As Pride month comes to a close, YouTube is following in the footsteps of parent company Google in showcasing a collection of LGBT-themed videos on the YouTube spotlight channel to celebrate a historic month in the LGBT community.
Just yesterday, the Supreme Court of the United States weighed in on two major cases that could affect the rights of the gay community with regards to marriage equality. SCOTUS struck down parts of the Defense of Marriage Act as unconstitutional, and dismissed an appeal by defenders of Prop. 8, thereby clearing the way for same-sex marriages in California to resume.
With these decisions setting the stage, this weekend should be the best Pride celebration ever (at least in NYC), and YouTube is here to help usher in the gayness.
Here’s what the company said in an official blog post:
At YouTube, we’re proud to stand with the LGBT community to support equal rights and marriage equality – we believe that everyone has the right to love and be loved. Pride Month may be coming to a close, but we hope YouTube is a place where you can feel proud and build a community all year long.
Google has always been a huge proponent of gay rights, and YouTube has been one of the most important online destinations for the LGBT community to find a voice. The “It Gets Better” campaign, which saw participation from some big-name celebrities like Ellen DeGeneres and Aleksander Skarsgard, was one of the biggest pro-LGBT campaigns in the world, and surely helped some young people find some hope and comfort.
Other tech companies have chimed in as well, including Facebook’s release of the particular statistic that over 70 percent of Americans are friends with someone who is gay on Facebook — something that should make us think twice before posting a thoughtless status update.
Those who want to participate in YouTube’s #ProudToLove campaign should include the #ProudToLove hashtag in their videos for a chance to be featured in the YouTube spotlight channel.
Happy Pride, everyone!
Warning: This video may induce tears.