I Kissed a Girl and I Liked It by Liz Hanson

I will start off by saying that I am a member of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints otherwise known as Mormon. Since the day I found out about the NOH8 Campaign I have wanted to participate and wondered if I would ever get the opportunity, partially because of location and partially because I wondered if I would ever get over the fear of my loved ones judging me and allowing myself to have a NOH8 pic taken and put out there.

To me the NOH8 Campaign goes so much further than just same sex relationships. I get so frustrated when people judge based on race, color, sexual orientation, religion, etc. Just because you may not agree with the way a person is choosing to live their lives does not mean that you can't still love them. Sometimes, probably most times when a person chooses to step outside of the box, is when they need love, friends, family, and support the most and isn't it ironic that that is when they typically get it the least.

A couple years ago I made what most people in my religion would deem as a mistake. My best friend at the time told me just that,"you need a friend more than ever right now and I can't be there for you. It is best if we just part ways." This reaffirmed to me the decision I made long ago to never turn my back on someone just because of choices they made in their lives.

I have a cousin who is a lesbian and is in a committed relationship. Last October when she and her partner came to CA to say goodbye to my grandmother on her deathbed they were told that they would not be welcomed into any of the families homes. I full heartedly welcomed them to stay at my home. How blessed I am to have been able to spend that weekend with them and get to know and create relationships with cousins I never knew. Only because I choose to have an open mind and heart and don't judge.

Last year I moved to FL from CA and heard that NOH8 would be coming to Ft. Lauderdale. I decided this was my opportunity and I didn't care what others thought I was gonna take a pic and show it proudly. I got in touch with a friend of mine who lives in Miami and asked if she wanted to meet up and do the pic with me! She was totally game. This would be the very first time she and I would meet face to face. We had only ever talked on Twitter. So there we were two straight women who had only met 10 mins before kissing in a pose to show our support to the NOH8 Campaign. What a beautiful moment.

I am so grateful for this opportunity for so many reasons and on so many levels. Never have I felt so beautiful in my life. I have shown our pic to so many people. A lot of the people that I have shared it with have seen many of the NOH8 pics and have commented that ours is one of the best. Never would I be as presumptuous as to assume this is true however it has made me feel good that I could express my views in picture form.

On that note when I shared the pic with my cousin through tears and sobs she said to me, "Never will you understand what this means to me. Sometimes straight support means more to us than any other especially when so many of our family members have turned their backs on us."

Thank you for allowing me this opportunity and for all the hard work you all are doing. I will never forget the experience I had and the people I have met.

Adam you are a very talented Photographer and hope to be able to cross paths with you again.

All my love and support,
Liz Hansen
@DDUB_JR