Major anti-gay leader says conversations changed his mind about marriage equality
We know that conversations matter. By talking to friends and family about the freedom to marry, we change hearts and minds.
But rarely is this change of heart so dramatic as this piece of news: A key staff member for one of the country’s top anti-equality groups just reversed his position in a very public way!
The National Organization for Marriage (NOM) is a major right wing force trying to prevent progress on this issue.
NOM’s social media director, Louis Marinelli just defected from NOM and shut down their Facebook account, taking over 290,000 Facebook fans with him.
Why such a reversal? Marinelli made it clear that conversations do matter, saying,
The lesbian and gay people whom I made a profession out of opposing became real people for me almost instantly. For the first time I had empathy for them and remember asking myself what I was doing.
Simply put, Louis Marinelli, once an avowed opponent of the freedom to marry, got to know gay and lesbian people and realized that love is love, and we’re all human.
Yet another reminder that our work through our TV ads to encourage personal conversations about the freedom to marry is essential. When people meet gay and lesbians and hear their stories they are more likely to support fairness.
You can continue the conversation by sharing our ads and signing up to help our online campaign to spread the word about the freedom to marry in Oregon.
Awe good for LJM^^
Amazing story and proof positive that the power of empathy is unlimited (http://rockpapermusic.com/what-the-world-needs-now-is-empathy/). I’m sharing a couple of stories I’ve posted on my blog (also up at HuffPo), ones that support the notion that empathy invites compassion and tolerance, and that by opening our eyes to the very real people behind the issues we either support or attack, we may just find a change our thinking.
http://rockpapermusic.com/the-undeniably-indefensible-defense-of-marriage-act-doma/
Lorraine
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We have to educate more people about gay population – for them to see that there is nothing to be afraid of. People are scared of unknown things or if they have a distorted insight.