Note: This is the last in a five-part series featuring Virginians whose rights would be directly affected by anti-LGBT bills now under consideration in the state legislature. All writers participated in a joint news conference held by the ACLU of Virginia and Equality Virginia at the Virginia Capitol on Jan. 19, 2016. It reflects the author’s views and not necessarily those of the ACLU of Virginia.
philcrosbyBy Philip Crosby
My name is Philip Crosby and I have been working as a leader in Virginia’s thriving arts and culture industry for over 30 years.
Recently I had the honor and the privilege to help present to Governor McAuliffe the findings of the LGBT Tourism Task Force, a group of over 20 professionals gathered from across the Commonwealth to recommend strategies to increase the number of tourists coming to Virginia and to increase the amount of money spent by tourists in the Commonwealth.
Like every state and jurisdiction, our beloved Commonwealth is judged by our visitors, as well as by conference and meeting planners, tourism operators, business leaders and prospective students and scholars for its legal, social and welcoming climate. Do you want us here? Will we be treated with open arms, or with cold indifference or worse, open hatred? Do you want our business or would you prefer we take it elsewhere?
Just last year, a so-called Religious Freedom Restoration Act passed by Indiana’s state legislature threatened to bring tourism in Indianapolis to a standstill, caused corporations to cancel expansion plans and forced large conferences and events to pull out of the city. Indianapolis had a major public relations debacle on its hands, one that cost it millions of dollars. No one would want to see that happen in Roanoke, in Norfolk or in Richmond.
Nationwide public opinion polls tell us that the majority of Americans believe that no one should be turned away from a business based on their sexual orientation or gender identity, and yet, alarmingly, a record number of bills that would do just that – legalizing discrimination in commerce and public life – have been introduced during this session of the General Assembly.
Is that what we want in Virginia? Do we want to create an atmosphere that says, “Please don’t come here, please don’t work here, please don’t spend your money here”? Not only is that a Virginia we don’t want, that is simply not a Virginia that we can afford.
I urge the General Assembly to ensure that Virginia welcomes all its visitors and assures all its residents that wants them to visit here, live here, work here and spend their money here.
As a matter of principle and an unshakeable commitment to promoting hospitality and tourism here, we must keep Virginia open for business for all.

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