Hands Across the Sea, by Dietmar & Karsten

I was following the NOH8 Campaign for about two years on Twitter when I read their tweet that they would be in Provincetown, MA, on August 22, 2011 for a photo shoot. I got excited. That would be during our stay in P'town; my boyfriend and I planned to spend our annual vacation in America. So, when I packed my bag for the States I made sure to have two white t-shirts for the photo shoot.

When we arrived in P'town we took a walk along Commercial Street in the evening. We saw the posters of the NOH8 photo shoot and I told my friend what the Campaign is about - unfortunately NOH8 is not yet well-known in Germany. My boyfriend was excited right from the start and he wanted to become a part of the campaign. So, the two of us were looking forward to the photo shoot.

It was pretty amazing to meet the NOH8 team. Everyone was so friendly and welcoming and all the people - the team as well as the participants - seemed to be bound with the idea of equality. It was a great experience and a special moment to meet Adam and to pose for the pictures. He is a very professional and talented photographer and a kind and warm-hearted guy. So, we had great fun and enjoyed the shoot pretty much.

Back in Germany we could hardly wait to see the final image and when we got the e-mail we were instantly thrilled. Finally we decided to have this image on our wedding invitations. We have been together for 14 years and now we decided to go into a “registered partnership” (that's the official wording). Same-sex couples have the right to marry in Germany, even though it doesn't mean 100% equality with heterosexual marriages yet.

Finally, from the shoot in P'town to our wedding invitations – this is where the circle is complete. And this is what the NOH8 Campaign is about: the freedom to marry for everyone.

Hands across the sea!

Dietmar & Karsten