North Carolina Shooting Range Removes Homophobic Billboard Ad

Outside of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, a billboard advertising the shooting range Pro Shots reads, “Converting Pansies Daily,” referencing the stereotype of effeminate gay men in need of a ‘masculine’ activity in their lives. The image on the advertisement is of a pansy flower and a gun.  As Towleroad reports, Kathy Clark brought the billboard advertisement to the attention of Equality North Carolina. According to a comment left by Clark on Equality North Carolina’s Facebook page yesterday, the billboard ad is coming down after Clark’s sister reached out to the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), which gave a grant to Pro Shots for advertising purposes. The NSSF was said it was unaware of this particular billboard ad and asked Pro Shots to remove it.

GLAAD thanks advocates in North Carolina and Towleroad for bringing this story to the attention of LGBT advocates nationwide. Words and images have a powerful effect on all people, including the LGBT community, and it is important that companies using homophobic euphemisms in their advertisements are held accountable.