David Walliams, Stephen Fry and The Saturdays come @Out4Marriage
Celebrities including Stephen Fry, Britain’s Got Talent judge David Walliams and The Saturdays have already pledged their support of introducing equal marriage in the UK.
Their support is via Out4Marriage, a new a social media based campaign to demonstrate widespread support for the Government’s plans to allow gay couples to marry which has started to release the first video messages of celebrity endorsement.
The campaign was announced on Twitter by Stephen Fry late on Tuesday evening, on the eve of the Queen’s Speech, which did not include plans to change the law on marriage. Fry tweeted: “Great new campaign to support #equalmarriage @out4marriage, Watch: https://t.co/bdlBMzfC Like: https://www.Facebook.com/Out4Marriage”
Stephen Fry later shared an Out4Marriage video filmed by the grandparents of Channel 4 News Technology Correspondent Benjamin Cohen, who co-founded the Out4Marriage campaign.
Fry tweeted: “Channel 4’s @benjamincohen has remarkable grandparents. They can teach ppl half their age a lot about love & acceptance https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6Qb3PJqYWo”
Following Barack Obama’s personal backing of allowing same sex marriage, Britain’s Got Talent judge, David Walliams tweeted: “Obama came @Out4Marriage yesterday. For those wanting marriage equality in the UK please support and RT https://youtu.be/S87nPVpftyk”.
Celebrities including James Cordon immediately retweeted.
The Saturdays became the first major celebrities to film their Out4Marriage video to support changing the law. In their Out4Marriage video, the band said: “We know we can get married to the man of our dreams. But some people who are gay lesbian or bisexual can’t marry the man or woman of their dreams. That’s why we support same-sex marriage. Marriage equality and equal love for all, regardless if they are same-sex or mixed sex couples. Lend your support to marriage equality. And come Out4Marriage.”
Out4Marriage is modelled on the hugely successful ‘It Gets Better’ YouTube project launched by the US agony uncle Dan Savage, where politicians, celebrities and members of the public gave hope to teenagers coming to terms with their sexuality.
Over the coming weeks, videos from high profile politicians from all political parties and A-list celebrities will be published online. Each video will allow the politician or celebrity to explain why they’re “coming Out4Marriage” and will ask viewers to join them too. Already hundreds of videos have been submitted by members of the public straight and gay from across the UK, who support changing the law.
They are gradually being shared online at Out4Marriage.org.
In her video, the Minister for Equality, Lynne Featherstone said: “I think it’s just amazing that people love each other enough to commit to a lifelong vow, ‘till death do them part’. That should be exactly the same whether you’re straight or gay and that’s why I’m Out4Marriage.”
Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “People who love each other and who want to make a long term commitment to each other should be able to get married the state and society should value that long term commitment and celebrate it. That’s why I’m coming Out4Marriage”
The campaign is being jointly managed by leading gay publication PinkNews.co.uk, digital agency Remarkable, Gaydar Radio and the Coalition for Equal Marriage. All of the UK’s leading gay publications including Attitude and Gay Times are media sponsoring the campaign.
