I went for a NOH8 photoshoot today with my bandmates. It was organized by Daryl Dyck, a Vancouver photographer. The band has been a proud supporter of the local gay community for years, so it wasn't a vanity project - it was something we felt we needed to do.

The original NOH8 is an ongoing campaign founded in early 2009 by American photographer Adam Bouska. So far, over 3500 official and non-official photos have been taken in support of the campaign. While its main motivation was California's Proposition 8, the campaign speaks not only for gay marriage, but also for what appears to be the never-ending battle for equality for gay communities everywhere.

We just witnessed the nation's first trial for the hotly debated issue of same-sex marriage that has torn California in two, as it comes to the forefront as the result of the passing of Proposition 8 back in November 2008. The narrow passage of Prop 8 (by only a 4.5%margin) amends the constitution to say that only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California. This ballot was a direct response to the California Supreme Court's ruling in May 2008: "In re Marriage Cases" giving gays and lesbians the right to marry, stating that they are subject to "strict judicial scrutiny and that marriage is a fundamental right."