13 Love Stories to Overturn Prop. 8

As the California Supreme Court sits down to hear oral arguments against Proposition 8, UCLA Art | Global Health Center will present an important and timely multimedia project by South African photographer Gideon Mendel entitled 13LoveStories.com .

The project tells the stories of 13 LGBT couples in their own words - married couples, mostly from Riverside and Los Angeles counties. The racial and ethnic diversity of the group shows how Prop. 8 stripped away rights from a large portion of the population.

The videos are available to view online and a second phase of the project will take place from 10am-2pm on Thursday at UCLA in Bruin Plaza. From 12-1, participants in the project will appear to share their stories, followed by a live concert performance.

Mendel led the creative efforts for 13LoveStories.com. He has spent years documenting the plight of AIDS in Africa and, in 2007, photographed 12 individuals living with HIV/AIDS in Los Angeles for an emotionally moving project called "HIV Positive in LA."

All of the 13 videos are available to view here on Advocate.com. For more information on the 13 Love Stories project, visit www.13LoveStories.com .