Bumper Sticker Appreciation
We are big affirmative action voters in my house. We are pro-choice, pro-gay marriage, pro-welfare—pretty much the very pinko communist socialist scary people that most white men past age fifty regularly fear. We’re anti-gun, pro-peace, and we think everyone should hold hands and sing together on a regular basis. I would totally weave flowers on my hair daily if it weren’t for my allergies.
So you can imagine that the back of our car is covered with some colorful bumper stickers. Sure we have an Optimus Prime head and a “Feel Your Boobies” sticker that makes people think we are running a porn site rather than supporting breast cancer screenings and self-checks (I swear, the guys at my husband’s work always thought it was adult entertainment); but we also have environmental stickers, an anti-Fox news one, a pro-choice one, a stop genocide one, and two gay rights support stickers—one that’s a simply equality sticker courtesy of the Human Rights Campaign, the other one that reads “I Support Equal Marriage Rights.”
Usually we get harassed about our stickers; we do live in the Bible belt, after all. But in the past week, we were surprisingly rewarded with some bumper sticker appreciation. The first incident was simply a note left on our windshield that read thank you for supporting these important causes, which was nice; I stuck it in my journal.
The second, however, was much more vocal. We were at a stoplight when the car behind us suddenly zipped around us. We figured it was going to be some jackass who couldn’t stand something on the back of our car again—sometimes I do feel slightly guilty about causing road rage with my car’s butt—but we were pleasantly surprised to find that it was a car full of guys honking, cheering, and waving at us. One even told my husband he was hot—right in front of his wife, I might add!—before blowing kisses at both of us. We both just laughed and waved, happy that it wasn’t someone else calling us names.
No, we don’t suffer like our gay brothers and sisters do; people don’t threaten to kill us or bully us for our lifestyles. But we still get cursed at or even have things thrown at us for our beliefs. It shouldn’t be this way, but unfortunately it is; all I can say is that on days like this, when we get an unexpected dose of friendliness, it makes it so much easier, even if for a few moments, and it reminds us that we are not alone. I hope that my story encourages other likeminded people to seek each other out and show your support to one another whenever and wherever you can.



