Gay-marriage supporters launch ad campaign

NEW YORK - Three major gay-rights groups are taking out full-page advertisements starting Tuesday in 50 newspapers nationwide declaring their determination to keep fighting for same-sex marriage rights despite recent court setbacks.

The media campaign will cost $250,000; its organizers said it was the largest-ever purchase of print advertising space by gay rights supporters.

Ed.: WTF? Now? Three months before the election? Why is GLAAD taking their eye off the ball and giving the wingnuts a reason to go to the polls?

Focus, people: George W. Bush (boob), Dick Cheney (evil), Don Rumsfeld (incompetent), Iraq War, foreign policy failures (Iran, North Korea, Israel-Lebanon – take your pick or add to the list), budget deficits, tax cuts for the rich, stem cell research, Plame leaks, illegal wiretaps, signing statements, Jack Abramoff payoffs, Tom Delay re-districting shenanigans, House and Senate “leadership” (gave themselves raises while denying minimum wage increases to millions), and the list goes on and on and on and…

With the Repubs desperately trying to rally their base and raise funds for the fall elections by debating same sex marriage and flag burning in the House and Senate this summer, and considering how well the marriage amendments did in bringing out the wingnuts during the last election, why – pray, tell! – is GLAAD snatching defeat out of the mouth of victory with this advertising campaign right now? Nothing against the ads (they sound great), but let’s face facts: once those ads start the talking heads at FOX News will beat the drums so loudly any constructive debate will be impossible.

Once the November election is over and the Dems have a few weeks to get organized (ever the optimist here), THEN run the ads when the new Congress can focus on your message and not just how the ads will affect their campaign.

Got an opinion on this? Share it with Neil G. Giuliano, President, Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD)

John Aravosis: "If we've got a quarter of a million dollars to piss away on ads, I'd like to think there are a lot better uses for that money, like, oh, say promoting the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) which would ban anti-gay job discrimination, which polls at around 70% support, and which has relatively strong support in Congress."