Langevin comes out in support of LGBT rights

Langevin Featured In NOH8 On the Hill Campaign For Marriage Equality

Washington, D.C. - Congressman Jim Langevin (RI-02) today released his official portrait from the NOH8 On The Hill photo event, where he joined other lawmakers posing with NOH8’s iconic face tattoo and duct tape, in a symbolic demand for marriage equality for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community.

“I am proud to lend my support to the NOH8 campaign that has engaged tens of thousands of supporters and sends a clear message to the American people: we will not tolerate inequality,” said Langevin. 

“NOH8 started in response to Proposition 8, but its message is just as applicable to racial inequality, gender discrimination and other all-too-familiar stories that remind us our work is not yet done. Together, we can break the silence and lend a voice to everyone who has been the victim of hate speech or violence. Together, we can win the fight for equality.”

Co-founders Adam Bouska and Jeff Parshley launched the NOH8 non-profit in response to California’s Proposition 8, which amended the state’s Constitution to ban same-sex marriage. The NOH8 Campaign is a photographic protest featuring individuals with duct tape over their mouths as a symbol of their voices being silenced by laws like DOMA and Prop 8. 

Additionally, participants don the NOH8 face tattoo symbolizing solidarity with others supporting equality. The NOH8 Campaign promotes marriage and gender equality through social media and has featured over 33,000 subjects. Langevin joins more than 120 Members of Congress who have participated in NOH8 On The Hill photo events over the past three years.

“This year’s event really showed how far we have come in so short a time,” NOH8 co-founder and photographer Adam Bouska said. “Equality and freedom appear to be highly contagious.” 

Additional information about the campaign is available online here.