Fund This: LGBTQ Photo Project Designed to Empower Queer Individuals

Activist and artist Ashley Kolodner began GAYFACE in 2011 as a personal portrait-photography project. Since then, the project has gained attention for giving a voice to the LGBTQ community.

Now Kolodner has created GAY FACE: 1st Class, an offshoot of her original project, but with national ambitions.

GAYFACE: 1st Class will feature a subject photographed with her eyes closed and then her eyes open. The images are meant to be viewed together, creating a powerful juxtaposition between watching the subject when she doesn't watch you back, and then watching the subject as she watches you directly. Each subject has the option to participate in a short interview stating his or her name and an identifiable label of choice. The body of work will be projected onto buildings, landmarks, etc. as a way of superimposing an image of the gay community. Eventually, the photos will be featured in a portraiture book.

On Tuesday, Kolodner launched a Kickstarter campaign for the project. It needs just over $46,000 in order to make Kolodner's dream a reality.

Watch the video below to learn more about the campaign and project as a whole.