Lesbian couple takes advocacy project to La Grande

Vancouver’s Sam MacKenzie and Kelly Keigwin are taking their “Love is a Radical Act” art project on the road to honor Jadin Bell, a gay high school student who recently killed himself in La Grande, Ore.

The couple campaigned for same-sex marriage in Washington state by hanging ceramic hearts around the Vancouver area to raise awareness about marriage equality. Tomorrow, they’ll distribute their heart ornaments around La Grande to support “all youth who do not receive the full love and support from their communities that they deserve,” according to a statement made by the couple.

Here’s a picture of the “(he)art bombing”:

Bell was an openly gay sophomore at La Grande High School. After experiencing bullying about his sexuality, Bell, 15, hanged himself on Jan. 19. He died several days later in a hospital.

“Actively hurting another person through words or actions should never be acceptable behavior within a community,” MacKenzie and Keigwin said.

MacKenzie and Keigwin got married in December, after same-sex marriage became legal in Washington. Their heart ornaments include a url to their blog, http://loveisaradicalact.com.

Stevie Mathieu: 360-735-4523 or stevie.mathieu@columbian.com or www.facebook.com/reportermathieu or www.twitter.com/col_politics