DC Marriage Supporters Let Antigay Ads Stay

Gay rights activists and the Christian coalition behind the antigay bus ad that was rolled out in Washington, D.C., last week have found a common ground -- both agree the bus ad falls under free speech rights and should not be yanked.

American University's 88.5 FM reports that the unlikely alliance started with a tweet. A representative from a small gay rights group called Full Equality Now DC called for the ad -- which reads "Let the People Vote on Marriage" -- to be removed.

A Metro spokesperson responded, "If it's not lewd, pornographic, or obscene, then the ad will go up. Advertising on the Metro system is covered by the same First Amendment rights that cover other such communications in our society today."

The American Civil Liberties Union and D.C.'s Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance agreed, and sent a letter to the Metro telling it to keep the ads.

"We are defending our own liberties," GLAA spokesman Rick Rosendall said. "We're defending our own rights. To start carving away at America's Bill of Rights is the absolute opposite of what we should be doing."

A spokesman for Stand For Marriage DC said he wasn't surprised. "It's reasonable, and therefore reasonable thinking people would know that 'Hey, it's freedom of speech,'" Patrick Walker told a local NBC affiliate.

For now, the ads will stay up ... until tomorrow, that is, when the contract for the initial ad run is up.