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Fagbug - College student turns anti-gay graffiti into activism
I think this is a great story and well worth sharing/discussing.
From Towleroad: http://www.towleroad.com/2007/05/sage_student_er.html
Sage Student Erin Davies Turns Hate into Tolerance Campaign
Erin Davies, a student at Sage College in New York, was targeted by anti-gay vandals when her VW Beetle was sprayed with the words "U R gay" and fag" in mid-April, most likely because the vehicle has a rainbow sticker affixed to its bumper. The incident occurred on the national "Day of Silence" in which students across the country use silence as a means to bringing awareness to intolerance and homophobia.
Instead of having the car cleaned up, Davies says she plans to use it to spread a message of tolerance and take it on a cross-country trip this summer with the hateful messages still emblazoned across its windows.
She told Capital News 9, "I'm sure I'm not the first person this has happened to, but I might be the first person who has been okay driving it around, putting it out there and letting people become more aware of it and decide, you know, how do we stop this from happening?"
Davies has started a website called FagBug to chronicle her activism. She says she plans to have people attach "FagBug" stickers to her VW as she travels across country.
On Monday, students at Sage college held a rally to support Davies. She told the Troy Record, "I came out 12 years ago, so this isn't news to me. But even as I drove through my neighborhood in the rental car, I was stopped by friends and acquaintances and asked what I planned to do next. I want to make this visible so people can see that hate crimes still happen."
Erin Davies, a student at Sage College in New York, was targeted by anti-gay vandals when her VW Beetle was sprayed with the words "U R gay" and fag" in mid-April, most likely because the vehicle has a rainbow sticker affixed to its bumper. The incident occurred on the national "Day of Silence" in which students across the country use silence as a means to bringing awareness to intolerance and homophobia.
Instead of having the car cleaned up, Davies says she plans to use it to spread a message of tolerance and take it on a cross-country trip this summer with the hateful messages still emblazoned across its windows.
She told Capital News 9, "I'm sure I'm not the first person this has happened to, but I might be the first person who has been okay driving it around, putting it out there and letting people become more aware of it and decide, you know, how do we stop this from happening?"
Davies has started a website called FagBug to chronicle her activism. She says she plans to have people attach "FagBug" stickers to her VW as she travels across country.
On Monday, students at Sage college held a rally to support Davies. She told the Troy Record, "I came out 12 years ago, so this isn't news to me. But even as I drove through my neighborhood in the rental car, I was stopped by friends and acquaintances and asked what I planned to do next. I want to make this visible so people can see that hate crimes still happen."
Full story and more information here: http://www.fagbug.com/
I don't think I'd have the courage to do what she's doing. The word "fag" still makes me want to crawl into a hole and blush to death with embarrassment and shame, which I know is the wrong reaction but I can't help it.
Anyway, just wondering everyone else's thoughts are regarding this. Do you think she's doing the right thing? What would you do?
Submitted by
Koma (10150 posts)
on May 31, 2007 - 11:19am.