Atheist "One Nation Indivisible" Ad Defaced

Folks are not feeling the Atheists up in Charlotte, N.C.

An Atheist group paid for this billboard to be displayed on Billy Graham Parkway last week, then out of nowhere, it was defaced:

“It was done by one or two people off on their own who decided their only recourse was vandalism rather than having a conversation,” Charlotte Atheists & Agnostics spokesman William Warren said. “It does show how needed our message is. As atheists, we want to let people know we exist and that there’s a community here.” Warren told the Observer when the sign first went up that its location wasn't intended as a rebuke to the Rev. Graham.

He said the group has added more than 50 members since the ad went up. Atheist ads are often a target for vandals. Three of 10 atheist billboards erected in Sacramento, Calif., were defaced in February, and a series of atheist bus ads was recently vandalized in Detroit.

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Haters defaced Memphis Gay and Lesbian Community Center's National Coming Out Day Billboard

My friend in Memphis (just 2 hours from my hometown) just told me about this foolishness.

Memphis Gay and Lesbian Community Center launched a National Coming Out Day billboard campaign.

Within days, one of them was defaced. An investigation will happen and Heidi Cranford Williams from the MGLCC had this to say:

We choose not to be stopped by fear; instead, our community unites in solidarity and the knowledge that we too deserve equality.

Although we are saddened by yesterday’s hateful expression of intolerance, we are proud of the local Memphian that chose to be the face on the billboard. He eagerly served our country and was forced out of the military under the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell (DADT) policy. The billboard featured him as a proud marine and displayed his brave message “I’m gay and I protected your freedom.” This bravery was met with disrespect.

We are gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender and we are proud. We will continue to champion the messages that the billboards were purchased to convey:

We want the Mid-South to know about MGLCC and the many life-saving programs we offer.

• We want to show our neighbors that we are an integral part of the community, of schools, of businesses, of churches and of families.
• We want to encourage our gay, lesbian, transgender and bisexual brothers and sisters to come out whenever possible. Coming out is an act of courage, of power and of freedom.
• We want to show that we are unafraid and unashamed to be honest about ourselves.

MGLCC is planning a unity rally to take place next weekend to show Memphis that in the face of discrimination we can peacefully unite with a message of strength, love and hope. We have formally requested that the Memphis Police Department open an investigation into the destruction of the billboard.

Stay strong, y'all. Hopefully, the cowards will be caught

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DePaul University faces 2 Hate Crimes

Drama at DePaul University, folks. Within a month, the campus has experienced 2 hate crimes...2.

Patrick Stewart was attacked on Feb 4th. He was leaving a theater when 3 men approached him.

"I fell to the ground, and the person that kicked me said, 'I know who you are and I know that you're gay,'".

Stewart describes the brutal, hate-filled attack he says he endured on Feb. 4: "That person and two other people just started kicking me and punching me and like I was pinned to the ground, so I couldn't really go anywhere."

"They were calling me things like queer and fag."

Weeks later, another hate crime was occurred. This took place at the DePaul Student Center. Posters of a Palestinian guest speaker were defaced with swastikas and Hitler-like mustache.

The school is completely embarrassed and plans on making this a top priority in their policy changes. I hoping for the best.