Thought Theater

Gill Funds Ad Campaign For DP Initiative genre: Gaylingual

Tim Gill, former software entrepreneur and founder of the Gill Foundation, a philanthropic advocacy group, has announced the kick-off of a $1.5 million dollar ad campaign to support the domestic partnership initiative he is backing for the November ballot in Colorado. The Washington Times reports on the story here. A second initiative is being promoted by conservative religious groups that are intended to focus on defining traditional marriage and limit the extension of similar benefits to gay couples. From the article:

The $1.5 million television buy, easily the most expensive in state history for a ballot initiative this early in the race, stunned political pros and worried the state's traditional-marriage advocates, who have their own ballot measure in the works but a significantly smaller war chest.

Rick Ridder, a CFE consultant, confirmed the campaign planned to spend $4 million to $5 million, although some estimates run much higher. He said the ads were aimed at introducing the public to the civil rights issues behind the domestic-partnership initiative.

Neither ad mentions the domestic-partnership referendum, which is awaiting final approval in the state legislature. The measure would allow same-sex couples to register with the state as domestic partners and receive many of the same benefits as married couples, including hospital and nursing-home visitation, shared health insurance coverage, and property and inheritance rights.

Carrie Gordon Earll, spokeswoman for Focus on the Family in Colorado Springs, called the ads "misleading," saying that anyone can now take legal steps to give their partners the same rights as a husband or wife, such as naming them as medical agents.

"They're trying to pass a law that's much broader than hospital visitation," Ms. Earll said. "They're saying Coloradans are discriminating, and that's not true."