Legislature 2009: Gay Snipers

Since The Associated Press reported earlier this week on an emerging legislative lobbying campaign seeking a constitutional amendment barring same-sex marriage, attention has turned to an online infomercial from the group behind the push.

The nearly six-minute video posted by The Family Policy Council of West Virginia has gone viral, drawing tens of thousands of hits along with coverage from the likes of The Huffington Post and Politico.

As AP explains:

“Marriage began in the heart of God,” the narrator says as the ad starts. About a minute into the video, the crosshairs of a rifle scope appear over the image of a family blowing bubbles. The narrator warns that “same-sex marriage is a closer reality in West Virginia than you may think,” and that activists are “working tirelessly to define marriage away from God’s design.”

West Virginia Blue was the first to blog about the video.

AP reported earlier that The Family Policy Council did not initially admit ownership of the site hosting the online ad. AP's follow-up also includes questions about the council's reliance on GOP-allied groups to conduct its campaign, and notes that it "has yet to register as a charity with state officials, though it’s reported raising enough to trigger that requirement."

The council "announced Wednesday that hundreds of churches across West Virginia would take part in 'Stand4Marriage Sunday' March 1 as part of its campaign," AP reports. "The council wants the Legislature to allow a statewide vote on the amendment, similar to those passed in at least 30 states."