Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Child autism activist joins NOH8 campaign

From On Top Magazine:

Emily Lopez, the 10-year-old founder of Lemonaid 4 Autism, has posed for the NOH8 Campaign, which raises funds and awareness to defeat Proposition 8, California's voter-approved gay marriage ban.

Emily was photographed with NOH8 Campaign founders Adam Bouska and his partner Jeff Parshley. Her mouth is duct taped and the campaign's familiar “NOH8” slogan is written on one cheek as the three peer out from one of her lemonade stands.

Emily started her lemonade stands at the age of 5 to bring awareness to the disease that has afflicted her older brother Tony.

“No one should be hated or not given rights to live like everyone else,” Carrie Lopez, Emily's mother, wrote in a post at her blog. “Why do we always feel the need to sit and tell people how horrible they are? Why can't we sit and accept each other?”

Emily posted the picture on the group's Facebook profile.

“If [there] is one thing Emily has taught me, it is to look beyond the cover and see inside,” she added.

Famous faces involved in the NOH8 Campaign include: Tommy Joe Ratliff, rocker Adam Lambert's bass guitarist, Isiah Thomas, men's basketball coach of the Florida International University Golden Panthers, and his son, Joshua Zeke Thomas, actress Tori Spelling and Cindy McCain, wife of Arizona Senator John McCain, and their daughter Meghan, a pro-gay Republican.