#lovewins brings Hope

The first social media post containing this hashtag was by the Human Rights Campaign. This is the largest nonprofit for LGBTQ+ rights in America. HRC used #LoveWins on 30 Instagram posts, 40 Facebook posts, and 40 tweets to build support for marriage equality before the Supreme Court decided (The Shorty Awards 2015). Their utilization of multiple platforms allowed the message to reach more viewers. These posts instilled excitement and hope within the community that their luck was about to change. Both of these factors lead to a boom in posts containing the “LoveWins” hashtag that day. In fact, the hashtag was used in about 5.5 of the nearly 10 million posts that were shared about the court’s ruling that day (USA Today 2015). The sheer volume of posts shows how extensive the LGBTQ+ community is online.

Though it has been 12 years since the Supreme Court’s decision and the origins of #LoveWins, the hashtag continues to be used today within the community. To the right of this blurb is another HRC post on twitter 3 years after gay marriage was legalized. Below this blurb you will find more examples of everyday social media users who have used this hashtag within the past few weeks. The first tweet on the left shows a video of a protest regarding the passing of Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay or Trans” bill. This bill bans the topic of sexuality and gender identity in school systems. The caption of this tweet says “I am so hopeful for the future” and a video is attached of kids and adults flying rainbow flags and chanting outside of the Jackson County Courthouse. While the reality behind the post is sad, the message it is sending is one of perseverance. The other two posts are similar in tone and all 3 utilize the hashtag.