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Amber Knapp
Heiniger
ENG 1020
9/28/2011
The NoH8 Campaign and The Emotional Fighting of Proposition 8
Over a decade ago, California began taking steps towards becoming one of only a small handful of states that allowed gay marriage. The benefits for domestic partnerships were minimal at first, but more came as time went on. The few steps forward were up-ended by even more back on November 4th, 2008, when voters in California voted by 52% to amend the state's constitution and ban gay marriage ( This did not sit well with the LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning) community and protests ensued. Photographer Adam Bouska and his partner, Jeff Parshley, created a silent protest through photography that has extended past California and gained global attention ( Targeting voters, politicians, and LGBTQ advocates, the NoH8 Campaign utilizes emotional images, celebrities, and reaching out directly to the public for its effective protests against the restraining bills and laws.
Part of the NoH8 Campaign that makes it stand out and stick with those who see the images is the emotional technique of placing duct tape over the mouths of those photographed, as see in Figure 1. The duct tape has become a staple in LGBTQ silent protests, from this to the National Day of Silence held every year. The duct tape over the mouth is to represent those who have been silenced due to politics or even bullying because of whom they choose to love. Duct tape has also been seen in the news involving the torture of prisoners in foreign countries. In October 2002, the FBI reported that interrogators at Guantanamo Bay had wrapped a bearded man’s head in duct tape because he was quoting the Koran, which is the sacred book of Muslims( This dramatic example of a use of duct tape as part of a silencing act of torture is why is has become a common sight among LGBTQ protests. The first Amendment in the United States is the right to free speech and laws such as Proposition 8 take away something as common as marriage to a particular community just because of whom they want to marry.Along side of the duct tape over the participants’ mouth, most of those photographed are wearing a plain white tee shirt against a plain white backdrop. Throughout history, white has been seen as an angelic representation of innocence. This common representation is used because people who are LGBTQ or are supporters of their rights see nothing wrong with their lifestyles and that they are being prosecuted though they are innocent.
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Figure 1
The saying, “Monkey see, monkey do,” or bandwagon appeal, stands ever so true in today’s world of celebrities and social media. Celebrities lend their name and support to the NoH8 Campaign by being part of the “familiar faces” that are photographed. The extensive list features athletes, comedians, musicians and more, including: Steve-O (Jackass), Kathy Griffin and her mom, Pete Wentz (formerly of Fall Out Boy), Lindsay Lohan, Lance Bass, the cast of The Real L Word, Pauley Perrette (NCIS’s Abby, see Figure 2), a few pageant queens, and, yes, even the founders of the project got in on the fun. This photographic protest may not have gotten the recognition it has without being endorsed by so many famous names. Quite possibly the most notable names came from reality stars the Kardashians (see Figure 3). Khloe, Kim, and Kourtney not only donned the duct tape and white shirts, after their photo shoot, they auctioned off a shirt autographed by the three of them that has the duct tape they wore in the shoot stuck on the front with proceeds going to help the campaign ( may not have known the campaign at the time, but they knew the Kardashian name and the chance of owning something used by the trio attracted many to looking at the campaign. Celebrities can use their star power, whether the general public sees their credibility as earned or not, to fight political powers. They’re opening up to fight politics that closet LGBTQ rights. When celebrities lend their time, name, and faces to the campaign, it puts them down on the front lines of the fight for equality with everyday people and connecting with them to fight for the same cause.
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Figure 2
Figure 3
On top of having celebrities helping the cause, the NoH8 campaign makes everyday people feel like celebrities with their traveling open photo shoots. The campaign makes its rounds at colleges, LGBTQ Pride events, hotels, AIDS charity walks, and more. As of September 2011, there are 16,600 photos and counting and each one features a new face with its own unique style and pose. There are countless people all
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across the United States who support LGBTQ rights, but they have not been able to show their public advocacy as much as they would like. With their open photo shoots, the NoH8 Campaign offers people to be part of a larger than life protest for LGBTQ rights.
Since its inception, the NoH8 Campaign has found a way to create an effective silent protest against California’s restraining Proposition 8. Using emotional images and bringing celebrities and everyday people together, photographer Adam Bouska and his partner, Jeff Parshley, have created one of the most iconic and continuous protests to date. The NoH8 Campaign is a prime example that all it takes is an idea and determination to make a dent in the world.
Works Cited
Eggen, Dan. “FBI Reports Duct-Taping, 'Baptizing' at Guantanamo”.TheWashington Post. 3 January 2007. Web. 26 September 2011. <
“Kardashians.” Boushka, Adam. 2011. Photograph.
“Kat Von D.” Boushka, Adam. 2011. Photograph.
Oussani, Gabriel. "Koran." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 8. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1910. 27 September. 2011 <
NoH8 Campaign. “About.” The NoH8 Campaign. Web. 12 September 2011. <
“NoH8 Campaign.” Boushka, Adam. 2011. Photograph.
“Pauley Perrette”. Boushka, Adam. 2010. Photograph.