Morgan Freeman Voices New Ad For Gay Marriage

Wielding one of the most recognizable voices in America, Morgan Freeman has the capacity to lend gravitas to any topic he chooses to speak on. Late in the campaign season, Freeman narrated the “Challenges” ad endorsing President Obama’s presidency and his re-election. This time, Freeman provides the voiceover for a 30-second spot released by the Human Rights Campaign, the largest LGBT equality-rights advocacy group organization in the United States, in favor of marriage equality.

Evoking the inspirational tone of “Challenges,” the HRC ad sets archival footage of the Civil-Rights movement—women’s suffrage, Martin Luther King Jr.—against a rousing soundtrack and the promise of a new, more inclusive era. The ad comes on the heels of unprecedented ballot victories on Election Day for same-sex marriage in Maine, Washington state, and Maryland. Additionally, in Minnesota, voters rejected a Constitutional amendment defining marriage strictly as between a man and a woman. Supported by the recent wave of LGBT rights, the HRC says there is a “mandate for full equality.”

Watch:

The transcript:

America stands at the dawn of a new day. Freedom, justice and human dignity have always guided our journey toward a more perfect union. Now across our country, we are standing together for the right of gay and lesbian Americans to marry the person they love. And with historic victories for marriage, we’ve delivered a mandate for full equality. The wind is at our back. But our journey has just begun. Join us.

“This year proved to be a pivotal turning point in the movement for marriage equality and now we press onward with renewed vigor and public opinion squarely on our side,” HRC president Chad Griffin told Buzzfeed. “As we continue the march toward full equality in legislatures and the courts, it is crystal clear that the prospect of an equal future is no longer up for debate; the question now is how soon it will arrive.”

This week, the Supreme Court will determine whether it will hear appeals questioning the constitutionality of California’s Proposition 8 and the Defense of Marriage Act, both of which banned gay marriage.