Wondering what the red equal sign means that’s popping up all over Facebook posts? The Human Rights Campaign adopted the symbol Tuesday as a social media initiative for “marriage equality” as the Supreme Court considers Proposition 8, the highly controversial law banning same-sex marriage in California, and the federal Defense of Marriage Act, which has legally defined marriage as between a man and a woman since President Bill Clinton signed it into law in 1996. The HRC has also encouraged Facebook users to wear red and make their profiles red, as well. The symbol has gone viral and has prompted several different manifestations. ABC News also reported that 13 members of Congress had adopted the equal sign on their profiles.
Several counterprotests emerged Tuesday, one reported by MSN featured a picture of a red cross and the hashtag #GodIsLove, adopted by the Archdiocese of San Francisco. Other commenters wonder what good a social media campaign will do for the issues at hand.
Discussion: How should church leaders respond to this hot-button social media campaign? Should we react or reach out? What’s your perspective?
