On November 4, 2008, California voters passed Proposition 8 which denied gays and lesbians the legal right to marry in this state. For several days after that vote, gays, lesbians and their straight friends marched in the streets of L.A. to protest the discriminatory vote and ballot measure. With CNN broadcasting images around the world, the gay-rights movement in this state and across the country, has never been the same, inspiring people to demand equality for the gay community. In California, the costly fight to legalize same-sex marriage is far from over. To that end, artist Shepard Fairey has teamed with local gay-rights groups FAIR and HOMOtracker to throw The Love Unites Shepard Fairey Equality Project , a swanky fundraiser at the Andaz in West Hollywood, where Fairey will spin tunes and unveil celebrity-customized prints of his famous “Defend Equality Love Unites” image, which the public can buy through an online auction. Julia Roberts, Robert De Niro, Marc Jacobs, Scarlett Johansson, Dave Matthews, Jared Leto and Natalie Portman are just some of the celebs involved in the project. With more expensive legal and political battles down the road, building a sizable war chest for the gay-rights cause is imperative.

Thu., Nov. 12, 8-11 p.m., 2009

Advertising disclosure: We may receive compensation for some of the links in our stories. Thank you for supporting LA Weekly and our advertisers.