I am on a 100-day, 16,000 mile, 48-state trek through the United States to collect stories from queer communities in hopes of advancing LGBT equality. The project is called Driving Equality. (http://drivingequality.com)
Since this journey began, I have received a ton of email from supporters and well-wishers. But I have also received hate mail from folks who disagree with the idea of equal rights for LGBT people. It is always a shock to receive an message like the one below:
"Gays deserve to die! They will all burn in the fires of Hell! I am going to knife their asses!"
I am never really sure how to respond to an email like this...until now. Most of you know that I love to run "A-Thons". I did a "Rick-A-Thon" when Rick Warren spoke at President Obama's inauguration, and I run "Phelps-A-Thons" all over the country to counter Fred Phelps' hateful "God Hates Fags" message.
I am now starting a "Hate Mail-A-Thon"!
You can pledge online here.
During the Driving Equality trek, I receive two to three pieces of hate mail a week. You can pledge any amount you chose, whether it be $0.25, $0.50, $1, or even $2 for every piece of hate mail I receive from now until the end of the journey on August 24th.
Or you can pledge a flat rate for the entire amount of hate mail I receive during the journey.
Now, when I receive I piece of hate mail, I will simply respond with a friendly message telling the sender how much he/she has just raised to advance LGBT equality by sending their hateful message.
Thanks for your support!
The next time I get a piece of hate mail, like the poem below that I received yesterday, I'll make sure they know how much they are helping to advance LGBT equality!
Hate mail poem sent to me on June 25, 2009
"proud and gay they march along
growing in numbers, weak but strong
following the footsteps of another race
creating their own, demanding their place
prophecy foretold of these times
of men depraved, with reprobate minds
still on they go against the wind
blindly led, sick within
they wear their suffering on their sleeve
and call it gay, but who believes
they want so much to be a part
closet fugitives, with jealous hearts
they impose perversion, that we contend
making it law, protecting sin
but when we preach against their state
they loudly resist, and call it hate
of God's first institution, they mockingly err
they wrongly define, they wrongly pair
unholy unions with conscience aloof
they live by feelings, devoid of truth
the legacy of sin is always shame
and by their choice, will not be saved
for they used a vice to vent their sorrow
lived only for today, and not for tomorrow"