Governor McAuliffe Announces New LGBT Tourism Task Force

In a move that will cause all kinds of spittle flecked rants over at The family Foundation - Virginia's leading hate group - Governor Terry MCAuliffe has announced the creation of a new LGBT Tourism Task Force which will seek to attract more of the lucrative LGBT tourism market segment to Virginia.  A number of other states and cities have formed similar bodies and have had varying degrees of success it courting the pink dollar.  Here are highlights from a press release from McAuliffe's office:

Governor Terry McAuliffe kicked off the 2014 Virginia-1 (VA-1) Tourism Summit at the Hyatt Regency Reston today where he highlighted Virginia’s strength as a tourist destination and discussed ways tourism can contribute to Virginia’s economic growth and keep the Commonwealth competitive. During the summit, Governor McAuliffe announced the creation of an LGBT Tourism Task Force that will focus on showcasing Virginia as an LGBT-friendly destination and maximizing the opportunity for growth in this new tourism sector.  

We have an opportunity to build upon the progress Virginia made this year in achieving marriage equality and ensure that visitors across the globe know that the Commonwealth is open and welcoming to all. Not only will this task force focus on showcasing Virginia as an LGBT friendly destination, it will also work to maximize tourism growth in Virginia with all communities, nationally and internationally.” 

The task force, led by Secretary Jones, will be comprised of industry stakeholders, LGBT community members and business leaders. The group will make recommendations on how to make Virginia even more welcoming to the LGBT community.

Elections matter greatly.  Just imagine if Ken Cuccinelli were in the governor's mansion instead of McAuliffe.