Erin Davies, in front of her car vandalized with anti-gay graffiti, in 2007.

Have you RSVP‘d for the hate crimes event on April 19? You really should! It is shaping up to be a dynamic and inspirational event!

For those of you who have missed the first half-dozen times I’ve talked about it, Erin Davies and her world-famous “Fag Bug” are returning to Las Vegas on Friday, April 19! We will view a clip of her documentary, “fagbug,” which chronicles her journey from finding her VW Bug vandalized with anti-gay hate speech, to deciding to take it on the road, and all the people — fellow victims of hate crimes and people who have committed hate crimes, alike. April 19 is the National Day of Silence, this will actually be the 6th anniversary of Erin’s car being vandalized! In addition, we will have a panel of community leaders talking about hate crimes.

Right now I want to encourage you to RSVP for this fantastic, FREE event! And while you’re at it… why not have a house party to watch the full fagbug documentary before Erin gets here? It’s available free online via Hulu and other portals! Or, you can rent it from Netflix. This is a great way to get the full history and breadth of Erin’s Fag Bug project and her mission to dismantle hate speech and anti-gay stereotypes! Plus, you’ll be ready with your questions and comments for Erin at the April 19 event! *If you want to publicize your house party, send me the details and I will post it on The Sin City Siren and all associated social media sites FOR FREE!

Here’s the details:

NOH8 in Las Vegas, a hate crimes event featuring Erin Davies and her world-famous “Fag Bug.”

DETAILS: We’ll be watching a segment of Erin Davies’ fagbug documentary about her cross-country trip in her VW bug, which was vandalized with anti-gay hate speech in 2007. We will also have a panel of locals talking about hate crimes.

THE PANEL: The panel includes transgender activist Jane Heenan, of Gender Justice Nevada; Howard Watts III, an African-American organizer who works at PLAN; UNLV’s Jean Nidetch Women’s Center Director and Latina activist Christina Hernandez; and a Jewish rabbi.

WHERE: The event is at First Christian Church, 101 S. Rancho (at the 95).

WHEN: Friday, April 19 at 7 pm

COST: Free and open to the public!

Here’s the trailer for the movie:

** A word about the use of the f-word: There are many in our community — and I am a member of the LGBT community, not just an ally — who don’t like the use of the word, “fag,” in any context. I understand and respect that. I do not like the word myself. But I also respect Erin Davies and her mission. In the context of her activism, she has chosen to use the f-word in order to highlight the very hatred directed at the LGBT community. She chose the word because that is what someone chose to write on her car. Someone chose to silence and label her using the f-word. And she chose to fight back against that silence by speaking that word out loud and letting it live out loud, so to speak, on her car. The car and her use of the word are controversial and confrontational to many of us as well as many people in the straight community. But that discomfort and that anger that it taps into is exactly what her project seeks to confront. We must challenge ourselves to remove hate and intolerance as well as challenging others to stop hating on us. I do not use the f-word lightly. And I do not use it in a hurtful context. What I hope is that anyone who is put off by the f-word in this context, as used by Erin Davies and her project, please approach this event and her project with an open mind and an open heart. Perhaps this is an opportunity to heal past wounds inflicted by that very word. And perhaps this is a chance for ALL of us to stand up against hate and push back as a community and as individuals in our own lives. My agenda is to open minds and to open dialogues where we can talk about hate and acts of hate in our city and our community. If anyone has been offended or hurt by the use of that word, that is not my intention and I am sorry.