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DAVENPORT, IA. — Marriage equality is the law of the land today — but just over 10 years ago, it was still a right that had to be hard-fought at every state level. That’s what kicked off the NOH8 campaign, which now represents an ongoing fight against any policies that marginalize LGBTQ+ people.

The NOH8 campaign is bringing its bold statement in support of equal rights to Davenport June 1. In a rare opportunity to participate in a NOH8 photo shoot for free, the first 200 people to get their photo taken will receive their NOH8 digital print at no charge.

Typically, a NOH8 photo shoot is $25 for individuals and $40 for groups, with proceeds going to cover the costs of the digital print and to help support NOH8’s worldwide media campaigns to stand against marginalizing laws and policies.

How to participate in Davenport’s NOH8 photo shoot

Those interested in getting a free photo June 1 are encouraged to show up early for the 6 to 8 p.m. event at MCC of the Quad Cities, 2930 W. Locust St., Davenport. If you’re not among the first 200 to show up, you can still get your NOH8 photo for the regular rate of $25 for individuals and $40 for group shots. To be in a photo, you’re asked to wear a white T-shirt, in keeping with the the NOH8 signature “look.”

Celebrity photographer and NOH8 founder Adam Bouska will take five to 10 shots of you or your group. One will be chosen for a digital print, provided to you as part of the photo shoot and also available to NOH8 to use in its worldwide social media and outreach campaigns.

The Davenport chance to get a free NOH8 photo is provided courtesy of One Human Family QCA, a nonprofit that helps educate the public about recognizing and reporting hate crimes and incidents. It’s being held at MCC of the Quad Cities, Iowa’s only member of the Metropolitan Community Church worldwide coalition of LGBTQ-identified places of worship, and also a growing center of social and education activities for progressive Quad Citians.

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Additional NOH8 events happening in Chicago area May 29, June 4

Two Illinois events have been added to the NOH8 schedule. They include:
The three photo shoots are currently the only NOH8 events scheduled throughout all of Iowa and Illinois for 2023.includes 5 to 10 shots — one of which will be chosen by you and the NoH8 team.Since its founding in 2008, NoH8 has featured more than 67,000 people — including thousands of celebrities — in photos with duct tape covering their mouths and NoH8 written on one cheek.
Since its founding in 2008, the NOH8 campaign has featured more than 56,000 people, many of them celebrities. All photos are taken by Bouska, who seeks white T-shirts on the photo subjects to help drive home the point of his campaign, to stand up for the marginalized.

“It’s very important to have people looking into the camera, to connect and look in their eyes,” Bouska said in a 2010 interview with Autostraddle about NoH8. “The white t-shirts help the skin tones and the eyes stand out a bit more. I think the difference in skin tones says a lot because it applies in any respect where the majority votes on the rights of a minority.”

(cover photo features NOH8 founders Adam Bouska and Jeff Parshley courtesy Joe Bielawa/Flickr)