Today the Human Rights Campaign launched another video for the New Yorkers for Marriage Equality campaign with the addition of rap mogul and straight ally Russell Simmons. The new video and our entire campaign can be viewed online at www.hrc.org/NY4marriage. Simmons, the co-founder of Def Jam Recordings and creator of the Phat Farm clothing line, joins other prominent New Yorkers, from leaders and advocates, to actors and musicians who are letting America know that New York supports marriage equality.
We also announced today that these NY4Marriage videos will appear on Taxi TV, which will feature the videos in taxicabs throughout New York City. Through this promotion, the videos will reach an estimated 1.5 million New Yorkers. Until now, the videos were only available online.
The newest video is a call to action for fellow New Yorkers. “Make your voice heard,” said Simmons. “Stand up now for marriage equality!”
With this installment, Simmons joins a growing list of prominent New Yorkers that are declaring their support for marriage equality, including: Barbara Bush, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Mayor Bloomberg, Mark and Sunrise Ruffalo, Whoopi Goldberg, Joan Rivers, John Slattery, Fran Drescher, Moby, Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe, actors Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick, Julianne Moore, designer Kenneth Cole and Broadway star Daphne Rubin-Vega to support marriage equality in the state. HRC plans to continue joining with prominent New Yorkers speaking out in support for marriage equality. Many more voices are to come in the days ahead, including: David Chang, Tom Colicchio, Ethan and Ryan Hawke and Christopher Meloni.
A January 2011 Siena Research Institute Poll found 57% of New Yorkers support marriage equality. In another poll recently released by Quinnipiac University, New Yorkers support marriage equality by the highest margin ever in that poll (56% to 37% opposed).
