This brilliant pro-gay billboard apparently touched a nerve with bigots who defaced it
A billboard opposed to legislation in North Carolina passed recently to limit the rights of LGBT people has obviously touched a nerve with some bigots, who decided to deface it.
The billboard, erected by Planting Peace, was placed near the border between North and South Carolina.
It was put up in response to HB2, signed recently by North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory, and which aims to limit the rights of LGBT people by allowing discrimination by those with “religious beliefs”.
Originally the billboard read: “Welcome to North Carolina. Due to our stance on LGBT rights please set your clock back 100 years.”
Those in favour of HB2 apparently didn’t see the funny side, adding the words “GOD IS NOT MOCKED” and “BE NOT DECEIVED”.
Speaking to Huffington Post, Aaron Jackson, the president of Planting Peace, said: “Acts like this are exactly the reason Planting Peace has and will continue to stand up to to those who aim to bully the LGBT community, using religion as their shield to practice hate.”
“To be clear, our issue is not with religion, but with those who use it and twist it to further their own agenda. Transgender people are six times more likely to commit suicide than their straight counterparts. Since the passing of HB2, calls to suicide hotlines for the trans community have nearly doubled. We should be putting our energy into bringing this number down to zero, not passing anti-LGBT laws and defacing billboards,” Jackson went on.
Hundreds of business leaders have urged the repeal of North Carolina’s HB2, and multiple celebrities have pulled out of appearances, including Ringo Starr and, Bruce Springsteen.
Springsteen was even accused of using “bully tactics” for cancelling the concert by one of the state’s Representatives.
But dozens of celebrities and hundreds of fans came to the defence of Springsteen, commending him for taking a stand.
Others such as Mumford and Sons and Cyndi Lauper have said they will appear but that they will donate their profits to LGBT rights organisations.
Mississippi also faces similar threats as Bryan Adams and Sharon Stone have pulled out of appearances there.