Google and the Human Rights Campaign
(HRC) hosted a panel on gay marriage at the 2012 Democratic National
Convention (DNC).
The Washington Post's Jonathan
Capehart moderated the panel, which included Chad Griffin, president
of HRC, Campbell Brown, MSNBC news anchor, Ben Jealous, president of
the NAACP, Anna Greenberg, pollster at Greenberg, Quinlan, Rosner
Research, and actress Aisha Tyler.
Noting that knowing someone gay
influences how people think of gay rights, Tyler said she felt it was
the responsibility of straight allies to create a welcoming
environment for LGBT people to come out.
“It shouldn't be gay people's
responsibility to help straight people figure it out. But for a long
time it has been,” Tyler said. “I think that art [shows such as
Will & Grace] has played a part. I think it's still very
difficult for young people to come out. And I think it's incumbent
on straight people … to make it easier and to create a welcoming
environment and to support those people and to defend them. … We
can't just leave it to them to break the doors down.” (The video
is embedded on this page. Visit
our video library for more videos.)