On being out

[bcholmes]

I just watched the documentary, Fagbug. And was inspired to write a poll:

Poll #4701 Sticker madness

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 14

View Respondents

Do you have any kind of Queer Sticker on your car?

View Answers

Yah, fer sure!
4 (30.8%)

Well, technically yes, but it's kinda subtle
0 (0.0%)

I did, but not any more
2 (15.4%)

I want to, but I'm concerned
0 (0.0%)

No
7 (53.8%)

Have you ever had an incident because of having your car marked?

View Answers

People shouting things
3 (37.5%)

Graffiti
1 (12.5%)

Broken window
1 (12.5%)

Defacing the queer sticker
3 (37.5%)

Other damage
4 (50.0%)

Have you had good experiences, specifically because of the sticker?

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People strike up conversations
3 (100.0%)

People leave me notes
0 (0.0%)

Waves or other moments while passing other vehicles
3 (100.0%)

Had an opportunity to educate
0 (0.0%)

Had an opportunity to educate
0 (0.0%)

Other?

View Answers

Damn. I meant to change the text of the last option of the third question to "other".

Comments

[eftychia]

I don't have any stickers on my car -- I mean to, but keep not getting around to it (as opposed to being afraid to). But I checked an answer to the second question anyhow, because somebody once decided to scratch a Spanish epithet into the hood of my car after they saw me getting out of it. (I'm visibly trans. A couple of Hispanic-looking guys shouted something at me when I got out of the car, and later when I came back out of the store I'd gone into, "maricon" was scratched into the hood -- which I was later told is the approximate Spanish equivalent of "faggot", so if the translation I was given is correct, the act would appear to have been a response to seeing me, rather than random vandalism.)

[trouble]

I don't have a car.

[kalmn]

sometime in the early 90's i was at wendy's and while i was inside someone put a hamburger bun (with ketchup and mustard) on top of my rainbow flag sticker. i am still not sure if that was vandalism or not.

[firecat]

The OH used to have a queer sticker on his car and we got "Fag" spray-painted on our driveway at least once a year. Neither of us has a queer sticker now. That's not directly related to the vandalism, we just got new cars and didn't get around to putting a sticker on. We probably should -- thanks for the reminder.

The local police department took the vandalism seriously and one time sent around an officer who made a point of telling us she'd just married her girlfriend in San Francisco.