Community Corner

Red Equality Symbol Floods Social Media with Defense of Marriage Act Arguments Under Way

State Sen. Adam Ebbin, U.S. Sen. Mark Warner among those who have changed their profile pictures.

You probably have seen a red square with a pink equals sign on it in your Facebook, Twitter and other social media feeds lately — a symbol that stands for marriage equality.

It stems from an effort by the Human Rights Campaign that coincides with oral arguments being heard by the U.S. Supreme Court this week regarding the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act. DOMA, as it is known, allows the federal government to discriminate against same-sex couples.

The equality symbol signifies that marriage really is all about love, according to the Human Rights Campaign.

Find out what's happening in Arlingtonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"It's nice for people on Facebook to see their Facebook friends standing up, and seeing so many people doing that," said state Sen. Adam Ebbin, D-Alexandria.

Ebbin, who is openly gay, said he is optimistic the court will rule on the side of equality.

Find out what's happening in Arlingtonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"I'm hoping that they will strike down this law that prevents fairness and equal treatment for committed couples," he said.

One line of thinking is that awareness breeds empathy. That is, people in areas where same-sex relationships are more common are more likely to know someone who has been denied equal treatment under the law because of their sexual orientation — and therefore more sympathetic. So, the proliferation of a symbol online could at least spark some recoginition in communities where such relationships are less common.

"Public opinion is essentially on the side of fairness, and things are moving, even in Virginia, among the public's mindset. And now we're hoping the court will also move forward," Ebbin told Patch.

The optimism is spreading.

A same-sex couple in Falls Church is optimistic that they will soon be able to enjoy the same benefits as heterosexual couples. Churches in Georgetown have embraced the idea, from the National Cathedral to Dumbarton United Methodist. U.S. Sen. Mark Warner, a Virginia Democrat, announced this week on his Facebook page that he now supports gay marriage.

Warner and Ebbin have both switched their profile pictures the the Human Rights Campaign equality symbol.

The Human Rights Campaign bills itself as the largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans. It has more than 1.5 million members and supporters nationwide.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here