New TV ads advocate for the freedom to marry in ME, MN and WA

Political advertisements are dominating the television airwaves this fall, and in Maine, Maryland, Minnesota and Washington, where marriage-related ballot initiatives will be put to a vote on Election Day, many of those TV ads focus on why marriage matters for same-sex couples.

Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, and Washington all debuted new TV ads this week. You can check out Maryland's ads - the first to air in the state - HERE - and see the rest below:

MAINE: One new ad looks at Cathy and Phil Curtis, who have been married for almost 52 years and have three daughters, one of whom is a lesbian. They talk about the fact that civil union is not enough - not a substitute for marriage. The other spot talks to Stacey Fitts, a Mainer who voted against marriage for same-sex couples in 2009. He talks about why, as a Republican, he supports the freedom to marry and how he went about changing his mind.

MINNESOTA: The new TV ad in Minnesota, "Land of the Free," talks about why the government shouldn't tell Minnesotans who they can or cannot marry. The speaker in the video urges voters to vote NO on the discriminatory, anti-gay constitutional amendment that would permanently limit the freedom to marry in Minnesota.

WASHINGTON: Republican State Representative Maureen Walsh of Walla Walla, WA appears in this new video, "Freedom," and she talks about how the question of the freedom to marry is a question of fundamental fairness. Rep. Walsh is the state representative whose floor speech in favor of the bipartisan marriage law in February 2012 generated over 2-million YouTube views.

Although all forms of media attention are important for all four ballot campaigns, we know that television advertising continues to be one of the most prominent ways that voters get information about elections. 

Watch the videos! Learn more about the freedom to marry in MaineMarylandMinnesota, and Washington, and read all about all four states where marriage is on the ballot this November!