HRC Turns the Internet Red for Marriage Equality

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 26, 2013
Charles Joughin

Human Rights Campaign Turns the Internet Red for Marriage Equality

As Supreme Court hears arguments on marriage, HRC equality logo goes viral

WASHINGTON – The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization, yesterday released a modified red version of its logo in anticipation of arguments at the Supreme Court on two marriage equality cases.  The logo, which ordinarily features a yellow equal sign in front of a blue background, has gone viral on social media pages across the world.

Just today, U.S. Senator Jon Tester, D-Mont., announced his support of marriage equality for the first time by changing his Facebook profile image to HRC’s red equal sign and many other public officials have followed suit.  

Additionally, dozens of other iterations have spring up, with many individuals superimposing the equal sign over personal pictures or integrating it with other internet memes.  For example, the popular TV show True Blood shared a version of the photo with vampire fangs as part of the equal signAs part of HRC’s robust social media efforts around the two cases before the Supreme Court, the red logo launched on the HRC Facebook page at 1:00pm ET Monday and the original image has been shared more than 100,000 times and created upwards of 10 million impressions in all 50 states – not including countless user-created versions.  Additionally HRC.org has seen a 600% increase in normal traffic.

In addition to the logo being a constant presence on social media, HRC conducted highly targeted online marketing to provide supporters on the ground with digital support. This included promoted tweets on search terms and trends related to the Supreme Court cases. Geo-targeted mobile banner advertising was also targeted to users within a quarter mile of the U.S. Supreme Court building to inform them of the bipartisan support for marriage equality and how they could get updates on the cases.

Originally designed in 1995, the blue and yellow HRC equality logo is one of the most visible and recognized symbols of the LGBT equality movement.  A number of prominent Americans have shared the modified HRC logo, including U.S. Senators Chris Coons, Al Franken, Mazie Hirono, Frank Lautenberg, Bob Menendez, Chris Murphy, Patty Murray, Bernie Sanders, Brian Schatz, Jean Shaheen, Jon Tester, Mark Warner and Elizabeth Warren, as well as celebrities like Sophia Bush, George Takei, Tegan & Sara and Lance Bass.

The Human Rights Campaign is America's largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against LGBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.

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