We’re at a tipping point with upcoming battles for marriage equality in the states, in Congress, and in the courts, and a decisive factor will be the depth of support among moderates and Independents for allowing gay couples to marry.
Third Way has created our bipartisan Commitment Campaign to help policymakers and advocates persuade middle America to strongly support marriage for gay couples. Our groundbreaking research on how Americans in the middle view this issue has shown that framing marriage in terms of commitment, not rights, works far better than traditional approaches.
The purpose of the Commitment Campaign is to speed up America’s journey towards equality by developing and disseminating messages, strategies, and policies that help policymakers, advocacy groups, the media, and other influencers most effectively win support from the middle on marriage for gay couples. Our hope is that when the landmark cases reach the Supreme Court, both the judges and our country will be ready for them.
Visit the Commitment Campaign to view our work, including reports, educational resources, and infographics that illustrate the progress being made in this effort.
Third Way has created its bipartisan Commitment Campaign to help policymakers and advocates persuade Middle America to strongly support marriage for gay couples.
We’re at a tipping point with upcoming battles in the states, in Congress, and in the courts, and a decisive factor will be the depth of support among moderates and Independents for allowing gay couples to marry. Our groundbreaking research on how Americans in the middle view this issue has shown that framing marriage in terms of commitment, not rights, works far better than traditional approaches. The purpose of the Commitment Campaign is to speed up America’s journey towards equality by developing and disseminating messages, strategies, and policies that help policymakers, advocacy groups, the media, and other influencers most effectively win support from the middle on marriage for gay couples.
Read more about the Commitment Campaign and Thirdway’s work on this campaign, including studies, resources, and an infographic that illustrates the progress being made in this effort.
Want to learn more about what’s going on in the social and political world of Gay Equality? Visit Third Way’s Commitment Campaign. We have fact sheets, talking points, reports, infographics, and much more about the state of marriage equality in America today!
On Tuesday, the 9th Circuit decided not to reconsider the decision that found California’s Proposition 8 gay-marriage ban unconstitutional — a victory for gay-marriage supporters that makes it likely the U.S. Supreme Court will consider the issue. And while the California decision was but one step in a long process for marriage-equality advocates, it was an important reminder: For all the attention given to the “evolution” of politicians and the public, same-sex marriage continues to make some of its most consequential gains through the judiciary.
By Domenico Montanaro, Deputy Political Editor, NBC News
The think tank Third Way offers this guide to legislators on how to change positions on “marriage.”
Among the tips: “Don’t say ‘gay marriage” or even “same-sex marriage.” These terms can reinforce the notion that gay couples are seeking a different kind of marriage, rather than simply trying to join the tradition that is already a fundamental building block of our society. Terms like ‘marriage for gay couples,’ ‘allowing gay couples to marry,’ or giving gay couples “the freedom to marry” are all good options—and all avoid using an adjective modifying the word marriage.”
Our country is nearing a tipping point on the issue of marriage for gay couples, with polls now consistently showing majority support for marriage, and state legislatures voting to add three new states to the list of those allowing gay couples to marry in just the past few weeks. The politics of the issue are moving incredibly quickly, and policymakers on both sides of the aisle are rapidly beginning to evolve from support for civil unions, once a safe compromise position, to full support for marriage.
Americans have undergone a dramatic shift on this question—in fact, when the Defense of Marriage Act was passed in 1996, support for marriage was half of current levels at 27%. So it is not surprising that politicians and other public figures have begun to change their views on the issue as well. As policymakers continue to publicly announce their evolution on marriage for gay couples, this publication from our Commitment Campaign lays out three rules to heed for those who are changing their public position on marriage.
ThinkProgress has compiled a handy chart of where the remaining GOP candidates for president stand on LGBT issues. Go here for the full rundown and here for Obama’s (self-reported) stances on civil rights.
Support for same-sex marriage is at 50% and above in 17 states. Check out this chart showing state law versus public opinion via our friends at Newsweek.
Third Way is launching a Commitment Campaign to help deepen support for marriage among those in the middle by persuading them that gay couples want to marry to make a lifetime commitment, not simply for rights and benefits. We’ll work with policymakers and advocates in states with marriage legislation and ballot initiatives, aid in the efforts to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act at the federal level, and help to build public support for marriage to prepare for a possible Supreme Court decision on the issue. The Commitment Campaign already has the bipartisan support of prominent political leaders and activists including Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley (D), former Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee (I), Congressman Jared Polis (D-CO), and former New Jersey Governor Christine Todd Whitman (R), among others. Our hope is that by shifting the focus to commitment, we can correct the misperception about why gay couples want to marry and hasten the time when committed gay couples across the country will be able to make those precious vows.
Commitment: The Answer to the Middle’s Questions on Marriage for Gay Couples - The data is compelling - more than three-fifths of those who thought gay couples wanted to marry for rights and benefits put themselves on the “uncomfortable” side of our 0 to 10 comfort scale—most in the 0 or 1 categories. By contrast, more than three-fifths of those who thought gay couples wanted to marry for reasons of love and commitment placed themselves on the comfortable side of the scale—most in the 9 or 10 categories.themselves on the comfortable side of the scale—most in the 9 or 10 categories. READ THE REPORT HERE: http://www.thirdway.org/publications/463
![A Victory for gay-marriage supporters!
Want to learn more about what’s going on in the social and political world of Gay Equality? Visit Third Way’s Commitment Campaign. We have fact sheets, talking points, reports, infographics, and much more about the state of marriage equality in America today!
theatlantic:
A Judicial Victory That Could Send Gay Marriage to the Supreme Court
On Tuesday, the 9th Circuit decided not to reconsider the decision that found California’s Proposition 8 gay-marriage ban unconstitutional — a victory for gay-marriage supporters that makes it likely the U.S. Supreme Court will consider the issue. And while the California decision was but one step in a long process for marriage-equality advocates, it was an important reminder: For all the attention given to the “evolution” of politicians and the public, same-sex marriage continues to make some of its most consequential gains through the judiciary.
Read more. [Image: Reuters]](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m55uskr7Ir1qcokc4o1_1280.jpg)
