A post on the Facebook group “Overheard at UMD” showed a photo of the once-vandalized and now famous car parked in Ordean Court on Monday that simply said, “Uhh what?..” The rainbow-colored VW Beetle, known as the “Fagbug,” is owned by Erin Davies, an activist who was on-campus to talk with students and show her movie “Fagbug Nation.”
Davies was victim to a hate crime in Albany, New York, because she had a rainbow sticker on her VW Beetle. The car was vandalized, left with the words “fag” and “u r gay” on the driver’s side window and hood.
Davies decided to embrace the graffiti and left it on the car. Ever since, she has traveled to all 50 states to show it off. Along the way, she has produced two films: “Fagbug” and “Fagbug Nation.” “Fagbug” was released in 2009, and is currently on Netflix. “Fagbug Nation” is the sequel documentary, and is scheduled for release on Dec. 2.
The rainbow Beetle “serves as a catalyst for our nation on the road to equality,” according to the “Fagbug” website.
Davies was invited to campus by the UMD Queer and Allied Students Union (QASU). QASU member Katrina Barnes was impressed with “Fagbug Nation,” and the popularity of its message.
“It was awesome; it was super cool,” the sophomore said. “It was really cool to see the impact that (the Fagbug) made.”
Barnes added that the event is important to have on college campuses because it shows the impact that hateful speech can have.
“Basically, someone was trying to be really negative,” Barnes added, “and (Davies) turned it around into this really awesome, positive thing.”
BY SAM STROM News Editor