An agency in the state of Michigan has launched an ad campaign in red states that reportedly promotes the Great Lakes State as a hub of abortion and LGBT.
LifeSiteNews reported that the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), a public-private agency, was behind the campaign. It released three ads targeting six conservative states – Florida, Georgia, Indiana, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas – with the overall message that "in Michigan, all are welcome."
The first ad features a lesbian couple with a caption inviting readers to "discover the benefits of living in a state that protects your rights." Another shows three college-aged young women walking together, with the caption: "Enjoy your right to reproductive freedom." The last ad, which shows a Black family, is captioned: "Enjoy the freedom to be who you are."
"We are constantly hearing from companies that are considering where to invest. Among the factors they consider is access to talent and the ability to recruit new talent," MEDC Media and Communications Manager Otie McKinley said in a statement. "Efforts like this [are] part of a concerted effort to attract talent and business to Michigan by highlighting a business-friendly environment that also protects people's rights and freedoms."
The office of Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is not the first to launch a pro-abortion ad campaign in a bid to attract residents from red states. In September 2022, California Gov. Gavin Newsom commissioned billboards in pro-life states touting the Golden State as an abortion sanctuary.
The billboards, paid for by Newsom's re-election campaign, contained messages informing pregnant women that their pro-life state "doesn't own their bodies" and directing them to California's abortion website. Critics denounced the pro-abortion governor's campaign as "evil" and "shameful" given that some of the billboards quoted Scripture to justify the murder of babies still in the womb.
Effects of Michigan campaign yet to be seen
According to LifeSiteNews, the MEDC's campaign "comes as many Republican-led states have enacted laws to protect the pre-born; safeguard female-only sports and spaces from men who claim to be women; protect gender-confused children against transgender mutilation; and cull Marxist, inaccurate racial curricula from classrooms."
However, it remains to be seen if the ads by MEDC – which works alongside Whitmer's office – will have positive effects on Michigan's tanking population.
Data from the U.S. Census Bureau indicated that the Great Lakes State had the second-slowest population growth rate in the country from 2010 to 2020. Its population has since continued to decline. In contrast, red states like Florida, Idaho and Montana have seen rapid population growth in recent years.
"Whitmer is literally running ads in other states encouraging women to move to Michigan to get an abortion," tweeted Tori Sachs, former executive director of the group Michigan Freedom Fund. "It's literally the opposite of a pro-population growth strategy."
Michigan State Sen. John Damoose also put in his two cents. He commented: "Why MEDC would use taxpayer dollars to take a side on one of the most divisive issues of our time is beyond comprehension. Any good marketer knows that such an approach will alienate as many people as it attracts."
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has also pushed back against the Michigan campaign, which targets the Peach State. "If Michigan believes wasting taxpayer dollars on bragging about their disregard for life as an effective tool to attract workers to their state, they'll be in for quite the surprise," said Garrison Douglas, press secretary for the Georgia governor.
"Unlike Michigan, Georgia's population continues to grow. Our low cost of living environment; exploding and diverse economy; and historic investments in healthcare, education and public safety will continue to attract Americans from all over the country to help us fill the thousands of new jobs being created."
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