Morgan Freeman asserts ‘mandate’ for LGBT equality in TV ad

Acclaimed actor Morgan Freeman provides the voice over for a new TV ad that began airing Sunday asserting the country has “delivered a mandate” for full equality in the wake of victories for same-sex marriage.

The 39-second ad, produced by the Human Rights Campaign, is titled ”Dawn of a New Day.” Numerous gay couples are shown as well as images of American icons, such as the Statute of Liberty and the U.S. Constitution. Also shown are civil rights leaders, including activists in the women’s suffrage movement and Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.

“Freedom, justice and human dignity have always guided our journey toward a more perfect union,” Freeman says. “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 ad was seen on NBC prior to the start of “Meet the Press” on Sunday. It comes in the wake of victories for same-sex marriage on Election Day — when three states legalized same-sex marriage and Minnesota rejected a measure restricting marriage to one man, one woman. The ad also airs days before the U.S. Supreme Court will decide at a Nov. 30 conference whether to take up litigation challenging the Defense of Marriage Act and California’s Proposition 8.

In a blog posting announcing the ad, HRC President Chad Griffin reflects on the victories for marriage equality over the course of the past year, which also saw President Obama concluding his evolution to come out in support of same-sex marriage.

“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,” Griffin writes. “While we celebrate, we most remember that we fight until full equality has reached every single person in every corner of this vast country.”

Watch the ad here: