Beyonce: Gay marriage logo shared on Facebook

Beyonce: Gay marriage logo was posted on Facebook to her 44 million fans. Beyonce joined other celebrities in supporting gay marriage in the social media sphere.

Companies and celebrities from Beyonce to George Takei have joined millions of social media users in posting and tweaking a simple red logo in support of gay marriage in the United States.

A square box with thick pink horizontal lines, the mathematical symbol for equal, was offered for sharing this week by the Human Rights Campaign as the U.S. Supreme Court took up arguments in key gay rights cases.

The image is a makeover of the advocacy group's logo, usually a blue background with bright yellow lines. The HRC made it available in red — for the color of love — on Monday and estimated tens of millions of shares by Wednesday.

"It shows the enthusiasm and the passion," said Fred Sainz, a spokesman for the nonprofit in Washington, D.C.

Some swapped matzoh for the pink lines as Passover got under way.

Beyonce, with more than 44 million followers on Facebook, added a personal message: "It's about TIME!!! #EQUALITY #MarryWhoYouLove.

Fergie let the image speak for itself on Twitter, adding: "No words necessary."

"There's a lot of serious conversation going on, and there's an awful lot of important concepts that the Supreme Court justices are discussing," Sainz said. "What this logo going viral means is, individuals have reduced it to a very straightforward concept."

Steve Jones, a professor of online culture and communications at the University of Illinois at Chicago, wondered whether all the mash-ups muddle the message.

"Was this message intended to be fun?" he asked.

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Associated Press writer Barbara Ortutay contributed to this report.

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Follow Leanne Italie on Twitter at http://twitter.com/litalie

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.