Yes, this. And also I posted this one because I didn’t see a single “Make this your profile pic…87% of people won’t make this their profile pic because they rape puppies” dares that accompany the never ending Autism Awareness Month and World Cancer Day that seem to be year round now.
I just saw an icon, understood immediately what it signified, and I liked it, so I used it. If it doesn’t sound too hipster - there was only one red equality sign on my Newsfeed when I changed mine. I’m not cool, I have insomnia…
This. I’ve been here for about 10 years now and the Dope was pretty much the only place I ever heard gay marriage talk at the time. If you read Scalia’s dissent in Lawrence v. Texas it pretty much boils down to, “hey, if we can’t make buttsecks illegal, then we don’t have any basis for barring gay marriage!” and the clear implication was that gay marriage was such a loopy idea that nobody would ever seriously consider.
And I think it does do something. Unlike other “big” issues, gay rights is almost an entirely an issue of convincing people. If you convinced every person that Global Warming is a problem we need to solve, you still haven’t solved global warming. If you convince lots of people that breast cancer is a problem (which isn’t exactly hard to do, its not like there is a “pro-cancer” camp out there), there will still be breast cancer.
But if most of the population think gays should have equal rights, that’s pretty much guaranteed that they will get equal rights. There isn’t really any heavy lifting to do apart from convince people.
And social pressure is a pretty good way to convince people. So when someone turns on facebook and sees a clear indication that most of their friends support equal rights, I think it is an effective way to push towards equality.
I said: Would you walk through a busy mall or down a busy street wearing a t-shirt that says “Marriage equality for all”?
I think this may be the difference between those who think it slacktivism and those who don’t.
I live in an area where I would be a bit worried to wear such a t-shirt to a mall or busy street unless it was in a fairly liberal area. I wouldn’t expect to actually be hurt, but I wouldn’t be surprised if I got harassed either.
But then, I live in an area where there are a lot of people who were raised in a barn…
My brother-in-law works for a screen printer. They made up some of the “pink square” shirts, which my sister and b-i-l modeled on their facebook pages. The shop is selling them for $10 each.
My cousin got an equal sign tattoo on his arm today. Thankfully it’s not Valentine’s Day colored but rather blue and yellow. But it’s as wide as his arm!
I can understand why he might have done it: he changed his Facebook profile pic, and one of his (now ex-)friends said basically “I didn’t know you were gay, nttawwt, I just had no idea” and couldn’t be persuaded no matter he said that many straight allies also have an equal sign pic.
Then again, it’s win-win: either it’s making a statement, or 20 years from now it might no longer be needed, which is also a good thing.
Oh, and I also think it’s real, rather than a temporary. The reason: he posted a pic of himself with it. He’s not smiling. Probably in pain.
Except for my actual family most of my FB friends could be characterized as western rednecks. I never “like” anything about Jesus or cancer or if you have a sister who is your best friend or freedom or veterans hugging their dogs or anything else they post. Nor do I read the rightwing lie-tirades they link to.
Yes, I changed my profile picture. For the first time. I never, and I mean ever, post anything political or leftwing on FB, because I know it is enraging to many people I know, and I don’t see the point. But this is important enough to stick my neck out.
Arguing about whether it is slacktivism or not is petty. This is exactly how people’s minds are changed – a personal connection to someone who has a different opinion than the one they’ve always heard around them.
See the thing is, it isn’t a left wing versus right wing thing. Like I said, friends and family of mine who hate Democrats, Obama, and taxes ( ) are posting the red/pink equals signs. I am hoping this means marriage equality is something that transcends party lines at least partially.
I don’t think changing your profile pic is slacktivism, but I do think there are a lot of people who changed it and thing that doing so is making a measurable impact. That said, I’m sure there are people who have no illusions about the effect it has.
After being told that gay friends were actually touched at the sight of profile pic after profile pic being changed in support, I changed both my mind and my profile pic.
I didn’t change my profile pic, can’t get it to work.
I did post the pic in my time line.
One person copied it, another person liked it, and one other person (not a Catholic) posted the new Popes statement on SSM.
I also got an invite to join ‘Gods Word of the Day’ or something like that. Don’t know if that was a coincidence.
Interesting Huffington Post article w/FB data assemblage into a map possibly showing participation by county in the US. Not a lot of earthshattering news there, but, y’know, interesting.
) are posting the red/pink equals signs. I am hoping this means marriage equality is something that transcends party lines at least partially.