18-year-old Cain Stacy, who identifies as bisexual, returned to his home in Billings, MT to find someone had sprayed the word “FAG” in red paint across his front door, the Billings Gazette reports.
The incident happened last Thursday. Stacy says the paint was still wet when he returned from hanging out with a friend.
Naturally, he was outraged.
“I’ve been called a fag my whole life,” he said.
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But this is the first time someone has actually trespassed onto his property before.
“This,” he said, pointing to the word behind him, “this is child’s play.”
Stacy’s mother lives next door to her son and owns both properties. After Stacy told her what happened, they called police together. Stacy said it took several hours for an officer to show up.
Police initially classified the crime as a criminal mischief with a bias motivation noted against bisexuals, but ultimately deactivated it when they couldn’t come up with an leads.
According to the Billings Gazette, the Montana Board of Crime Control keeps tabs on crimes of this sort, which in turn get reported as hate crimes to the state’s Uniform Crime Reporting program. Last year, 44 hate crimes were reported. Of those, four cases involved sexual orientation biases. And that number has been steadily declining in recent years. In 2006, for example, 154 hate crimes were reported.
But that doesn’t alleviate Stacy’s current frustrations.
“I just want it off my damn door,” he said.
But for now, he’ll have to wait for warmer weather. The current cold temperatures prevent the paint he has from sticking. In the mean time, a plastic bag keeps the slur covered.
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Graham Gremore is a columnist and contributor for Queerty and Life of the Law. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter.
I'm Black, and HIV-Positive.
Teenagers! Well, good for Cain for coming out of the closet so early. It’s funny how self-respect intimidates people. Everyone else always wants to claim that they’re being referenced by somebody else’s life decisions. Sounds like Cain might even have some scared, gay friends who are in the closet themselves. I smell a Saint Law lurking.
In the meantime try more spray paint matched to the same color spray painted on the door then. Or a festive holiday wreathe.
Kieran
It would be great if out of this Cowardly act members of the Christian community would come out and show their outrage over this vandalism and hate by scrubbing clean Cain’s door with turpentine. What would Jesus do? He would be standing there in solidarity with any victim of hatred and cruelty.
money718
Hmmm. When I was in college, someone painted “Ben is gay” outside my apartment. For some reason, I just laughed it off and kept on moving. Shit happens,
enlightenone
@money718: “Shit happens,” because you “just laughed it off and kept on moving.” Fortunately for YOU that’s all that happened!
GayEGO
It seems that we have a similar complaint to the victims of Ferguson and New York City. Police have a lot of catching up to do on how to keep us safe and especially the Billings police and similar places.
Alan down in Florida
Don’t be hating on the police here. This was vandalizing, not a major crime in their playbook. The same would have happened if the guy was a Jew and someone had painted a swastika on the door. In this day and age most non-violent crime isn’t even investigated. I’d bet social media could find the culprit fairly easily. Billings isn’t that big of a town and acts like this are usually not done by people who can keep their mouths shut about it.
boring
“This,” he said, pointing to the word behind him, “this is child’s play.”
I like this guy’s style. Though I wish he would have tagged it with “Also: wholly inaccurate.”
enlightenone
@boring: “Though I wish he would have tagged it with “Also: wholly inaccurate.” “Fag” is the person who painted it!
I agree, I “like his style” too, even more his maturity and confidence in his sexuality w/o some contradictory spin, and establishing some sense of autonomy for himself at 18! Some young man or young lady would be lucky to have him given what can be gleamed from this story.
cflekken
He should glitter that sh*t up for the holidays and show the vandals that he’s proud of who he is. Turn “Fag” from a derogatory to a term of endearment and show the f*cker(s) that he wears it proudly.
Saint Law
@I’m Black, and HIV-Positive.: Not one shriek of “Yo momma’s ass!”?
You must have logged in under the wrong profile, whitey.
transiteer
Anyone who actually commits this crime is obviously a closet case themselves. If you’re confident in yourself, you wouldn’t bother because it doesn’t affect you. But to go to this effort shows that some half-wit in MT shows they’re afraid of getting a boner hanging out with the guys. Horny and cowardly all at the same time.
I'm Black, and HIV-Positive.
@Saint Law: Ha ha ha! You scared bitch rascist! Run coward run!
@Kieran: “It would be great if out of this Cowardly act members of the Christian community would come out and show their outrage over this vandalism and hate”
Umm. I would be a gay christian, and I was first to respond. And for the record the post specifically wrote that the temperature is too cold to paint over the spray paint yet. That’s why I suggested hanging a holiday wreathe in it’s place. Christians didn’t spray paint his door. He’s a big boy; he can scrub it himself.
And you know, you don’t have to be an official christian to know what a christian ethic is, and then offer up your own two-faced assistance. Honestly.
I'm Black, and HIV-Positive.
@transiteer: I agree Transiteer! That was exactly the point I was making!
Damich
Then paint the door rainbow colors with a big middle finger in the middle. Tell the haters to fuck off and most will. The others can have a knuckle sandwich.
Rainbough
I think it would have been easier to just spray paint over it until it gets warmer, and then he can do the proper paint job.
SteveCampsOut
@cflekken: I like how this one thinks!