Paint the Town Red

If you've been keeping up with your social media this month, you may have noticed many of your friends' artsy profile pictures have been replaced by the mysterious pink equal sign splashed onto a deep red background. It turns out that this equal sign has become the new symbol for equality, promoted by the Human Rights Campaign. On March 26th the HRC had asked followers to paint the town red by wearing red clothing, however many Americans decided to raise awareness the best way they could: social media.

Although this issue of gay rights has been boiling for quite some time now, the Supreme Court is facing a momentous fork in the road, and people who have been holding in their beliefs have found a medium to mobilize their support. As the Supreme Court discusses California's Proposition 8 as well as the Defense of Marriage Act, a sea of red has poured over the internet and social media sites.

On Twitter, Supreme Court, better known as SCOTUS (Supreme Court of the United States) ranks top 10 in the world trending list. And of course, thousands of users on Facebook are changing their profile pictures to the pink equal sign above. But it's not just your average Joe promoting this symbol of equality. Celebrities, from Star Trek veteren George Takei to talk show host Ellen DeGeneres, have uploaded this image and shared personalized messages with the world, garnering thousands of likes, favorites, shares, and retweets. Beyonce played on the lyrics of one of her more famous songs "Single Ladies" by tweeting, "If you like it you should be able to put a ring on it #WeWillUniteForMarriageEquality."

The bottom line is that social media allows us all to express our beliefs in our own ways. Some of us have gay relatives or friends, some of us believe marriage is a universal human right, and some of us feel that men and women should decide for themselves who they love. I personally fall into all three categories. One of my favorite musical artists Macklemore produced a song called "Same Love." With gay uncles, he's been a strong supporter of equality under the law as well. If you have not heard this song, it's worth a listen.

More importantly, let your own voice be heard. If your actual voice cannot speak loud enough, use social media, and let your small impact on others carry a long way. While the final decision in these  influential court cases will ultimately rest with the Supreme Court justices, a shift in mass public opinion has the power of persuasion. I myself have been skeptical of the impact of social media at times, but after one of my swimming teammates and a beloved member of the Northbrook community took his own life today due to harassment because of his sexual orientation, I've realized that every little effort counts. #RIPAngelo