Hi guys! Today I am excited to welcome back artist Paul Richmond. As many of you know, I am a HUGE fan of Paul’s work (and featured him here).  Today he is here to talk to us about a fundraiser he is doing to support marriage equality, an issue dear to my heart and most of yours.  So please join me in welcoming Paul and check out how you can join in!

Several years ago, I painted Noah’s Gay Wedding Cruise to express my optimism about the marriage equality movement. I believed we were on the cusp of great progress, and I chose to symbolize our inevitable victory with my own version of the Noah’s Ark story. I painted a grand ark/cruise ship filled with happy gay and lesbian animal couples and a few human guests too (like Ellen DeGeneres/Portia de Rossi, and Elton John/David Furnish). There are even some drowning sinners (such as Ann Coulter, Larry Craig, Sally Kern, and Fred Phelps)!

Noah's Gay Wedding Cruise Special Edition

Noah’s Gay Wedding Cruise Special Edition

Fast-forward to now. Indeed we have come a long way! Twelve states have legalized gay marriage, and important decisions about DOMA and Proposition 8 are being considered by the Supreme Court. Unfortunately I still live in a state where I am not allowed to get married, but Dennis and I have decided to do it anyway. We are excited to be a part of a special initiative by the group MarriageEvolved called C-Bus of Love. Along with 24 other LGBT couples (who also can’t get married in their home states), we will be traveling by bus to Washington D.C. this June to get married on the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court.

Josh and Steve Lowres

Josh and Steve Snyder-Hill

In honor of this, I’m releasing a special new print — Noah’s Gay Wedding Cruise: MarriageEvolved Edition. It’s an update of my original painting with the addition of Joshua and Steve Snyder-Hill, the two founders of MarriageEvolved. Steve is the soldier who was booed during the Republican primaries last year after asking a question about Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. The incident caused great controversy for the candidates who did nothing to discourage the crowd from booing someone serving their country. I can’t imagine the bravery it must have taken to out himself on international television while on active duty. Together, he and Joshua have championed the cause of marriage equality, even fighting DOMA on the national level to establish equality for LGBT military spouses, and they won’t rest until everyone in this country who wants to get married will have the right to do so. I’m proud that they are our friends and thrilled to add them to the crew of Noah’s Gay Wedding Cruise — especially since they are the co-captains of our own upcoming wedding excursion!

100% of the profits from the sale of Noah’s Gay Wedding Cruise: MarriageEvolved Edition will be donated to MarriageEvolved to help pay for the C-Bus of Love trip and future advocacy work of the organization. It’s an important, worthwhile cause and I encourage everyone to show their support by purchasing a limited-edition print today. They are available in three different sizes in my online store HERE.

  • 13″ x 11″ – $35
  • 20″ x 16″ – $75
  • 26″ x 20″ – $150
Paul and Dennis

Paul and Dennis

Visit the C-Bus of Love website to learn more about our upcoming road trip for equality. And check out our wedding bio while you’re there!

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