Students who see a rainbow-colored Volkswagen Beetle called Fagbug Thursday on campus should not be alarmed - the bug is a vehicle for awareness.
The vehicle will be on display Thursday starting at 3:30 p.m. on the east side of the L.A. Pittenger Student Center lawn. It is the topic of the documentary "Fagbug," which will be shown on Thursday at 5 p.m. in the Fine Arts Building Room 217.
Erin Davies, who created the documentary after her own experiences, has been traveling around the country for five years. She will have a dialogue with the audience after her documentary.
The event is hosted by the Multicultural Center and Spectrum and is open to all students.
In 2007, Davies' car was vandalized with the words "fag" and "u r gay." Instead of removing the vandalism, she traveled around the country to encourage dialogue about hate crimes. Davies documented her journey in her film "Fagbug," which went on to win more than 25 awards.
Davies said she drives the Fagbug on a daily basis to raise awareness about hate crimes and homophobia.
"My target audience is the general public, everyone who comes across my car on the road," Davies said. "I feel being visible is important. So often, people let bullying intimidate and shame. It's time for that to change."
Barry Hawkins, assistant director of student life, said the event is to educate all of campus and encourage dialogue.
"It's a message of diversity [that] maybe not all students have engaged in," he said. "It's a way to start conversation and bring about awareness to people who may not have been aware of these issues before."
After the documentary, Davies will speak with the audience to encourage such a conversation and spread the message.
Spectrum member and senior Lucas Lindsey said the message of acceptance is relevant for everyone to hear, and Davies' story is a way to showcase it.
"She took hate speech against her and used it to spread awareness to an entire nation," he said. "She turned something negative into a positive."
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