The topic of same-sex marriage is no longer a non-issue. It could have been, some years ago, when people were less in tune to the neglect of human rights surrounding LGBTQ people and when support for same-sex marriage was significantly lower.

However, in just a few short years, support for the social issue has skyrocketed, in part helped by endorsements from current US President, Barack Obama and other high profile celebrity figures.

Furthermore, lobbying by marriage equality groups have also pushed at every step of the way, making same sex marriage supported by most. On the right wing Republican side of things however, there is still reluctance to support it but with further campaigning by advocacy groups, that could be set to change.

Word of change comes from groups like Young Conservatives for Freedom to Marry who have launched a national grassroots campaign specifically targeting Republican activists in key presidential nominating states (swing states) that have a particular effect on the presidential vote.

In making these states become more in favour of same sex marriage, there’s hope that the presidential nominee campaigning in the region will have to support same sex marriage if not because they believe in human rights for all but just for the purely selfish reason of wanting to garner votes.

Tyler Deaton, campaign manager at Young Conservatives for Freedom to Marry has explained that they aren’t looking necessarily for people to outright support it but just to see that “it’s a valid point of view.” However despite these reasonable goals, they are hoping that more people will support same sex marriage ahead of the 2016 Republican convention. That’s almost two entire years away but as the official Republican party line is “the union of one man and one woman must be upheld as the national standard,” anything that can be done to soften that opinion should be seen as a good thing.