The last few months have been an amazing period of time for
Piero and me. It’s been challenging, new and insanely busy – which has come
with it sacrifices – but it’s been a period of where we’ve lived in the
possibility rather than in acceptance of the status quo.
Late last year, Piero decided to host a photography
exhibition in support of the Australian Marriage Equality campaign (gay people
in Australia can’t legally get married). On some levels it was a weird decision
given Piero doesn’t have any photography, exhibition or events experience. But
on the level that matters, it also made perfect sense. I believe Piero came to
Australia, like so many people, expecting to find the lucky country. He did
find that, and indeed Australia and its people are blessed, but he also found
the underbelly of our society: a simmering fear that shows up in Australian
society as hatred, anger and discrimination. Piero wants to get married and he loves
Australia: Just Like You suddenly
made perfect sense.
Piero created the idea in conjunction with a new friend
Marie-Angela – a talented photographer who had made the inspirational decision
to give up her corporate job, spend a year studying photography and then pursue
a new career aligned with her passion! Truly inspirational!
And so Just Like You
was founded and I found myself as the third member of the team. Throughout the
project our little team grew to about 6 core people and 60 volunteers and
models. What I learnt throughout the experience was that our networks are
amazing sources of skills, experience and passion. We put out the call for gay
and lesbian people to be photographed: 40 people turned up, most of whom we
didn’t know previously. We put out the call for someone to show us how to take
the photos and turn them into a hangable picture: two amazing individuals who
we didn’t know appeared! We asked and most importantly we believed and the
universe delivered.
What was so inspiring throughout the project was seeing the
passion of people for marriage equality. So many people – gay, straight or whatever
– felt so strongly about this blight of discrimination on their country – that Just Like You became a vehicle through
which they could express their support. The process became more important than
the deliverable.
The exhibition itself was an outstanding success. Hundreds
of people came to see it, the Australian
Marriage Equality campaign are using the photos as part of their lobby
work, our local MP for Sydney launched the event and it’s spurned an international
movement with similar exhibitions planned for other Australian cities and in
Europe!
Just Like You was
the vision of a banker with no photography, exhibition or events experience. It
came about because of a chance encounter with an amateur photographer. Like so
many things, it could have been one of those conversations that came to nothing.
Instead, it contributed to an excellent cause and created the most exciting few
months of my life in a long time.
Below are some links you can use to see the photos or engage
in the campaign:
