What's Missing from Gay Marriage Ads? GAY PEOPLE!

AP has taken a look at this interesting issue of no gay folks in pro-marriage ads.

The decision to keep gays in the background has been widely noticed in the gay community and debated on gay-oriented blogs, with some activists complaining that the move contradicts the central message of the gay rights movement for a number of years.

"If we don't show ourselves, people aren't going to get comfortable with who we are," said Wayne Besen, director of Vermont-based gay rights group "Truth Wins Out," one of many that presses gays to live openly with pride in who they are.

But others counsel deference for the complexities of public messaging, pointing out that the ads are designed to speak to the fears and values of the heterosexual majority, whose vote will decide the issue.

"The moderate tough guys we need to flip to win a couple of these races are still the ones who say that gays are gross," said Andy Szekeres, a Denver-based fundraising consultant who has worked on several state campaigns and had access to focus group data. "Pushing people to an uncomfortable place, it's something you can't do in a TV ad," said Szekeres, who is gay.

Keep it Up, Glenn Beck UPDATE

Folks are pulling their ads from the insane Glenn Beck show. And by folks, I mean the companies.

Here's a list so far:

GMAC Financial Services
ConAgra
Roche
Sanofi-Aventis
RadioShack
Men’s Wearhouse
State Farm Sargento
LexisNexis-owned Lawyers.com
Procter & Gamble
Progressive Insurance

let's keep in going and going and going down hill... I made a little song.

REMIX: Wal-Mart, Best Buy, CVS, Travelocity, Allergan (maker of Restasis), Ally Bank, Broadview Security, and Re-Bath have pulled out as well.