User:Jjswin/out4marriage

= Out4Marriage Campaign =

Out4Marriage is an internet-based campaign that was started on May 8th, 2012, in response to the British Government’s consultation concerning the legalisation of same sex marriage in England and Wales. It centres on YouTube videos in which those filmed give their views on why they support equal marriage, with each video finishing with the tagline “''And that’s why I’m out for marriage. Are you?''”. Those creating videos have included members of the public, Members of Parliament, Peers and celebrities.

Its goal is to raise awareness about the issue of equal marriage and to provide a voice for the people who support it. Out4Marriage is modelled on the 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.

Campaign Background and History
The British Government's consultation on equal marriage was started on 15 March 2012, prompting the launch of a Christian campaign group called the Coalition for Marriage (C4M). The website for C4M states that they are "an umbrella group of individuals and organisations in the UK that support traditional marriage and oppose any plans to redefine it." In response to the C4M campaign and a number of statements from Church leaders opposing equal marriage, Conor Marron and James Lattimore, a same-sex couple from Newcastle, created a campaign in support of equal marriage: the Coalition for Equal Marriage. Their campaign notably mirrored C4M's petition-style approach. As part of their campaign, film director Mike Buonaiuto created Homecoming, a short film depicting the proposal of a gay soldier to his partner, upon returning home from war. It encouraged viewers to sign the Coalition for Equal Marriage petition and to respond to the government's consultation. The film received 700,000 YouTube views in its first week online.

In a BBC World News interview on May 11, 2012, Buonaiuto explained that Homecoming was what had inspired Out4Marriage. He went on to say that those working on the campaign were all volunteers and that no money had been spent on the project. The Out4Marriage website states that the campaign was conceived by Buonaiuto and Pink News founder, Benjamin Cohen. It is "powered by" the Coalition for Equal Marriage, Pink News and digital agency Remarkable. The website also posits that a “global team of volunteers are helping to recruit new video makers, moderate submissions and engage with politicians”. In the first week, the Out4Marriage Youtube account recorded 150,000 views and, within three weeks, a reach of 14 million people was achieved through articles in the Daily Mail, The Independent and The Guardian newspapers, both online and in print.

Notable contributions
Within the first three weeks after the campaign was launched, videos were uploaded to the Out4Marriage YouTube account from public figures such as Richard Branson, UK pop girl band The Saturdays and human rights campaigner, Peter Tatchell.

Many MPs also recorded videos for the campaign, including the incumbent Home Secretary, Theresa May; Equalities Minister, Lynne Featherstone and former cabinet minister, Jack Straw.

List of contributions from public figures and personalities

 * William Bain Shadow Minister for Scotland
 * Tom Blenkinsop MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland
 * Crispin Blunt MP for Reigate
 * Richard Branson Chairman of Virgin Group
 * Michael Cashman MEP for West Midlands
 * Yvette Cooper Shadow Home Secretary
 * Lynne Featherstone Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Equalities
 * Nigel Fletcher Councillor for Greenwich
 * Yvonne Fovargue MP for Makerfield
 * Stephen Gilbert	 MP for St Austell and Newquay
 * Mathew Hulbert Councillor for Barwell
 * Caroline Lucas Leader of the Green Party of England and Wales
 * Fiona MacTaggart (MP for Slough
 * Theresa May Home Secretary
 * The Saturdays UK pop group
 * Chris Smith Secretary of State for Culture, Media, Sport
 * Jack Straw	 MP for Blackburn, former cabiner minister
 * Desmond Swayne Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
 * Peter Tatchell Campaigner for Human Rights
 * Stephen Twigg	MP for Liverpool West Derby