Ad Campaign Aims To Win Hearts And Minds Of Californians On Gay Marriage

by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff

Posted: October 8, 2007 - 7:00 pm ET

(San Francisco, California) A multi-million dollar TV ad campaign promoting same-sex marriage rights will be launched this week in California's five major cities.

The 60 second commercial focuses on an opposite-sex wedding. A groom waits anxiously as his bride walks down the aisle. Before she can make it to his side she is tripped by an onlooker.

At that point a written message flashes on the screen, "What if you couldn't marry the person you loved?"

The spot will run on television stations in San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Palm Springs and Sacramento.

It is timed as the California Supreme Court prepares to hear arguments in a lawsuit by same-sex couples seeking the right to wed and as the clock ticks out for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to exercise his threatened veto of legislation that would permit same-sex marriage.

The Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act passed last month is almost identical to legislation passed in 2005 and vetoed by Schwarzenegger.

The bill would amend the Family Code to define marriage as a civil contract between two persons instead of a civil contract between a man and a woman.

The measure also reaffirms that no religious institution would ever be required to solemnize marriages contrary to its fundamental beliefs.

The governor has until October 14 to either sign or veto the bill. Following its passage Schwarzenegger, as he did two years ago, cited Proposition 22, saying that if gay and lesbian Californians want to legalize same-sex marriage they must first get a voter initiative to overturn the proposition.

Meanwhile, the California Supreme Court is preparing to hear oral arguments in a case brought by the National Center for Lesbian Rights, Lambda Legal and the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of 15 same-sex couples and California LGBT rights group Equality California. (story)

The attorneys argue that California state law barring same-sex couples from marriage discriminates based on sexual orientation and sex and violates the fundamental right to marry.

In a brief to the court the legal groups cite the California Constitution's guarantees of privacy, intimate association, and due process.

Support for same-sex marriage has been growing in California over the past quarter century but is nowhere near a majority.

In 2006 a poll found that 43 percent supported same-sex marriage, but from just 30 percent in 1985.

Equality California believes it needs to sway about 500,000 hearts and minds for a majority and is banking on the TV commercials and public forums to do that