Famed photographer Adam Bouska, who has snapped hundreds of photos of celebrities and other LGBT activists and allies with duct tape over their mouths and the NOH8 slogan painted on their cheeks, is coming to Atlanta next month as part of a fundraiser for the campaign.

Josh Noblitt, the social justice minister at Saint Mark United Methodist Church, has helped organize the NOH8 campaign to come to Atlanta on Jan. 16. Noblitt, a victim of a hate crime that occurred in Piedmont Park in July, said spearheading this effort was one way he was trying to deal with the emotional fallout from being attacked because of who he is.

“I’m trying to make larger sense of meaning of what happened to me … as part of my journey to healing,” he told GA Voice.

Bringing the campaign to Atlanta is also a way for the city to heal, Noblitt said, and “transform hate into love as part of the 25th anniversary celebration of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.”

Capitalizing on the momentum of recent victories, most recently today’s signing by President Obama of the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” also are motivating factors in bringing the campaign to Atlanta for the very first time, Noblitt said.

For Noblitt, justice in his case is slow going. A preliminary hearing was held this week but was delayed until after the New Year.

“The court process is going on and on and on,” he said. Rather than sit back and continue to feel frustrated, Noblitt joined with others to bring the NOH8 campaign to Atlanta during MLK Weekend.

Joining Noblitt from Atlanta in bring the campaign to Atlanta are Carlton Mackey from the Emory Center for Ethics and Nikki Noto, with V-Day, a global movement that works to end violence against women and girls.

According to a press release from the NOH8 campaign, notable community members will participate in the photo shoots and the public is also invited to participate. Individual photographs are $25 and group shots are $40; children 12 and under can participate at no cost. Participants are asked to come to the shoot wearing a white shirt “and be ready to pose and make a statement.”

The photo shoots will be from 3-6 p.m. at The W Midtown.

From the NOH8 campaign website:

“On November 4, 2008, Proposition 8 passed in California, amending the state Constitution to ban same-sex marriage. The defeat provoked a groundswell of initiative within the GLBT community at a grassroots level, with many new political and protest organizations being formed in response.

“The NOH8 Campaign is a photographic silent protest created by celebrity photographer Adam Bouska and partner Jeff Parshley in direct response to the passage of Proposition 8. Photos feature subjects with duct tape over their mouths, symbolizing their voices being silenced by Prop 8 and similar legislation around the world, with "NOH8" painted on one cheek in protest.

“Nearly two years since its inception, the NOH8 Campaign has grown to over 5,500 faces and continues to grow at an exponential rate. 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.

“The NOH8 Campaign has received overwhelming support from around the world, appearing on various local and national news programs and publications. The images are currently being used on various social networking sites to spread the message of equality, predominantly Facebook and Twitter. Eventually the images are expected to be compiled for a large-scale media campaign.”

Top photo: Lt. Dan Choi posed for a NOH8 photograph this year. (Photo by Adam Bouska, courtesy NOH8 Campaign)