This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The Utah Celebration of Marriage group sparked a great deal of outrage by misappropriating photos of children at a Capitol rally in order to shame LGBT families. The act has been called despicable and unethical – and yet notice how effectively the group was able to change the conversation.
It is unsurprising anti-gay groups would resort to such tactics: After all, these are the people who purport to support and celebrate marriage, while their only purpose is to deny marriage equality to those they dislike. They claim to be concerned that every child be raised with a biological mother and father, yet say nothing about the vast majority of children living apart from one or both parents, even though they came from "traditional" heterosexual families. It is clear these groups are not pro-marriage nor pro-family. They're simply anti-gay.
I urge all who stand for marriage equality to disregard these contemptible tactics and guard against going off-message. What we strive for is equality under the law for our families. This is the American way. It's a clear and simple message that has served us well, and will continue to do so. Forget about the anti-gays and their gutter tactics.
They're headed for the dustbin of history where they belong.
Brandon Burt
Salt Lake City