Branding the Word “Marriage” So how do we spread our message? We must not only decide together on the concise meaning, we must decide on the imagery that will communicate that ideal to the general public. Think metaphors, think 30-second tv commercials, think 15 word tag-lines. We must ally with our straight advocates. Our minority adds up to only 10% in this land. We need our friends in order to effectively enact real and lasting change. ..And why not? Many straight, liberalthinking people agree with our message for Equality not only for the LGBT minority but also for other facets of our society as well. We can all stand together, and thus stand strong. We must prompt one another to get vocal. Have you seen the faces of courageous
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couples, such as John Lewis and Stuart Gaffney out in California? They married under Mayor Gavin Newsom’s ruling in San Francisco in 2004; they married again last year prior to the passing of Prop 8, they’ve marched on Washington throughout the years and today continue to remain steadfastly visible in promoting the reasons why the public ought to rescind Prop 8 in California. They forward the cause of Equality, whenever they can, and have done so for years. It is this commitment that we must all be willing to take. We must realize our power. The LGBT community ranks among the highest as an American minority with economic power. If we all remain vigilant and invest our dollars with companies that actively stand up for Tolerance and non-discrimination, we will have an impact. Keep in mind,
during the boycott in Montgomery, AL following Rosa Parks’ landmark refusal on the bus back in 1955, the bus fare was only 10 cents. One thin dime... yet boycotters remained committed and refused to ride the buses, even when it was stifling weather or when there were bags of groceries to carry. And those dimes added up to a successful Supreme Court ruling. We must find ways to organize ourselves and spread our message. Like wildfire, once we agree on the concise metaphoric message of our definition of Marriage, we must create the imagery and spark our cause. And we must be wise about it. –Tie our image to local legislative action in our area and post flyers, take responsible action with our local equality group/s and purchase ad space in the newspapers and on the radios... Call our local tv stations and educate journalists about the issues.