State of Vermont and Ski Vermont Co-Sponsor Nation's Largest LGBT Family Festival

News provided by

Vermont Tourism & Marketing

Jul 15, 2013, 15:45 ET


Montpelier, VT (PRWEB) July 15, 2013 -- Known for its warm welcome and LGBT progressiveness, Vermont continues to be an advocate of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) culture; sponsoring LGBT events and promoting Vermont as a four-season LGBT destination.

Vermont Ski Areas Association (Ski Vermont) and Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing (VDTM) are co-sponsoring Family Week, August 3-10 in Provincetown, Ma. Organized by the Family Equality Council, the 18th annual Family Week is the largest national gathering of the LGBT-headed family community.

“Across Vermont, citizens and businesses continue to make a concerted effort toward welcoming the LGBT community,” Tourism Commissioner Megan Smith said. “Ahead of the curve, and more than a decade before the DOMA ruling, Vermont led the nation in LGBT equality, and we take pride in being a progressive, welcoming state.”

“Stowe Mountain Resort’s annual Winter Rendezvous and Killington Resort’s annual Winter Gay Pride Week are great examples of Vermont’s welcoming support for LGBT equality and culture,” Ski Vermont President Parker Riehle said. “For years we’ve been proud to share in the celebration of skiing and snowboarding, Vermont’s official state winter sports, with the LGBT community.”

Also sponsored by VDTM, a special event at the annual Vermont Pride Festival is the third annual Northern Decadence Food & Travel Expo, September 15. Northern Decadence celebrates Vermont's diversity, tourism and culinary culture.

LGBT travelers from around the world visit Vermont annually. Vermont’s progress on LGBT equality is historic. Vermont was the first state to legally recognize gay couples when it created civil unions, and was the first state to pass marriage equality through the legislature.

VDTM and Ski Vermont began LGBT co-promotions in July ‘12. Together, they sponsored Provincetown for Women, in Provincetown, Ma., where more than 15,000 women participated; the State also funded promotional efforts at Boston Pride with the Vermont Gay Tourism Association.

LGBT travel resources link from the home page of VermontVacation.com. For more information, please visit http://www.skivermont.com and http://www.vermontvacation.com/LGBT.

Jen Butson, Vermont Tourism & Marketing, http://www.vermontvacation.com, 802.522.7323, [email protected]