Organizations Respond To Anti-LGBT Billboards
Equality Virginia & Gay Community Center of Richmond Place Election Billboard On I-95 South
Richmond, VA -- “Include all families in America’s future” is the message you’ll see when driving through Richmond’s I-95/I-64 interchange through Oct. 20. Equality Virginia and the Gay Community Center of Richmond placed a billboard reminding passersby that America is made up of many families.
“This election, we are very fortunate to have candidates speaking loudly in support of inclusive rights for all Americans,” Bill Harrison, interim president of the Gay Community Center of Richmond said. “For our lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and allied communities, this is a welcome change.”
The ad features three different families – a couple, couple with child and single parent. In Virginia, the 2006 Marshall-Newman Amendment banned any recognition of gay couples by the state. The Commonwealth’s adoption and family laws also place challenges on gays and lesbians for single and two parent adoption and second parent recognition.
EV and the GCCR partnered with this ad as a direct response to other billboard seen across Virginia that are using marriage equality and the LGBT community as a pawns in this election.
“It’s shameful to see political advertising using the LGBT community to polarize Americans,” EV’s Executive Director James Parrish said. “Equality Virginia is a non-partisan organization and relies on support across party lines. As Americans move towards support of marriage equality, this divisive message is out of touch with the country and only serves to split communities instead of bringing us together.”
ATTACHED: Billboard Images
[gallery link="file"]
Richmond, VA -- “Include all families in America’s future” is the message you’ll see when driving through Richmond’s I-95/I-64 interchange through Oct. 20. Equality Virginia and the Gay Community Center of Richmond placed a billboard reminding passersby that America is made up of many families.
“This election, we are very fortunate to have candidates speaking loudly in support of inclusive rights for all Americans,” Bill Harrison, interim president of the Gay Community Center of Richmond said. “For our lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and allied communities, this is a welcome change.”
The ad features three different families – a couple, couple with child and single parent. In Virginia, the 2006 Marshall-Newman Amendment banned any recognition of gay couples by the state. The Commonwealth’s adoption and family laws also place challenges on gays and lesbians for single and two parent adoption and second parent recognition.
EV and the GCCR partnered with this ad as a direct response to other billboard seen across Virginia that are using marriage equality and the LGBT community as a pawns in this election.
“It’s shameful to see political advertising using the LGBT community to polarize Americans,” EV’s Executive Director James Parrish said. “Equality Virginia is a non-partisan organization and relies on support across party lines. As Americans move towards support of marriage equality, this divisive message is out of touch with the country and only serves to split communities instead of bringing us together.”
ATTACHED: Billboard Images
[gallery link="file"]