They, along with former first lady Laura Bush and Colin Powell, appear in a national advertising campaign launched by The Respect for Marriage Coalition aimed at boosting support for gay and lesbian marriage.

The TV ad includes a clip of Obama -- from his inauguration speech -- and Cheney - speaking in favor of gay rights. The Respect for Marriage Coalition -- more than 80 organizations that support gays and lesbians being able to marry –- says it's the first time that LGBT advocacy organizations have together funded a national ad buy.

The move comes as Obama talked about gay rights in his inaugural address, freedom to marry laws are pending in several states and the U.S. Supreme Court is poised to hear same sex marriage challenges.

The ad will begin airing today on cable, and during networks' Sunday shows over the coming weeks. Print ads featuring the same officials will begin running in national newspapers – including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and the Washington Post – over the coming days, and online ads will appear across online news sites. The coalition says it plans to spend more than $1 million on the ads.