Posted on 11/13/2008 3:51:28 PM PST by nickcarraway
Mormons Targeted; 'No on 8' Messaging Criticized
A week has passed since 52% of voters in California voted to eliminate the right of same-sex couples to marry. But the issue is far from dead. Instead of silencing gay marriage supporters, the vote has served as a rallying cry -- resulting in rallies and protests across the state that have grown in size and number with each passing day.
I've avoided discussing the battle over California's Proposition 8 in this blog because I considered it more of a political issue than an advertising, marketing or communications issue. But clearly it's taken on significant dimensions in all these areas -- from the record amounts of money spent on advertising by both sides to the sources of those funds to the messages each side used to define the issue.
To start with, supporters and foes of Prop 8 together raised more than $74 million (roughly evenly split), making it the nation's costliest ballot measure this year and the most expensive in our country's history for a social issue. Much of that $74 million was spent on TV advertising in some of the nation's most expensive media markets. And there's little doubt that the heavy advertising in both English and Spanish played an important role in influencing the final vote.
Then comes the question of where that money came from. Several religious organizations both inside and outside of California -- including the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, California's Roman Catholic bishops, the Catholic fraternal organization Knights of Columbus, and several evangelical churches -- were among the most vocal supporters of the ban on gay marriage. And they often used their pulpits to advance their political agenda and to raise the funds needed to support the costly "Yes on 8" advertising campaign.
The Mormon Church has been singled out for its activist role in support of Proposition 8, and with good reason. In June, its top leaders issued a letter to every Mormon congregation in California, asking members to "do all you can to support" the proposition by donating "your means and time." The gay news magazine The Advocate estimates that contributions from the Mormon Church and its faithful in favor of Proposition 8 range from 48% to 73% of the total $36 million raised.
Now, many of the protests in the wake of the passage of Proposition 8 are targeting the Mormons, with demonstrations taking place in front of Mormon churches across California and as far away as Washington state and Utah. And beyond mere protests, many supporters of same-sex marriage are calling for boycotts of the Mormon church, the Sundance Film Festival and the entire tourism industry of the state of Utah.
While not all gay-rights leaders have stepped up to support the calls for boycotts of Utah and the Mormons, a vocal contingent of gay-marriage supporters believe that an economic boycott is both appropriate and justified. Online media, including blogs and social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace, have taken on important roles as communications channels and organizing tools for political rallies and calls for boycotts.
John Aravosis, editor of the popular americasblog.com, took things one step further. In an interview with the Associated Press, he said that "the main focus is going to be going after the Utah brand. At this point, honestly, we're going to destroy the Utah brand. It is a hate state."
Gay-marriage supporters have also launched an online effort to challenge the church's tax-exempt status.
Some of the anger over the Mormon Church's activism on the issue stems from the messaging used in the ads supporting the ban on gay marriage. One of the most popular and most widely used ads suggested that young children would be required to learn about gay marriage in school, something that the California superintendent of education roundly denied.
Some supporters of same-sex marriage have also begun to criticize the messaging employed by the "No on 8" campaign, asserting that it was not direct enough or proactive enough in making the case in favor of equal rights and same-sex marriage. Some fault the "No on 8" campaign for not showing more gay couples in their ads, and accuse them of "watering down" the message to make it more palatable to a wider audience. No doubt more criticisms of the "No on 8" messaging and campaign will continue to surface as supporters take time to process the loss and look for reasons for the failure of "No on 8".
The battle over same-sex marriage is still raging in California and across the country and is likely to continue for some time. In fact, supporters of gay marriage are already discussing putting forward another ballot initiative that would overturn Proposition 8. If that happens, you can bet there will be an even greater focus on the fundraising, advertising and messaging of both sides of the issue.
I wonder if this is a blessing in disguise. Would Utah even want their business?
8I think the LDS is going to have to take legal action and keep them away from church property or somebody is going to get killed.
I think the LDS is going to have to take legal action and keep them away from church property or somebody is going to get killed.
Faggies rule.
NOT!!!!!
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
If Mormons were really the cause of all this success, then I'll sign up for Mitt know!!
I passed this interesting story (referenced from FR) by a Mormon in LA on last week’s protests to my parish priest. He was impressed with the courage.
http://www.meridianmagazine.com/ideas/081110hate.html
More will be needed, and not just by the Mormons.
Why are they taking this out on the Mormons? I haven’t quite figured out why they’ve singled out Mormons (I read they marched on a LDS church in NYC)...what’s the point...do they think they’ll get the Mormons to change their doctrine, LOL?
The folks in Utah (not just Mormons, see) should be all broken up about losing all the gay honeymoon tourist business.
Right?
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
Utah has so much goig for it. There ain’t no way anyone is destroying its “brand.”
It's my understanding that the corporate church did not donate monetarily. They only encouraged the members to do so.
Gay Terrorism.
They also have a history of fighting back.
Utah's now one my favorite states. ;)
Utah, huh? Skiing, pretty country and now it’s on the “bad” state list. Nice to know where to move to when it all hits the fan.
I remember when PIXAR was just a little company making short films that played at animation festivals and the like. Some state (Utah? Nevada?) passed some kind of anti-abortion legislation in the 1980s and they refused to rent any of their short films for screening there. Flat out policy of refusal, regardless of the host organization.
Wouldn’t surprise me to see more divestment from different states over politics. Corporations went socialist a long time ago. They sold out their competative nature and principles to avoid the negative publicity of being “politically incorrect”. Except that’ll bite them on the rear when people stop buying Ford and Miller because of their heavy sponsorship of gay events and target advertising. Miller pretended that the SF-SM-AntiChristian event was a “suprise”. It shouldn’t have been. they’ve been a sponsor for 30 years.
They think they can scapegoat them with the least repurcussions.
Let’s see if they can even get the Sundance Film Festival to pull out of Park City UT next January.
Tell the protesters to shut up and be thankful for the rights they have.
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