The Organ Grinder’s Monkey

Sometimes, the best marketing strategy of all is simply to do the right thing at the top of your lungs.

From her site, fagbug.com (warning: music - click speaker icon above Rock You icon to toggle):

“On the 11th annual National Day of Silence (April 18, 2007), Erin Davies was victim to a hate crime. Because of sporting a rainbow sticker on her VW Beetle, Erin’s car was vandalized, left with the words “fAg” and “u r gay” placed on the hood and driver side of her car. Despite initial shock and embarrassment, Erin has decided to embrace what happened and film a documentary about her 58-day cross country tour around the US and Canada in her car known worldwide as the fagbug.”

Today, Erin is touring in her bug, has met with people from across the country, has received official sponsorship from VW and on the 1 year anniversary of the vandalism plans to paint Fagbug to match her rainbow stickers.

Along the way she has been welcomed, harassed, stared at, talked to and asked by various parties to stay and to leave. Her car has been repeatedly re-vandalized and repaired, and she has received both threats and support. This is a woman whose bravery should make us all look a little harder at ourselves, especially when we choose not to step up and say something when it needs to be said. And it’s a lesson in just how far you can go if you commit to doing something that’s really important to you and accept the help of others along the way.

Tags: Changing the World, Conversation Economy, Society and Culture //