Love Used For Hate

Now, I've never been married—though I hope to one day—but I know how personal that day can be for the bride and groom, the bride and bride, the groom and groom. You want everything to be just so, from the venue to the flowers to the music, and especially the pictures. I mean, other than memories, the photographs will be all you have of the ceremony, so they need to be perfect.

Brian Edwards and Tom Privitere wanted their wedding photos to be like that and they got their wish, but then got a little something more. 

It seems that Public Advocate of the United States, a group founded by rabid homophobe, Loudoun County, Virginia, Supervisor, Eugene Delgaudio in 1981, decided to use a photograph of Edwards and Priviter kissing at their wedding in an attack ad against Colorado State Senator Jean White.

And now the Southern Poverty Law Center [SPLC] is suing Public Advocate for misappropriating the photograph. SPLC alleges that Public Advocate of the United States—based in Virginia—misappropriated the likenesses and personalities of Brian Edwards and Tom Privitere—from a picture taken in New York—when it used a photo of the men—superimposed into a snow forest “to imply the photo was taken in Colorado—to attack White. The doctored picture reads “’State Senator Jean White’s idea of Family Values?’”

Tom Privitere: “We are heartbroken that our images may have been seen by gay and lesbian youth in Colorado and were left feeling ashamed of their sexual orientation because of it. We hope that this group is held accountable for its reprehensible and hateful anti-gay attacks.”

SPLC has designated Public Advocate a hate group for its anti-gay rhetoric, and alleges the group caused Edwards and Privitere mental anguish in using their wedding picture, and they have also filed suit on behalf of photographer Kristina Hill, for allegedly using the picture without her permission.

SPLC Deputy Legal Director Christine Sun: “This case is about the defilement of a beautiful moment by a group known for demonizing the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. This was just a cheap way for Public Advocate to avoid having to pay for a stock photo to use in their hateful anti-gay attack ad. It was nothing short of theft.”

Of course, a hate group, founded by a hate-mongering bigot, can’t be bothered with doing things legally, and paying for photographs. But to take a photograph of these two men, on a day they probably once thought they’d never be allowed to celebrate, and using it essentially against them, and all gay couples, is the lowest of low.

But then that’s to be expected of Delgaudio.

via The Washington Blade