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Thursday, June 28, 2012

Gay Marriage Approve R-74 Video Gets Real

Posted by Dominic Holden on Thu, Jun 28, 2012 at 12:40 PM

The first big video from the campaign to approve Referendum 74 this November charts the path to victory for gay marriage:

This ad manages to hatch three birds with one egg.

The first and most important aspect: It's a narrative story. Polls show consistently that stories about LGBT couples are the key to winning—because couples in love are instantly comprehensible and disarming. It's also a story about people's personal evolution to accept marriage equality—like Obama and Governor Gregoire—and gives voters permission to evolve along with them. If Washington United for Marriage can remind voters, as this ad does well, that everyone feels love the same way, wants love to be recognized the same way, and shift their opinions the same way, they can connect with the lizard-brained moderate voters who typically tune out election hype. Even better: These stories inoculate moderate voters against the infectious scare tactics of the anti-gay right.

Second, this is a straight couple. It's not a gay couple talking; this isn't a gay issue. It's a fairness issue. Third, the man talking is a reverend. The opposition has tried to stake their moral high ground on their piety, and the media keeps falling for it. The approve R-74 campaign is just as religious and more righteous, without being sanctimonious like the bigots who use the Bible as a weapon. More ads like this, please.

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They better show actual gay couples in more than one ad.

Posted by Baconcat on June 28, 2012 at 12:48 PM

What's the third bird?

Posted by Mike on June 28, 2012 at 1:03 PM

@2, it's right there in the text: The man in the ad is a reverend.

It's a great ad. Especially since an ad with a hetero-couple, one of whom is a reverend, that starts out with "we've been married for ..." leads one to think it's going to be anti-marriage equality not pro. Nice way to turn things on their heads. Well done, indeed.

Posted by moosefan on June 28, 2012 at 1:35 PM

@2, "Third, the man talking is a reverend." Just didn't get its own paragraph. Not separate, not equal.

Posted by rob!

on June 28, 2012 at 1:35 PM

@1, why?

It isn't gay people who will decide this. Every gay person who is registered to vote, will vote yes (except perhaps a handful of self-hating GOProuders). That is a forgone conclusion. But we make up a very small percentage of the voting population.

It is straight people who will decide this referendum. It is the middle-of-the-road, not-too-sure-what-they-think-about-it straight people who need to be convinced to vote yes. Pride parades and happy gay couples won't sway this group of people nearly as easily as straight allies. Straight, religious allies like this ad can be a powerful influence on undecideds. Much more so than happy gay couples.

I'm not saying we should hide gay couples. Showing gay couples more frequently will help normalize the image. But I think straight allies like the couple in this ad are much more persuasive on undecided straight voters.

Posted by Reverse Polarity on June 28, 2012 at 1:39 PM

Actually research is pretty clear that you can not move votes on this issue during an election. The only winnable strategy here is to turn out the supporters you already have.

Posted by Simply Me on June 28, 2012 at 2:15 PM

People in love are so gay.

Heh.

Posted by Some Old Nobodaddy Logged In on June 28, 2012 at 2:26 PM

And that is how you live the spirit of John 13:35.

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this, all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

Posted by Zuulabelle

on June 28, 2012 at 4:04 PM

Oh no, this does not look good. Children were not mentioned, strike one. Freedom was not mentioned, strike two, and the words "protect traditional marriage" were not mentioned, strike three. This is not a good ad. Approve R-74 is about all three of those things. The anti-marriage Equality folks will make that statement. I would like Approve R-74 to win, changing hearts and minds can be done Sunday morning from door to door.

Posted by Sargon Bighorn on June 28, 2012 at 5:16 PM

Let the battle of the dueling god puppets commence!

Posted by Meat Weapon on June 28, 2012 at 8:04 PM