Gay pride, what does it mean to you? For some people, it means a sinful act and the gays will go to Hell, for others it is just showing who they are, but there are many different views of gay pride. “Don’t Hate, Just Love” is a portfolio of pictures, by Amber Hunt, showing the hate some people have toward the LGBTQ community and how the community stands up and is not being afraid to express their pride. This portfolio is called “Don’t Hate, Just love” to show people that the LGBTQ community are like everyone else in the world. The pictures within the portfolio starts out by showing the hatred that some people have for the LGBTQ community, then exemplifies how the community will stand up against the hate, and moves to how LGBTQ people are the same as everyone else, and ends on a personal note where it has pictures of the author’s own pride. The whole portfolio projects an image of what the LGBTQ people have to face in their life, from protestors to equal marriage. It also portrays the pride the LGBTQ community has in being gay and showing who they are. Each picture itself has specific color, positioning of people, and the way the pictures are organized to display the power the LGBTQ community has to stop hate.

The author makes the background black so the reader can focus on the pictures and the writing, creating a focal point. Having a dark black background and bright colorful pictures, gives a meaning of beauty in all the darkness/hate. The number one compelling icon for the LGBTQ community is the LGBTQ pride flag, which is a bold and bright rainbow striped across the flag. By displaying the vibrant rainbow of colors represents pride that is flamboyant and loud.  Knowing this, on slide 8, the bright and bold colors of the background and of the LGBTQ people express their pride. The two girls are smiling from ear to ear, the girl being carried in the top photo has her arms out carrying the flag, and in the bottom picture the way they are wrapped around in the flag kissing each other shows they are not afraid to reveal who they are. Slide 12, the girl has her arms out holding the flag, in the picture on the left, showing she embraces her pride. In the picture on right she has peace signs up showing that the LGBTQ community is peaceful and happy, unlike the hateful homophobic people above the two pictures of the girl. The hateful posters have simple and dark colors of red green and black, the two photos below it of the girl have a bright pride flag behind her. The pride of the girl and the brightness of the pride flag in the two pictures overpowers the bland, boring, and hateful posters above it, giving a meaning that pride can conquer hate. On slide 7, the writing is still present and the reader will focus on the writing and the bright longshot scene of a pride parade. The writing throughout the portfolio is white to contrast the black background so the reader does not get lost in the picture and reads the influential writing, which balances out the importance of the picture with the writing. 

The positioning of the pictures shifts the focus to a specific person or item. On slide 3, the zoomed in picture focuses on the young boy who is protesting the LGBTQ community. The child is too young to understand what he is protesting about, and the parents of this innocent child have corrupted him into thinking that it is wrong to be LGBTQ. The child will always have this view of hate against the LGBTQ community, not knowing the they are normal people. Even though people of the LGBTQ community are called “different” the community will present their love freely, like the photo on slide 5. The male couple and female couple are kissing each other in front of a crowd of protesters, giving a powerful representation of pride. The picture shows just these two couples, making it look like the homophobic protesters outnumber them. Even though they are outnumbered against the big crowd of people, they hold each other close and kiss the significant other to show that they aren’t afraid of loving who they want to love. The way the picture, on slide 9, is centered on the hands and can only see the backs and not their faces, shows how universal holding hands can be. It does not matter what genders are holding hands, the meaning is still the same. The unity of the photo brings gays and straights together by sharing the same things, like marriage and having a family. Slides 10 and 11 demonstrate how LGBTQ couples can do all of the same things, like get married and have children, as straight couples do. In both slides 10 and 11 the reader cannot see the faces of the people creating universality in the meaning of getting married and having a family. The focus on the specific person or image helps convey the meaning of having pride by zooming in on the aspects of LGBTQ pride and how love is equal no matter gender. 

The importance of the organization of the portfolio was the show a progression of negativity of the homophobic protesters to the positivity of the pride parade and people supporting the LGBTQ community. The first slide gives a clear statement of hate of the LGBTQ community, and the last slide shows two people who care for each other no matter what gender. The portfolio also starts out by displaying a broad topic then narrows down the authors personal life. A crowd of LGBTQ people and supporters, to pictures of the author and her girlfriend. Having it end on personal pictures imposes a more meaningful effect to the portfolio, making it more sentimental with the pictures of her and her loved one in the pictures. 

The hateful protest of homophobic is no match for the LGBTQ community, they community and the people in it are stronger that any hate. LGBTQ people are the same as everyone else, they can get married, have children, and love whomever they want. The progression from the homophobic posters to LGBTQ couples being married and having families to the author and her lover delivers the importance of pride. The iconic LGBTQ flag that everyone knows, stands for the pride the LGBTQ people have and the people being able to express themselves freely. The color, positioning and organization of the pictures emphasizes the powerful meaning of being proud of who you are and loving whomever you want to, not based on gender but love for that person.
