An interactive social media campaign organized by students is giving a new ring to the iconic Liberty Bell – and it sounds a lot like wedding bells.
In an attempt to give social importance to a class assignment, students, namely junior visual studies major Emily Srader, have developed the campaign Philly Supports Liberty – aimed at spreading the message of marriage equality. The Temple News believes this effort, both in its intentions and execution, is deserving of applause.
The timing is, quite obviously, no mistake. Not only do polling data show that support for gay marriage is on the uptick, the U.S. Supreme Court is currently considering cases concerning California’s Proposition 8 and the Defense of Marriage Act.
While social media, for better or worse, continues to be a hotspot for social activism – a point debated by Opinion columnists Charlie Ries and Daniel Craig on P. 5 – it’s certainly an influential platform to spread ideas.
Even so, it’s nice to see that the days of taking to the streets with a clear message aren’t gone either: The student-led campaign is dishing out materials and asking recipients to take photos with the Liberty Bell and post them to the campaign’s page.
“Stickers are the way to people’s hearts,” sophomore visual studies major Derek Bakal said.
Bakal’s right. This type of movement rightfully combines human interaction with the reach of social networking platforms.
The Temple News has long stood by the LGBT community at Temple and worldwide in supporting marriage equality, and we reaffirm that at what appears to be – and what we sincerely hope ultimately is – a monumental time in the country’s history.
Likewise, we hope the university community recognizes the importance of utilizing Temple’s positioning in the country’s birthplace as a means of adding social value to what could otherwise be a trite assignment. Students should take that idea in matrimony.
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