Human Rights Campaign, What if it was your child, Mr. President?

Members:

2004 Television Report A Problem

The ad features Vice President Dick Cheney speaking about his lesbian daughter. First, a narrator reads the text "A father speaks," then excerpts from Cheney's speech follow:

Vice President Cheney: Lynne and I have a gay daughter. We have two daughters and we have enormous pride in both of them.

Voiceover: The vice president spoke out against the Federal Marriage Amendment.

Vice President Cheney: That’s appropriately a matter for the states to decide — that’s how it ought to best be handled.

Voiceover: He spoke from the heart for millions of parents.

Vice President Cheney: My general view is that freedom means freedom for everyone. … People ought to be free to enter into any kind of relationship they want to.

Voiceover: Freedom is for everyone. Discrimination is wrong. What if it was your child, Mr. President?

This commercial is positive for the gay community because it aims to achieve equal treatment for gays and lesbians by working towards marriage rights for homosexual couples.

Dick Cheney is an effective spokesperson for the community because he is the current Republican Vice President. Since Cheney is well-respected among those on the right side of the ideological fence, this tactic works to persuade less liberal voters.