Gay pride group to launch ads

The Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transgender Community Center of Utah is launching an advertising campaign for Utah Pride 2005 in Utah County.

Advertisements for this June's gay-pride celebration, which starts June 8, and an upcoming Human Rights Campaign fund-raiser will appear, starting next week, on 10 billboards in Utah County. Utah Pride is also advertising on UTA bus boards.

"We anticipate that some people may be offended by the billboards," said Valerie Larabee, executive director of the center.

"But in a community where so many messages come at us saying 'this is bad,' and 'it's wrong to be this way,' we feel it's especially important to exercise our free speech and send out the message, 'Hey, it's OK to be gay!'"