Fagbug
Fagbug is a Volkswagen New Beetle owned by Erin Davies of Syracuse, New York who, in response to graffiti on her car, embarked on a trans-American road trip to raise awareness of LGBT rights.[1][2][3]
History
On April 18, 2007, Davies, an art education graduate student at Sage College of Albany, found the words "fag" and "U R gay" [sic] spray-painted on her car.[4] In response, she dropped out of college and embarked upon a video-documented, 55,000 mile (89,000 km) journey through 41 U.S. states, during which she interviewed 536 people and spoke out against hate crimes.[5][6][7] Davies received sponsorship from Volkswagen Group of America and HD Radio to use for gas money, car expenses, and the film.[8]
Erin drove her graffiti-covered car for one year, then repainted it with a rainbow flag design. Vanity Fair defined Fagbug in "Words That Shaped The Week" as: FagBug [fag buhg], noun: An adorable, polychromatic, and frequently vandalized Volkswagen Beetle designed to facilitate LGBT-tolerance.
See also
References
- ↑ Berk, Brett (February 28, 2010). "The Heartwarming Story of Fagbug". VF Daily. Stick Shift, The Gay Car Blog. Retrieved July 1, 2009.
- ↑ Raymundo, Oscar (December 19, 2007). "Driven to Spread Awareness". Current Project for Student Journalism. (Newsweek). Archived from the original on July 10, 2009. Retrieved February 28, 2010.
- ↑ Stewart, Alison (January 16, 2008). "The Adventures of a Car Named 'Fagbug'". Bryant Park Project. (National Public Radio). Retrieved August 10, 2009.
- ↑ Parry, Marc (May 1, 2007). "An act of hatred backfires". Times Union. (timesunion.com). Retrieved August 10, 2009.
- ↑ Kroll, Morgan (June 19, 2007). "Meet the bloggers: Erin Davies". The Advocate. Retrieved August 10, 2009.
- ↑ Smith, K.M. (September 1, 2007). "Activist Debuts the FagBug" (PDF). Curve. (fagbug.com). Retrieved February 28, 2010.
- ↑ Jubie, Ken (April 22, 2008). ""Fagbug" turns hate into inspiration". Capital News 9. Retrieved August 10, 2009.
- ↑ Kusner, Daniel A. "Erin Davies' Pride Ride". Retrieved 19 February 2013.
External links
- Fagbug.com
- Fagbug at the Internet Movie Database
- Erin Davies Radio Interview, National Public Radio
- Erin Davies Video Interview, Syracuse.com
- Dear Vandal, The Huffington Post
- The Fagbug Reaches All 50 States, The Huffington Post
- Fagbug Filmmaker Is Driven To Fight Intolerance And So Is Her Car, Lexington Herald-Leader
- Fagbug Car Sparks Controversy At High School, Journal Gazette
- Fagbug Vandalized Again, Vanity Fair