New York Marriage Equality on Display at Marc Jacobs' Manhattan Store

by Admin

HRC and Marc Jacobs Collaborate to Promote Marriage Equality in the Empire State

New York - Today world renowned fashion designer and gay-rights activist Marc Jacobs and the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) - the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization - unveiled a window display at the designer's Bleecker St. store in Manhattan promoting HRC's "New Yorkers for Marriage Equality Campaign."

"Momentum is growing in our fight for Marriage Equality in New York," said HRC New York Senior Strategist Brian Ellner. "Last week New York business leaders came out in support of marriage equality and it's great to have Marc Jacobs on the list. The fashion business is a $55 billion a year industry in New York and we are thrilled to have their support."

The window display depicts a springtime wedding scene with text from Marc Jacobs and HRC inviting New Yorkers to "Support New York Marriage Equality." Photos of the window display can be seen here: http://www.hrc.org/15568.htm

Because of the federal Defense of Marriage Act, legally married same-sex couples are excluded from over 1,100 federal rights and benefits of marriage - many of them related to taxes. For example, many employers provide domestic partner health benefits, but those benefits are treated as income and taxed, whereas health benefits for an opposite-sex spouse are not.

A recent poll released by Siena Research Institute shows public opinion continues to trend toward marriage equality in New York State with a record high of 58 percent support and a record low of 36 percent opposition.

Marc Jacobs has been a long time supporter of the Human Rights Campaign, recently designing a t-shirt to bring attention to the unfair tax burden placed on same-sex couples who are not legally allowed to marry. The politically forward t-shirt features the image of a lesbian couple (one with a tattoo of HRC's equality logo) with their child and the powerful words, "I pay my taxes, I want my RIGHTS!" on the front, and "Marc Jacobs Proudly Supports HRC" on the back. The store featuring the new HRC window display is located at 403 Bleecker Street (west 11th and Bleecker) New York, NY.

The New Yorkers for Marriage Equality campaign is centered on video testimonials from New Yorkers who support the right of same-sex couples to marry. To date, HRC has released videos from Julianna Margulies and Keith Lieberthal, Bill T. Jones, Sam Waterston, Christopher Meloni, Mario Batali, David Chang, and Tom Colicchio, Lucy Liu, Bill Bratton and Rikki Klieman, Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Former New York City Mayors Ed Koch and David Dinkins, Russell Simmons, Mark and Sunrise Ruffalo, John Slattery, Joan Rivers, Barbara Bush, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Whoopi Goldberg, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Kyra Sedgwick and Kevin Bacon, Fran Drescher, Moby, Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe, Julianne Moore and Kenneth Cole - with more to follow in the coming weeks.

The Human Rights Campaign is America's largest civil rights organization working to achieve gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against LGBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.

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