Family Diversity Projects-FDP

Since 1996, Family Diversity Projects has created seven award-winning traveling photo-text exhibits, featuring powerful photographs and interviews with many different types of families.

Our exhibits are designed to help reduce prejudice, stereotyping, and harassment. Our aim is to make the world a safer place for ALL people.

Our most well known exhibits are LOVE MAKES A FAMILY: Portraits of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender People and their Families; IN OUR FAMILY: Portraits of All Kinds of Families; and PIONEERING VOICES: Portraits of Transgender People.

Also changing lives across the country are ROAD TO FREEDOM: Portraits of People with Disabilities; OF MANY COLORS: Portraits of Multiracial Families; NOTHING TO HIDE: Mental Illness in the Family, and our latest exhibit, WE HAVE FAITH: LGBT Clergy and People of Faith Speak Out.

Family Diversity Projects has won awards for our ground-breaking photo-text exhibits showing the lives of a wide diversity of families. These exhibits have been created to counter prejudice and bullying, and to help those who view them to better understand the lives of those who are different from themselves.

Last year, we launched our newest exhibit - WE HAVE FAITH: LGBT Clergy & People of Faith Speak Out! The opening was a great success in five cities nationwide, and the exhibit continues to draw crowds at events in cities across the country!

WE HAVE FAITH is very close to our hearts. We are proud to be creating this exceptional and inspiring resource. WE HAVE FAITH will be used to confront the faith-based homophobia and transphobia that has led to painful and sometimes tragic consequences for so many people of faith.

Why is this exhibit important?

There are still a vast number of people of faith across the world who believe that LGBT people are sinners and should not be welcome at houses of worship as congregants or as clergy.

The WE HAVE FAITH exhibit replaces voices of bigotry and hatred with loving voices calling for full equality and inclusion of LGBT people. WE HAVE FAITH features in-depth interviews and stunning photographs of renowned LGBT and allied clergy and people from a wide range of faiths and denominations. Beautiful and honest photos of bold trailblazers with their loved ones, along with text from personal interviews shine a light on their faith as they work for equality.

The people featured in WE HAVE FAITH include Bishop Yvette Flunder, Bishop Gene Robinson, Dr. Michael Adee, Rev. Dr. Patrick Cheng, Rev. Rebecca Voelkel, Rev. Dr. Katherine Ragsdale, Rev. Mally Lloyd, Rev. Dr. Dennis Wiley, Rev. Dr. Christine Wiley, Rabbi Steve Greenberg, Rabbi Sarah Meytin, Imam Daayiee Abdullah, Rev. Darlene Garner, Rev. Candy Holmes, Rev. Jane Spahr, Rev. Jane McBride, Rev. Jen Nagel, Pastor Bradley Schmeling, Rev. Darin Easler, Rev. Ellen Petersen, Rev. Katie Morrison, Nicole Garcia, Rev. Harry Knox, Rev. Pat Bumgardner, Rev. Roland Stringfellow, Rev. Sanchez De Leon, Sung Park, Dana Beyer M.D., Joy Ladin, Rev. Kelvin Barlow-Flournoy, Rev. Ra’Shawn Barlow-Flournoy, Rev. Karpen, Macky Alston, Rev. Boon Lin Ngeo, Rev. Tim Burger, Rev. Greg Lisby, Rev. Ann Kansfield, Rev. Jennifer Aull, Val Kalende, Nick Gottlieb, Rev. Mary Foulke, Rev. Cedric Harmon, and many others.

Why do we need your donations?

We want our exhibits to reach as many people as possible, from rural to urban settings, across the United States and beyond! Many of the organizations and houses of worship that want to show our exhibits, cannot afford the basic costs, including shipping, that are necessary to keep Family Diversity Projects going.

We are asking you to help us so that we can provide these exhibits at the lowest cost possible to houses of worship, schools, libraries, etc. The more money we raise, the more this important work can be shown.

We so strongly believe that it is important to replace bigotry with positive images, and we want to share this vision in a widespread way. We have been told that our exhibits save lives and we believe this is true.

Your donation will help FDP continue to offer scholarships and reduced fees to any venue that wants to show our exhibits. In doing so, your donation allows FDP to continue to function while working to make sure our exhibits touch as many lives as possible.

Who is Family Diversity Projects?

PEGGY GILLESPIE is a certified social worker and freelance journalist. She is co-founder and co-director of Family Diversity Projects and is the editor for all of their projects.

GIGI KAESER is an early childhood educator and photographer. She is co-founder and co-director of Family Diversity Projects and is the photographer for all of their projects.