The Human Rights Campaign – the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization – this week released the seventh video of the “New Yorkers for Marriage Equality” campaign, which features actors Kyra Sedgwick and Kevin Bacon, the first married couple of the series.
The campaign raises the public profile of marriage equality in the Empire State following the win of three marriage equality supportive state senators last week.
“With pro-equality gains in the legislature last week and a Governor-elect ready to sign a marriage bill into law, New York can be on the leading edge of fairness for all families,” said HRC President Joe Solmonese. “But the work is not done and these high-profile New Yorkers will spur fair-minded citizen to make their voices heard on this critical equality issue.”
The campaign is centered on video testimonials from New Yorkers who support the right of same-sex couples to marry. The ads will run online with possible placement elsewhere when the legislative fight for marriage equality heats up in Albany.
“This is a private issue that should never be determined by the government,” says Sedgwick in the video. “Everyone has the right to choose who they love and how they express that love.”
“We all deserve the right to marry the person that we love, so join us in supporting marriage equality,” adds Bacon.
To date, HRC has released seven videos – actors Kyra Sedgwick and Kevin Bacon, actress Fran Drescher, Moby, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe, actress Julianne Moore and designer Kenneth Cole – and more will follow in the coming weeks and months including: David Chang, Tom Colicchio, Whoopi Goldberg, Ethan Hawke, Christopher Meloni, Joan Rivers, Daphne Ruben-Vega, Sunrise and Mark Ruffalo, and former New York City Mayor David Dinkins.
An equal marriage bill failed last year by eight votes in the New York state Senate despite having the support of the Governor and being passed in the Assembly. HRC’s Campaign for New York Marriage worked to defeat Senators who voted against equality and helped elect fair-minded leaders including Senators-elect Tony Avella, David Carlucci and Tim Kennedy.
The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against LGBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.
The campaign and videos can be viewed online at www.hrc.org/NY4marriage.
