Rainbow/Queer Flags/Bumper Stickers--Yes/No?

[Soon]

Originally Posted by Starbuck

I'm interested, Laerkin, what does your personalized tag say??

Originally Posted by Laerkin

Living in Virginia, not far from Fort Belvoir, Quantico, and Dahlgren, there have certainly been a number of hate crimes over the years.

During the Presidential election, two Marines assaulted a woman for simply having an Obama sticker on her car.

I had one on my car at the time and it certainly made me a little more aware of the target I had on my bumper in an area that is highly conservative and religious.

After a minor fender bender where I lost my rear bumper (and thus, my stickers), I recently decided to just throw caution to the wind and make a statement, haters be damned.

My license plate is now personalized and advertises to the world that yes, the owner is in fact a queer.

And I added a rainbow sticker (six little kitties) to my rear windshield.

The only time I've had anyone pause is when a few coworkers saw it (straight, conservative ones). But nothing untoward was said.

Like CTW, I mostly get other folks within the community speeding up or slowing down to take a peek at who's in the car and I smile and wave. I'm sure my "out"ness offends some of the people around here, but I think Virginia could use a little more queer.

On a side note, I do feel more pressure to drive respectfully. When I'm out on the country roads or in small town VA, I feel this odd responsibility to not drive like an asshole lest it gives some redneck one more excuse to hate gays. Is that weird?

Here is where she answered!!

It seems you missed her response!

i make it obvious that i am part of the LBGQT community! i always have a rainbow flag in my window. the last remark i got on that,however, was "ma'am, you sure do have a purty flag in yore window!" LoL when i drove, i always had a LBGQT emblem on my car. i even have the human rights emblem on my cane, along with the words, "butch, femme, queer" albeit they are prob so small that no-one can see them! i take pride in being part of this community and have always tried to subvert the dominant paradign!
pres

[Julien]

I am happy to say I have a rainbow sticker on my car. I live in a less than progressive southern city. So I don't see the rainbow sticker or any LGBT identifications out there. I am told they exist, but they must be far and few between. I am concerned about what would happen if a less than accepting individual made the connection of Pride Flag with LGBT, but I figured that in general they wouldn't know what it meant. When I lived in Milwaukee there were stickers and flags everywhere. Even the city flew the flag during the summer. What a site.

[morningstar55]

for years i have had some sort of rainbow sticker on my car... and now truck..
a small flag hangs from my passenger side visor and a sguiggle on my driver window.
i have never ever had any attacks of any kind made about them.

[Soon]

Apologies, Starbuck--I see now what you were asking in regards to Laerkin's personalized tags!

Thanks for responding to this thread everyone--I forgot about it!

[bigbutchmistie]

I have a rainbow peace sign on my back window with a license plate holder that has a rainbow strip... I have been run off the road, shot at.. I will never stop being me because some idiot cant handle it...

[asphaltcowboi]

i dont put bumper stickers on just because... but i do have a sticker on the back of my helment. never been harrassed.. maybe im lucky.. but i have been harassed for my T shirt that says "my other ride is your mother" but i think anyone would!

[Tommi]

Originally Posted by AtLastHome

OK, wondering if we have a bit of difference going on between Butches and Femmes with this (including all gender variations, thereof)? Talking overall, I see a few posts to the contrary, but a trend, too. Seems like (and for obvious reasons), butches may not be inclined to sticker our bumpers!

Wait...I do my windows versus my bumpers.

After putting my Pride stickers on my car I felt a sense of Pride. And a sense of community when people pull up and wave and smile.

Back window of my SUV has a row of tall palm trees in Pride colors. Beneath the palm trees is another sticker of people holding hands in Pride colors.

I live in an area where my Ex, who lives a mile away, had the HRC = signs shaved off the trash cans that were put outside for the garbage truck pick-up.

I live in an area where the gay bars were closed and people were bashed and arrested, and Anita Bryant marched in the 70's. Gay's say I live behind the Orange Curtain.

i live in an area where to be gay is not popular, and our Gay Pride events were not held for 7 years. BUT, we are coming back.

This year Orange County Pride held our first Gay Pride event at the Verizon Amphitheater. I was the Face Painter in the Children's Corner. and many adults wanted rainbow flags

This June I held the first ever LGBT Pride event at work. Gay Pride flags flew inside and outside a very large exposed Federal Building I work in. I had speakers from PFLAGG and Out and Equal. Attendance was huge and mostly straight folks with questions and sincerity about concerns for gay family members. I started a Diversity Committee, because, well, I knew I just did not want to die in silence. I grew up in a town that was silent and violent, and had a father who hated me for being gay. So, guess my time is now.

[Tommi]

Originally Posted by cody

i dont put bumper stickers on just because... but i do have a sticker on the back of my helment. never been harrassed.. maybe im lucky.. but i have been harassed for my T shirt that says "my other ride is your mother" but i think anyone would!

I have similar shirt with great motorcycle on it.

...Says :

My Other Ride is Your Girl. which some one who posted above sent to me.

[1PlayfulFemme]

I have always had pride stickers on my cars. Partially, being femme, it helps me to not feel so invisible! The other part, for me at least, is that feeling of community that Tommi was talking about!

I live in a tiny lil town in the south. Like many here, the KKK runs rampant, hate mongers are all around. But they can't have my pride.

Currently, the truck has a rainbow basketball sticker (I have a sticker waiting to go on it that says Hate Is Not A Family Value). The Rav has several rainbows..we're a very gay friendly family *G*

[TIMBERWOLF]

I too have always had some sort of Rainbow on my trucks. I have a wolf howling with a rainbow background on my back window,I also have feathers with rainbow ribbon painted on my cane thanks to Morningstar.
My Lady WT, has rainbow palm trees

TIMBER

[TickledPink]

I have a cute little rainbow dog on my car.

[Greyson]

For most of my adult life my cars and trucks have sported rainbow decals of some sort. Up until I partnered with a mom. I struggle with how the child may be shamed, judged and/or shunned by her peers and closed minded adults. For this reason I do not put rainbow decals on my autos. I get the impression that some think Queer people go through life saying, " Hi I am so and so and my entire life and identity is about being Queer. Pleased to meet you."

[EnderD_503]

Originally Posted by Greyson

I get the impression that some think Queer people go through life saying, " Hi I am so and so and my entire life and identity is about being Queer. Pleased to meet you."

This is something I've been thinking a lot about, or maybe always have. I've never really been the "Hi my name is X and btw I'm queer how 'bout you?" type, only really seeing this as one part of my life and identity. But I'm finding that the longer I move through the world and come up against ignorance and resistance toward the lgbt community, the more I find that part of my life and identity comes to the forefront. It's certainly nowhere near being all there is to me, but the more the anger builds up against the ignorance I experience, the more that aspect of me becomes consciously visible.

It makes me think that perhaps many, even though resistant to being one of those you described above, are almost forced into being that way in part out of mounting irritation with the ignorance they encounter in every day life. This is a trait I consciously watch out for more and more, because I don't want to be so angry of a person that I feel the need to shove that rage down the throats of the ignorant, since I do think there are more productive ways of educating...at the same time you just find yourself wanting shatter limited world views.

[Brewcityboi]

Originally Posted by Graphiteta2s

I am happy to say I have a rainbow sticker on my car. I live in a less than progressive southern city. So I don't see the rainbow sticker or any LGBT identifications out there. I am told they exist, but they must be far and few between. I am concerned about what would happen if a less than accepting individual made the connection of Pride Flag with LGBT, but I figured that in general they wouldn't know what it meant. When I lived in Milwaukee there were stickers and flags everywhere. Even the city flew the flag during the summer. What a site.

Milwaukee is a great city. They fly the flags all down 1st and 2nd street, (the fruit loop as they fondly call it) even into parts of downtown all during june. Even the burger bar changes its logo to have a rainbow apostrophe. We're a very open minded city. Every time i've had a rainbow sticker on my car no one has had an issue with it. Every time i see one, i have to look and see who is inside. Most of my friends are gay and they all have their cars plastered with the fabulousness of rainbow stickers. Go mil-town!

[lipstixgal]

Originally Posted by bigbutchmistie

I have a rainbow peace sign on my back window with a license plate holder that has a rainbow strip... I have been run off the road, shot at.. I will never stop being me because some idiot cant handle it...

Seriously?? I don'T have anything on my car but should have a rainbow flag, my rabbi has a rainbow strip on her car and doesn't have any trouble at all not that I know of!!

[Rook]

A few things...

1- Snow, Amor, Chuleria, that just tickled me Pink ...in Ohio, you're all about the Bumper-Stickers, but Florida's scary ??....Damn...lol...That was priceless...

2- I honestly don't care who says what, it's my car...As long as it's not Illegal, fuck-em-all...I understand those who cannot Risk it, jobs, health....Life, in some narrowminded towns...
Believe me, I've been there, done that ....
Which is why I always carry a small box cutter, just in case a few bullies think they can actually overpower, Mace isn't as effective or Painful, and since in the state of Ohio "Hate Crime" Laws don't apply to gay & lesbians per se.....Better to be prepped...No?

Unfortunately, in the Town I currently live in, they {townies & most students} Equate rainbow with "tree-hugging" hippy-pot smokin' Radical Liberal...

My car has 4 stickers...

1- "My Ferret is Smarter than your Honor Student" with a few ferrets on it for emphasis...

2- "You are NOT alone" in white with a Rainbow in the background..

3- "Keep Honking, I'm Deaf" with 2 thumbs up..

4- "Can I vote on YOUR Marriage now? Civil Marriage IS a Civil Right"

[Soon]

Sooooooooo....I finally put up a small rainbow magnet in my classroom....

....vanished/taken/removed/stolen (?) in the third week of school. (after a grade nine night where parents could see it).

The few coworkers I have discussed this with think it is a student--I disagree.

I think someone from Admin. came in and snatched it away when I called in sick one day.

I am just floored and bought fifty dollars of new magnets and will put another and another and another up.

So pissed.

[Tcountry]

I have the blue/gold HRC equality sticker on the back window of my suv.....pretty safe cause most people round here have no clue what it is...lol

[Odarlin]

Yep, I don't think a lot of straight people necessarily connect the rainbow flag stickers with "GAY". Gay is not on the radar thar.

I live in an area where there are so many gay people, rainbow flag stickers are considered kinda passé.

I have one because I remember the thrill of seeing one in less gay areas I have lived and I’m all passé like that.

It is a cute little rainbow heart fer love, baby.