12-Year Old Creates Pillow Project, Auction for Marriage Equality

12-year-old Augusta 'Gus' Dexheimer is one of those young activists who gives you hope about the future of this country and for the future of LGBT equality.

I'll let her explain, from her Facebook page:

Hello all! Gus Dexheimer here. Would you like to help me overturn Proposition 8, which is the law that keeps gay marriage illegal in California? If you or any of your friends can't get married—which is unconstitutional—you might be interested in raising some money for the American Foundation for Equal Rights, by making a wedding pillow. I will now explain.

In February, I will have my Bat Mitzvah for which I am required to do a service project. When I first heard that gay marriage was illegal, I was nine. I was simply appalled. I don't know how old I was when I learned about gay and lesbian relationships but it was never something to hide in my family. My sister is straight, I am straight, my parents are straight, but that never has and never will matter. So when my Bat Mitzvah rolled around and I had met still more gay and lesbian people, I began to think about what I could do for them.

The Pillow Project is this:

Because I know so many artists and crafty people, I am asking you to make pillows for a silent auction in January. I bet you're familiar with the normal wedding pillow. It has two rings on it and a little boy carries it down the aisle looking cute. 

My pillows will be much more creative and exciting and they can be made out of anything. (See FAQ) They will honor same-sex marriage. I am going to give the money we raise to the American Foundation for Equal Rights, because I think that they will actually use it to make a change.

In response, more than 50 people have created pillows for Gus' benefit.

You can check out, and bid on, all the pillows that folks have created for the project, HERE.

Here's Gus' Facebook page for the event.

The live auction is this Sunday at 1211 Ravine Drive in Austin, TX from 3:00-5:00 pm. The online auction is ongoing now but ends this Sunday as well. I encourage you to give it your support.