Billboard Company Rejects Pro-Gay Ads

ATLANTA -- In an email to Georgia Equality the President of Lamar Advertising supports a decision by the company's local manager to decline a billboard for equal rights in Georgia.

Kevin Reilly, Jr., President of Lamar, said "If GE's representation of the denial is accurate, then it's not the decision that I would have made. Right or wrong, we give our local management the responsibility and authority to accept or reject ad copy."

"Mr. Reilly is talking out of both sides of his mouth by embracing diversity and then turning right around and sanctioning the actions of a subordinate which opposes diversity based on a self-determined definition of community standards," said Bowen.

On Thursday, James Locke, general manager for the South Georgia area for Lamar Outdoor Advertising told Georgia Equality that they would have to decline the business but did not provide a reason.

But on Friday, Locke told a reporter with Morris News Service that the denial was based on the wording on the billboards. When pressured, he would not say exactly which words gave him concern.

"The man couldn’t even say the words 'gay' and 'lesbian' which have become everyday household words," said Bowen. "If this doesn't justify the need for our 'We Are Your Neighbors' campaign in South Georgia, I don't know what will," he said.

Locke went on to say that as a member of the community, he knew the area's community standards, and the GE billboards didn't fit within those standards.

"If Mr. Locke believes that having the word gay or lesbian on a billboard in South Georgia violates community standards, then maybe those standards need to be changed to embrace diversity, understanding and humanity - not shun it," said Bowen. "Lamar is doing an even greater disservice to the area by refusing to challenge attitudes that are backwards and reminiscent of some of the darkest times in our country's history," he said.

"History has proven that just because something is a community standard, it doesn't make it right – especially here in Georgia," said Bowen.

According to Georgia Equality, the two-faced approval of Locke’s denial by the President of Lamar justifies a serious re-thinking by the companies who advertise with Lamar. "I hope that the companies in Georgia, which have acknowledged the value of LGBT diversity will give a second look before spending their advertising dollars with Lamar," Bowen said.

To Support Georgia Equality, go to http://www.georgiaequality.org/