t afford the price tag of a San Francisco wedding, might be willing to spring for a wedding trip and honeymoon in the Land of 10,000 Lakes.

An influx of same-sex couples looking to wed could mean money for all the businesses associated with weddings, from hotels, to florists, to caterers, to bakers. (No word, yet, on whether Minnesota intends to harass vendors who are less than enthusiastic about lending their skills to same-sex weddings.)

To give him credit, Rybak is not just jumping upon the most recently arrived bandwagon. He’s a long-time gay marriage supporter and eagerly began to conduct gay marriages within minutes of their becoming legal in Minnesota.

 

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