Introduction

The growing importance of social media to the marriage equality movement was also evident in spring 2013, when the US Supreme Court was considering a pair of key cases regarding same-sex marriage (SSM) rights. The spiral of silence theory addresses the power of perceived public opinion on people's evaluation of and willingness to express their beliefs, especially with controversial issues such as SSM. To reach the individuals, SSM advocates deployed a revamped digital media strategy that capitalized upon the ability of social networks to enhance users' sense of civic engagement, harness notions of shared identity, and leverage perceptions of public opinion. One key feature was the nature of the movement's primary message, that two people who love each other and want to share their lives together should be able to marry regardless of gender or sexual orientation. The chapter also presents an overview on the key concepts discussed in this book.