SPECTRUM, Union’s Gay-Straight Alliance, presents a talk about hate crimes by 29-year-old Erin Davies on Thursday, June 7 at 5 p.m. in the Reamer Campus Center Auditorium.
Davies, a graduate student at Sage, had her 2002 Volkswagen Beetle spray-painted with the words “fAg” and “u r gay” in April. The crime occurred on the 11th annual “National Day of Silence” when college students nationwide demonstrated against anti-gay harassment.
Davies, who has been out about her sexuality for a dozen years, decided to use the vandalism as way to promote awareness of homophobia. She created two Web sites and visits high schools, colleges and gay activist rallies nationwide. Armed with special T-shirts and stickers, she plans to drive her Bug cross-country until 1 million stickers have been purchased for display on cars.
“We felt this was a good opportunity for a speaker to address an important, relevant issue on campus,” said Spectrum President John Francis '09. “People don’t seem to realize that hate crimes aren’t isolated events happening just here at Union. They impact people everywhere on multiple levels.”