Watch: Massachusetts Reaches out with Billboard Messages of Welcome to LGBTQ+ People in Texas, Florida

At a time when LGBTQ+ people are fleeing Florida, while Texas targets trans children and drag artists, America's cradle of liberty has a message for queer refugees seeking a haven from repressive states: You are welcome here.

Massachusetts NBC news affiliate 10 Boston reported that "the state's tourism office has launched a new campaign that features digital billboards across the Northeast, as well as conservative-leaning states such as Texas and Florida.

"The new campaign – which was announced on Monday by the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism – is billed 'Massachusetts For Us All,' and features photos of LGBTQ couples photographed around the Bay State," the news report goes on to add.

The outreach effort will also feature "social media ads promoting the campaign, according the tourism office," Boston 10 noted. The campaign is also posted on the state's tourism website, Visit Massachusetts.

Texas news source The Texan took a defensive stance in reporting the news, sniping that Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healy, who is openly lesbian, "is now targeting Republican-led states such as Texas where she said laws like the Heartbeat Act, are 'radical' and 'dangerous.'"

But for LGBTQ+ residents of the Lone Star State, aggressive policies targeting the queer community – and especially transgender youth – have made these trying times, enough so that some families have left the state for friendlier places. Last year, State Attorney General Ken Paxton pushed back against a court directive that ordered a stop to investigations by Child Protective Services (CPS) into parents who, following long-accepted medial guidelines and the advice of trained pediatricians, supported their transgender children's gender-affirming care.

The order to CPS came from the office of Texas Gov. Greg Abbot, who, as the Washington Post recalled at the time, issued the directive – and labeled such care as "abuse" – following "a Feb. 18 [2022] opinion by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) asserting that gender-affirming treatments for transgender children – including puberty-blocking medications and gender-reassignment surgery – 'can legally constitute child abuse.'"

Paxton has now come under fire from fellow Republican officials; the Texas Tribune reported that "Paxton was suspended from office when the House voted to impeach" him. An investigation into numerous allegations against Paxton is ongoing.

The Texan also commented that "Drag shows and sexualized performances have continued to be a point of contention in the Lone Star State, and in response the Texas Legislature passed a bevy of bills this past legislative session aimed at preventing children from being exposed to such occurrences" – though without noting that such laws are so vaguely written that critics worry they do not differentiate between truly "sexualized performances" and age-appropriate and family friendly performances by drag artists such as story time hours... or even cheerleaders performing at halftime shows.

Meanwhile, Floridians – especially those belonging to the LGBTQ+ community – have begun abandoning the Sunshine State as Gov. Ron DeSantis and the GOP-led state legislature continue passing laws targeting transgender citizens, drag artists, and anything deemed "woke," such as Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives and history courses that delve into the history of racism in American society.

Massachusetts spent $750,000 on the billboard ads, according to a "spokesperson for the governor's office," the news outlet relayed, with the report noting that some conservatives decried the use of taxpayer money for the ad campaign.

But the outlay to welcome travelers, and potential new residents, to Massachusetts seems a pittance compared to a sum of more than $12 million Texas Gov. Abbott spent as of the end of August last year to send migrants on one-way journeys from his state to New York and to the nation's capitol, in a move that was criticized as cruel and inhumane.

Florida also splashed out a similar amount of taxpayer money to send migrants to states where Democratic lawmakers hold sway. Digging deeper into state coffers, Florida's GOP-led state legislature doubled down on the practice last February, authorizing even more funds for a program that, NBC News noted, critics "have compared to human trafficking."

Gov. Healy addressed the billboards and their message of inclusion and welcome, saying in a statement, "At a time when other states are misguidedly restricting LGBTQIA+ rights, we are proud to send the message that Massachusetts is a safe, welcoming and inclusive place for all.

"'The 'Massachusetts For Us All' campaign sends a clear message that Massachusetts stands for freedom and civil rights," Gov. Healy added. "To anyone considering where they want to live, raise a family, visit or build a business – we want you to join us here in Massachusetts."

It's up for debate whether anything of the kind can be said for some other states. Indeed, Florida's track record of laws hostile to LGBTQ+ people prompted a coalition of rights organizations to issue a travel advisory warning about the state's anti-gay policies.

Given that Massachusetts was the first state in the union to legalize same-sex marriage – in 2004, more than a decade before the 2015 Supreme Court ruling that provided marriage equality to committed same-sex couples in all fifty states – the billboard messages could well seem like a bargain in terms of touting the state's desirability to live without overbearing government intrusion – as well as an example of truth in advertising.

To watch the 10 Boston news clip, follow this link.