Effective Pro Gay Marriage Videos, Demonstrated by Gov. Cuomo & A Guy in Minnesota

Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York released a video Monday morning in support of gay rights, asking his constituents to call their legislators and tell them to vote yes on marriage equality. After being shot down in 2009, a measure to allow gay marriage in New York should resurface before the legislative session ends on June 20.

Cuomo sounds like a marriage-equality pro, drawing comparisons with interracial marriage and saying the issue is not one of religion. Check it out:

It is not often that governors directly lobby the people of their state to get a bill passed, which shows just how much Cuomo is willing to stick his neck out on this issue. He has decided to make it one of his top priorities in the next few months, and the switch from behind-the-scenes lobbying to personal support seemed necessary in the final push.

It’s hard to tell where the battle stands right now. One recent poll shows that almost 60% of New Yorkers support same-sex marriage, though the Wall Street Journal has stated that the split is much more even than previously thought. The WSJ also reports that partisan tensions have made it difficult to predict how the vote will go down in the legislature. To pass the bill will require some Republicans to cross the aisle, which they aren’t willing to do until they know that all of the Democrats will vote yes. A handful of Senate Democrats voted against their party last time, roundly defeating the bill in 2009.

Meanwhile, in Minnesota, where an anti-marriage-equality amendment will appear on the November 2012 ballot, Nate Moydole, a close friend of Madeline Koch, the Republican who went viral a few weeks ago with her powerful testimony, made what Queerty is calling “the single best ad for marriage equality in recent memory.”

Queerty asked Nate a few questions:

Q: Why doesn’t the video identify any of the speakers?
N: I wanted it to feel like it was one voice without any other distractions. The goals were to make is simple, powerful, and short. The respect to the speakers, I did add all of their credentials and links to their videos within the description.

The White House has released its statement on the vote in Minnesota:

“The President has long opposed divisive and discriminatory efforts to deny rights and benefits to same sex couples or to take such rights away. While he believes this is an issue best addressed by the states, he also believes that committed gay couples should have the same rights and responsibilities afforded to any married couple in this country.”

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Sarah

Sarah lives in Chicago with her partner and her big white Great Dane. She is a lawyer by day and a beer brewer/bread baker/knitter by night. She & her partner are currently learning how to grow their own food, and eventually they hope to move to a small farm outside the city. In 2009-2010, before jetting off to law school, Sarah was Autostraddle's Managing Editor.

Sarah has written 127 articles for us.

8 Comments

  1. It must not have cost a lot to make that Minnesota ad. No need to hire writers or actors or book locations that look like wholesome family friendly places.
    Way to not waste money!

  2. These are awesome. It makes it so hard to understand why everyone doesn’t see marriage equality this way, it just seems so logical!

  3. New York is broke and gay marriage is good for the ol’ state coffers! Maybe I am a cynic. Bet my fellow NYers are glad we didn’t end up with the asshole Paladino, amiright?! I’m still trying to figure out how Iowa has gay marriage and NY doesn’t yet. I have high hopes it’s happening very soon.

  4. Well today has just been an all-out weepfest. Cried because of a migraine, cried watching the episode of “What Would You Do” on AfterEllen, cried reading an article on Barry Bonds paying for the college tuition of the kids who’s dad was beaten at a Giants game, and now crying about these wonderful, beautiful Minnesotans and their stupid, ugly government. I’m a real catch today, ladies.

  5. These are by far the most powerful pro-gay marriage ads I’ve ever seen, not to mention some of the most powerful political ads I’ve ever seen period. I’m actually tearing up a bit.

  6. For Minnesota, can you all please “like” this page? It doesn’t matter where you live, I’m in NYC but helping out. So please, join and help us get the word out. Any support you can offer would be amazing.

    http://www.facebook.com/NoH8MN

Comments are closed.