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New York is facing an unprecedented $4 billion budget deficit. Who will rescue us from the ruin? The gays! The city kicked off an new ad campaign today designed to attract gay tourists to New York City. The $1.9 million marketing effort, which features the tag line "Join the rainbow pilgrimage," hopes to position a visit to NYC as a "rite of passage," a message that if the city truly took to heart would involve a night out at The Cock, not reduced rates at the Sheraton and discounted tickets to Phantom of the Opera and Madame Tussauds' wax museum. But, hey, the gays sure do love a recession, so it's worth a shot. [AP, Crain's]