fag bug

[RM260boy]

http://fagbug.com/
i found this while nosing around on the web:

What is it??
On the 11th annual National Day of Silence (April 18, 2007), I was faced with an unfortunate tragedy, being victim to a hate crime. Because of sporting a rainbow sticker on my VW Beetle, my car was vandalized in red spray paint with the words "fAg" and "u r gay" placed all over the hood and driver side of my car. Despite immediate shock and embarassment, I've decided to embrace what happened and keep driving my car as it is in order to bring more public awareness to the blatant homophobia that exists in our society.

fagbug.com is activism on wheels!



Mission:
To drive my fagbug on a cross country trip and take it to as many diverse communities as possible. I will be gathering feedback for my fagbug documentary which will teach us about the intolerance that exists in our society. The goal is to get as many people as possible to add fagbug rainbow stickers to their cars so that no one else will be targeted like I was again. Until that happens, my car will stay as is!

this lady deserves our cheers

[tpdncr4christ]

she deserves more than just applause, she deserves a medal.

[BrianB]

Here are some virtual rainbow stickers for the car. What a great idea!

[Britt.]

Thought that was pretty awesome myself when I read it. I didn't see any fagbug stickers on her site though.

[Dash]

Makes me wanna get spray-painted and be an itinerate activist! I don't have a car, but maybe my bicycle or my forehead...

Anyway...it's a good idea. Perfect in terms of Gandhian methods I think: Nonretaliation...noncompliance with the unjust social rules... Good for her!

[Daniel]

Talk about making lemonade out of lemons.....and I don't mean the car. What an amazing response. You go girl!

[suzer1013]

Thanks for posting this story. The Fagbug thing is really taking off! She has an agent now, and the bumper stickers and t-shirts will be out soon. I'm not sure when her cross-country trip starts, but it will happen this summer.

I really am impressed with her response to this -- this really is a case of spreading a positive message nonviolently in response to a violent message.

One thing I think is interesting, is how our opposition, when confronted with Truth, will go to all lengths to deny the reality of it. Remember when the Equality Ride bus was spray painted with anti-gay graffiti and some conservative "Christians" dared to say that the Riders did it themselves? Now someone has accused this young woman of defacing her OWN car with anti-gay slurs! Unbelievable. In fact, it reminds me a bit of the whole denial of the existence of hate crimes (or need for protection therefrom) we've seen elsewhere.

I think we need to support this young woman. I am hoping she will come to the Atlanta area.

Susan

[Vanessa White]

Hey all: I just sent her off an email, and asked her about the stickers. Also, I told her in the email about Soulforce, and invited her to check it out. She would fit right in around here. I love her spirit. Peace all, Vanessa

[Vanessa White]

Howdy all: I got an email yesterday, from Erin Daniels, whose car was vandalized with the word "fag", which she is keeping on there, travelling around the country, and selling stickers to bring light to anti-gay bigotry. Her website is up and running, and she has the stickers for $3.00 each, in the shape of a VW beetle, and they say "fagbug" with a rainbow design. THey are way cool!!! Also, when she emailed me, she told me that she wants to visit some colleges with her message and vehicle, so any of you that are able or interested, let her know. I may have her come to our University if I can swing it. www.fagbug.com. Peace! Vanessa

[Progo35]

You know what's interesting? I love rainbows, and I would put them on my car without a second thought about them being a "gay" symbol. Thus, I wouldn't assume that everyone with a rainbow sticker was gay or even meant it that way. I wonder what I should do if I got such hate scrawls on my car: make a bumper sticker that says, "Ummm...I'm not gay. You happy now???"

Although, I hope that the word fag would be relegated to this sort of thing and that gay poeple would not start calling themselves that, just as I don't think that black people should call themselves niggers. A "hate word" that I've dealt with in my own life is "Sped" which was originally short for Special Education but is now being used to describe anyone who does irresponsible or embarassing things. Of course, everyone who's learning disorder isn't a secret is labled this way in places where the word is used, and I would never "take back the word" by using it for myself: its using a word that should have been flushed down the sociological toilet in the first place and can only contaminate us with its filth.

[Vanessa White]

I agree with you in regard to language, and taking it back in a manner of speaking. I personally, like embracing the word "queer", because I like the way it sounds to me when I use it about myself, I feel prideful in some odd way!! I don't particularly like the word "dyke" though, and I agree with you totally about the word "sped"- I have absolutely no tolerance for that, and it diminishes totally the struggles of a person who has a disability that he/she has struggled with. I do like Erin's idea to not let those that try to deter her to empower herself to show others what some people will stoop to in order to make a point... Progo, you have given me an idea for a new thread. Hmmmmmm........

[u-dog]

Progo,

I see and understand your point and I honestly don't know if it is the same for specially abled persons as it is other "non-mainstream" folks but I suspect that it may not be that different. I think that the ONLY way to suck the power of those epithets is to claim them and use them.

Attempting to "flush" them and nurturing our outrage about them only recharges them and gives ammo to those who wish to be outrageous.

I remember so well the power of the word s "fag" and "queer" to dehumanize and devalue me and others when I was in Jr. High School. I love it that there are now "Queer Studies" majors in Universities and "Queer theology" and "Queer Culture" We have claimed the word and its power to hurt and have used it as one of the building blocks in the future we are building for oursselves. It is truly awesom.

[Progo35]

Although, the etymology of the word queer raises an interesting contrast. In Victorian times, "queer" referred to somone or something odd, out of place, or inexplicable. These are not necessarily bad traits-so I could understand gay individuals adopting this word, because it could be empowering through its association with uniqueness. Fag, however, has no such history. I'm not sure where "dyke" came from, dikes are, of course, levys for preventing floods, but how that got associated with gay women, I have no clue.

I agree that Erin's thing is a great idea-good for her. There are some individual times when such words can be used in a "take back" context, but in this situation she was responding to someone else's threat against her, not using it to describe herself or a gay aquaintence.

In terms of "specially abled" that is okay but I don't think that it really communicates the nature of such conditions. I do think that there is room to associate different learning styles with different languages or to study how physically disabled people get around in determining how to refer to that.

Interesting thoughts....

[BrentRichards]

A lot has to do with emotional associations too ... though "queer" is in more and more common usage, I can't bring myself to use it, because it was the primary anti-gay slur my peers used when I was in school ... it has baggage for me. "Fag" on the other hand, just doesn't do much to me ... I call myself a "fag" in gay contexts at times, though I don't appreciate it when straight people use it.

You're right that "fag" has more negative connotations. A lot of people think (I have no evidence one way or the other) it is a reference to burning at the stake ... hardly nice. But other symbols come to us from persecution, too ... the Pink Triangle was used to identify homosexuals in Nazi concentration camps, and was later co-opted by the gay-rights movement (though I understand many in Germany will still have nothing to do with it).

[Zerbie]

Originally Posted by BrentRichards

A
You're right that "fag" has more negative connotations. A lot of people think (I have no evidence one way or the other) it is a reference to burning at the stake ... .

It is. It comes from the French word for the pieces of wood one uses to start a fire.

[suzer1013]

I have been trying, with absolutely NO LUCK (please note frustration! ), to get GLBT folks in the area interested in having Fagbug to come to Atlanta. Soulforce Atlanta posted an inquiry, and no one has responded. I've had a couple of nibbles, but no one has jumped on the bandwagon.

I'm really surprised and irritated by the lack of interest in this in the GLBT community. I don't have the power or connections to create an event for Fagbug myself -- I have no idea what venue could be used, and she won't be here for Pride weekend (she'll be in NYC). Another thing going against Fagbug is that she is traveling during the summer, when most college communities (which would be perfect for this) are not very active. Most students have gone home already.

I've contacted everyone I can think of -- even a local GLBT friendly politician, who used her contacts, none of whom have shown interest. The local GLBT paper, the ministers I've contacted, other activists -- absolutely no responses from them.

What gives?

Susan

[Vanessa White]

Hey suzer: In her email to me, Erin told me that she will also be doing some college visits in the Fall. I am not sure how full her summer calendar is, so maybe you can stir some interest for a fall visit. I feel your frustration as far as getting your local LGBT community involved. Not for the fagbug visit, but Mia and I have had a similar experience in trying to start a local Soulforce-like chapter here in the Scranton, PA. area. Our least active members to be, are those that are in our own LGBT community. It makes sense from a invisibility-for-protection perspective, but is frustrating nonetheless. The purpose for us with this group is to make us more visible, in a very human, nonthreatening, we-are-your-neighbors-and-no-threat-to-you kind of way. It really stinks..... but we have not lost hope yet......

[paulee]

I wish you good luck and be safe. I wish I had your guts. I will be looking out for you.
paul

Originally Posted by RM260boy

http://fagbug.com/
i found this while nosing around on the web:

What is it??
On the 11th annual National Day of Silence (April 18, 2007), I was faced with an unfortunate tragedy, being victim to a hate crime. Because of sporting a rainbow sticker on my VW Beetle, my car was vandalized in red spray paint with the words "fAg" and "u r gay" placed all over the hood and driver side of my car. Despite immediate shock and embarassment, I've decided to embrace what happened and keep driving my car as it is in order to bring more public awareness to the blatant homophobia that exists in our society.

fagbug.com is activism on wheels!



Mission:
To drive my fagbug on a cross country trip and take it to as many diverse communities as possible. I will be gathering feedback for my fagbug documentary which will teach us about the intolerance that exists in our society. The goal is to get as many people as possible to add fagbug rainbow stickers to their cars so that no one else will be targeted like I was again. Until that happens, my car will stay as is!

this lady deserves our cheers