Tasmania Celebrates Gay-Friendly Businesses

The Australian state of Tasmania has become the first in the country to accredit gay-friendly tourism businesses, the Herald Sun reports. The newly developed Rainbow Tasmanian Tourism Accreditation program allows tourism operators to officially declare themselves “gay-friendly.”
To earn the designation, businesses must prove that they adhere to anti-discrimination laws, educate staff about issues of concern to LGBT tourists, and sign a code of ethics.
The move comes just seven months after the Tasmanian legislature narrowly defeated a bill that would have made it the first state have marriage equality.
“Providing [gay] tourists with a safe and non-discriminatory visitor experience will benefit our reputation as a tourist destination,” Australian Marriage Equality convenor Rodney Croome. “But if we really want to attract gay visitors to Tasmania, we should become the first state to allow same-sex couples to marry.”