NOH8!!!

What do Slash, Verne Troyer, Kat Von D, Steve-O, and Larry King have in common? They’re all activists of the NOH8 Campaign. The NOH8 Campaign was started as a silent protest. Instead of using words, photos are used to send their message. It was started short after the ban on same-sex marriages in California. Adam Bouska, a celebrity photographer, and Jeff Parshley are the founders of the movement. The pictures, at first, were just of everyday people who live in California and opposed the ban on same-sex marriage, but now they’ve developed their own symbol. Most of their photos are of people, celebrities and average Americans, of all ages, with duct tape over their mouths and “NOH8” written/painted on their cheek. The duct tape is a symbolization of their rights being silenced.

As time went by, more and more people have heard about NOH8 and the campaign grew by great measures. It’s no longer just a symbol of Californian’s rights but of everyone in the LGBT community. It’s no longer local people from California getting photographed. Now there are NOH8 photos of politicians, military personnel, artists, celebrities, and many more people.

The campaign itself has some pretty surprising activists; such as Weird Al, Audrey Kitching (the scene queen), Lt. Dan Choi (who has made news last year for being kicked out of the military because of the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy), and Tila Tequila (who also was the center of press for a while because of her bi-sexual dating show). Don’t worry though, to be a supporter of NOH8, one doesn’t have to be a celebrity, they just have to believe in what the campaign is fighting for, equality.

Everyone reading this should take a minute to just check out their site, look at the pictures. It shocked me to see how many of my favorite musicians, singers, actors/actresses, and models were supporters of this movement. Not to mention, the pictures are absolutely beautiful and get the message across in such a simple way. The videos are also great. My favorite is the “It Gets Better” video.

Ally Week

Any student who knows me personally or saw me often last year, probably knows that I participated in the Day of Silence. Day of Silence was an entire day where I quietly protested LGBT bullying by not speaking, at all. This year I’m hoping to add one more event to the list – Ally Week. Ally Week takes place this month on the 17^th- 21^st.

Ally Week was started by GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network) in 2005. It is a whole week dedicated to finding allies for the LGBT community in school. An ally, in this case, is any person who supports the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered community. They also stand up against bullying and harassment targeted toward LGBT youth in school.

If I get the okay to do this from the principal, I’ll be reaching out to others, students and teachers, to sign a pledge saying they’ll become an ally. This pledge states that the person signing it believes all students, be they straight, gay, transgendered, or other, deserves to feel safe in school and to help make this happen the person pledges to refrain from using anti-LGBT slurs, stop harassment targeted towards LGBT youth, if one safely can, and support the people trying to stop the harassment.

If more people decide to step up to the people who bully those who are different, maybe they’ll finally stop. I’m not saying this will change the world in a week, but one would be surprised how much one person, doing one thing can help and encourage someone else. Ally Week’s saying/motto is, “Change attitudes. Change behaviors. Change directions. Change lives. Change policies. Change voices. Be an ally. Be the change.” The motto means that by changing one’s attitude, behavior, or direction in life, or by changing school policies, can change the lives of so many.