Design by Yosi Sergant

Get your equality on. The organization Manifest Equality will conclude their weekend of art and awareness with a slambang fiesta featuring performances by Sam Sparro, Isaac Brock of Modest Mouse, Sea Wolf, and DJ sets by Kelly Cole, The Crystal method and many others. Have your voice heard–all americans deserve equal rights. Say it loud. With a drink in your hand.

RSVP to closing@manifestequality.com, Saturday, March 6th, 8pm, 1341 Vine Street Los Angeles, CA 90028

On February 15th, 2010, Yosi Sergant asked our friend  iO to participate in Manifest Equality, a group show designed to bring awareness and policy change to laws affecting the LGBT community in America. On February 16th iO sent out a call to everyone she knew that was part of that community, asking to photograph them and their friends. Her goal was to humanize the abstracted idea of ‘gays’ in America with unposed portraits. She asked for anyone on any end of the LGBT spectrum, accepted everyone who emailed, and made appointments, first come, first serve. She had ten days to shoot. These are those faces. Video after the jump.

Self Evident Truths from iO Wright on Vimeo.

Detail of a collage by participating artist Derek Gores

Operating on a template similar to their wildly successful grass roots get-out-the-vote campaign during the run up to the ’08 election, ManifestEquality is a progressive public art project aimed at raising awareness about the discrepancy in social rights for the LGBT community in America.  A call for entries centered on the themes of Love, Equality, Justice, Civil Rights, Unity and Respect, has gone out across the land, and in two weeks a panel of judges including Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Vogue editor Lisa Love, Hammer Museum director Ann Philbin and artists Ed Ruscha and Shepard Fairey will convene in Los Angeles to choose 30 winners to be on display for the event which runs from March 3rd to 7th.

Be a part of this incredible event.  Manifest Equality for all.