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A simple rainbow sticker elicits a hate crime when Erin Davies’s VW Beetle is spray-painted with the word “fag.” After the initial shock and embarrassment, Erin dubs her car “fagbug” and transforms the ugly incident into an opportunity to raise awareness about homophobia in American society. Armed with her besmirched bug and a video camera, she embarks on an impromptu 58-day, cross-country trip as both outreach and experiment, documenting her experiences as she takes her campaign through some of the country’s most conservative communities.
Davies notes the way she and her car are treated at hotels and gas stations, on highways, and in residential areas. She travels to several towns where young men have been murdered for being perceived as gay. On her journey, epithets are shouted and rocks are thrown: bigotry lives on. But there are also countless Good Samaritans who attempt to remove the hateful word from her car or otherwise assist her on her provocative odyssey. Through it all, Davies finds friends, family, and allies offering their encouragement and support, even in the unlikeliest of places.
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