I think it’s ugly but I support the message.
I wish I change my profile pic to it but I guess I am doing something wrong.
What is the message?
click on the link in my OP, it explains it. Basically it signals you support equal marriage rights for all no matter their sexual orientation.
I think it’s nice to see it in the “Yay, I have lots of friends who support same-sex marriage!” sense, but yeah, my *second *reaction was “Who designed this? It’s hideous!”
Sorry but I am grateful that all my FB friends don’t repost those items because it would wear my little phone out looking at it. But changing your profile pic says something without notifying everyone to look (or at least my settings work that way).
This is an issue close to my heart as my brother and his partner of 32 years still can’t get married in my state. Cancer is a biggie too, but everybody is against cancer (maybe not the cancer drug companies) but it’s a one-sided issue.
My FB feed is pretty much all red today. It’s a good feeling to be supported by friends.
It’s based on the Human Rights Campaign logo. An equals sign. Usually I see blue ones with yellow lines on bumper stickers. But now, apparently, it’s red.
Merged duplicate threads.
Gotta agree. Putting a bumper sticker on is in no way similar to a march.
I’m not doubting any individual’s commitment, or insisting that any individual is not doing enough for “the cause.” I just think that thinking that changing your facebook profile picture (or “f.b.p.p.,” if you will) effects some sort of change, even if it’s done in a coordinated manner, is delusional.
It’s like saying that those “coexist” bumper stickers are somehow strong symbols of peaceful protest.
I will say that a number of my friends on facebook have said that they feel affirmed and empowered by all the support, so I can’t say that there is no positive outcome from this, maybe KermitTheFrig has a point.
It just is such a passive way of “making a difference” that I can’t really see commending anyone over it. It maximizes self-aggrandizement while minimizing risk and effort.
Somewhere along the line we all turned into marketers and advertisers instead of doers and makers.
As a gay man who wants fully equal rights of marriage and adoption and such for all people regardless of who they love, I think it’s fucking stupid to change your facebook profile picture to “support” equality. I can’t fight the feeling that it’s just a way to make yourself feel better without actually doing anything.
But it is doing something. It shows the sway of public opinion, dispels the myth that most heterosexual Americans do not support gay marriage, and shocks the hell out of narrow minded friends and family. I think it is great. We can’t all go picket at our State Legislature for change but we can show support even in subtle ways. Sometimes revolution comes in with a low rumble not a huge bang.
I did snag the Grumpy Cat-ified version from George Takei’s Facebook page. 
(It has the iconic Grumpy Cat scowl closeup, with “YES.” underneath, and the red/pink equals graphic over top.)
But as an Illinoisian with a marriage legalization bill looking for more votes of support in our House (already passed the Senate; civil unions are legal), I’m also writing my Representative to urge her to support the bill, and writing my Senator to express my dismay that he did not vote for it when it was in front of the Senate. Our governor has already said he would sign the bill, so about a dozen votes in the House is the only barrier to legalization in this state.
Normally I hate all the “OMG change your icon/repost this bullshit so you can show you’re against baby raping/puppy kicking/whatever” crap, but as a temporary show of support for this cause, which I deeply believe in and have supported in real, tangible ways previously and currently, I want to put myself out there as someone who is in a heterosexual marriage and yet supports the rights of gay/lesbian couples as well.
PostSecret’s FB page shared an anonymous status to the effect of “I want to change my icon to show my support for gay marriage, but my husband would lose his job if I did.” So yes, to some people this is a big deal.
…stolen. 
For those of you who are accusing others of slacktivism, what are you doing for the cause? Be specific so that we slacktivists may emulate you.
I’ve been called worse things than a slacktivist.
tdn, you are taking this very personally.
I (as one of the few “those of you” in this thread), am not accusing you of slacktivism. And, I’m not going to get into a pissing match over how much I have done for the “cause”.
My entire point, is that your facebook photo has just about nothing to do with any of the rest of the wonderful work that you are doing.
Wearing a team badge is not activism. It is not engagement. It is not discussion, or persuasion, or any of those things. It is publicly announcing that “hey, I support this thing,” if by publicly you mean announcing it to a self-selected group of people with whom you already have some level of interaction.
So, I repeat, it is literally the least you can do; one small step above nothing at all.
There may be good and wonderful other things you are doing, but this action is barely worth the paper it’s printed on.
Yes, I am. Sorry.
Yeah, I went through the same thought process, pretty much. I almost never post anything remotely political on my Facebook page, but this one was interesting to share. I made my own spin on it (overlaying it with my original “family photo” profile pic). I actually have to admit, I was surprised by a few friends and their visible support–friends I thought either didn’t support marriage equality or wouldn’t be the types to be visible about it. I personally am not as cynical as some of the commentators here. I do think there is social value in openly showing one’s support in such a public way, even if you don’t have to get off your ass to actually do anything. Others disagree. That’s fine with me.
By the way, I’m apparently the only person who likes that logo. It’s distinctive, immediate, simple, and I knew right away what it stood for when I first saw it.
I am perhaps the lamest Facebook user in the history of the innerwebs but this appears to be generally a good thing. It’s one thing for opponents to see rainbow signs and marches on their television screens, it’s another when they see their friends and families with a show (however little energy required) of support.
Lots of little things, done every day, will be necessary to bring about this change.
I’m very much in favor of marriage equality, but I don’t care for people changing their profile pictures to that logo because it’s really low quality and massive amounts of JPEG artifacts. 
Plus, it makes it harder to follow my FB stream…you mean I actually have to stop and read the person’s name now? Bah! It’s like the middle ages over here!
I kind of like it too. It’s like a Rothko painting.