I'm gay and I protected your freedom - Billboard vandalized

[WillParkinson]

Billboard featuring openly gay Marine vandalized

A bold move made by the Memphis Gay and Lesbian Community Center resulted in vandalism, when a billboard featuring a gay marine was destroyed.

The billboard, which is one of five was intended to make a big statement for National Coming Out Day on Oct. 11, featured openly gay veteran Tim Smith.

The billboard features a posed photograph of Smith in uniform with the quote, “I’m gay and I protected your freedom.”

The former marine expected some backlash, but was not prepared for his image to be completely destroyed by vandals.

Unfortunately, this is not the first time Smith has been discriminated against due to his sexual orientation. Just weeks before a deployment to Iraq, Smith was kicked out of the Marines under the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy.’ “It was the result of a minister pushing the issues of my being gay and being allowed to continue to serve,” Smith revealed in an interview with myeyewitnessnews.com.

http://www.365gay.com/news/billboard-featuring-openly-gay-marine-vandalized/

The Billboard and more information:

http://blogcritics.org/culture/article/to-gay-usmc-smith-your-billboard1/

[DarthDem]

1. Grrr

So maddening. The South strikes yet another blow for intolerance and bigotry. Surprise!

This is really heartening, though:

"Despite last weekend’s vandalism, Smith believes that change is in progress and that “the person or persons who did this are of a dying breed and that kind of hate is a dying hate.” The veteran also assured myeyewitnessnews.com that, 'The billboard will go back up. As soon as the materials and prints come in, that billboard will go back up.'"


Very cool.


"The vandalism is being investigated the Memphis police as a theft of property rather than being classified as a hate crime."


Sigh - - shaking my head.

[proud patriot]

2. grrrr

:mad:

[provis99]

3. the Baron von Steuben: the gay soldier who saved America.

yep, the guy who trained America's military in the Revolutionary War, turning it from a bunch of rank amateur minutemen into a professional force, was gay.
see Conduct Unbecoming, by Randy Shilts.

guess all the right-wing military lovers wouldn't be too fond of that guy!

[ixion]

4. homophobes have latent gay tendancies, imo

which explains why they strike back with such furor.

[mitchtv]

7. Some are , I suppose , but most are straits

please don't blame the Gays

[Toasterlad]

8. You Don't Have To Be Gay To Hate Gays.

The vast majority of homophobes are straight assholes.

[donco6]

9. What this says to gay people is -

- "it's not our fault - it's 'teh gay' that turns people into assholes."

[TheWraith]

10. That was the rumor at the time...

... along with accusations that he had had improper relationships with young boys, but there's no definitive historical evidence one way or the other.

[NecklyTyler]

5. Just 'who' does the right wingers always accuse of spitting on solders?

I'll give you two guesses (like you will need that many) which side of the political aisle the people who vandalized the billboard are on.

[Name removed]

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