First Baptist Church of Memphis, Tenn., will host a combination photo shoot and anti-hate protest July 30 to publicly affirm its commitment to LGBTQ people.
Kat Kimmel
“This has been such a hard year for the LBGTQ community. The political arena has been especially hard on them,” Senior Pastor Kat Kimmel said in reference to the proliferation of legislation banning gender-affirming care, LGBTQ education in schools and drag performances in numerous states.
In an effort to address that, the church will host a two-hour protest organized by the NOH8 Campaign, a charitable organization that photographs volunteers with duct-taped mouths and “NOH8” painted on one cheek to symbolize being silenced by oppression.
After hearing the group would be in Memphis, First Baptist offered the use of its facilities because “their values align with ours,” Kimmel said. “The church has a real responsibility to say something different and to remind the LGBTQ community they are loved, and they are valued, that this is a safe space for them and that they are one of us.”
NOH8 founders Adam Bouska, a celebrity and fashion photographer, and Jeff Parshley, an activist and coordinator, will lead the two-hour event open to the general public.
They launched the organization in 2008 to protest Proposition 8, an initially successful ballot measure banning same-sex marriage in California. But the organization’s website explains the protest has grown far beyond opposition to the proposition that eventually was overturned in court.
“Nine years since its inception, the NOH8 Campaign has grown to over 56,000 faces and continues to grow at an exponential rate,” the website says. “The campaign began with portraits of everyday Californians from all walks of life and soon rose to include politicians, military personnel, newlyweds, law enforcement, artists, celebrities and many more from across the globe. While inspired by the passage of Prop 8 and the fight for marriage equality, the scope of the NOH8 Campaign has grown to stand against discrimination and bullying of all kinds. The message of ‘No Hate’ can be interpreted and applied broadly, and everyone can relate to the message of NOH8 in their own way.”
NOH8’s photo shoot protests have since been held in 48 states and in 20 nations. “While our work continues here in the U.S., we must not forget that there are still places around the world where simply being who you are means living in fear for your life every single day. Our mission to promote love, acceptance and respect for all human beings will continue in pursuit of #NOH8Worldwide.”
First Baptist, which is affiliated with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, has long aligned itself with the principles promoted by the NOH8 Campaign and seeks to live into them through the practices of hospitality, community dialogue, diversity in membership and ministry to marginalized people, Kimmel said.
“Our mission is to promote equality and to fight against discrimination and bullying of all kinds. Years before I got here (in August 2021), this congregation took a vote to minister equally to all persons and extend to all the privileges granted to followers of Christ, including baptism, membership, ordination, marriage and leadership. And they dedicated themselves to oppose discrimination based on race, gender, age, marital status or sexual orientation.”
That calling, she added, derived in part from the core identity and theology of the church. “It’s something that this church has said about itself, that all of us are created in the image of God and valued and loved and have the same intrinsic value and worth as all their brothers and sisters.”