After the screening of “Fagbug Nation” Wednesday, a mother of a member of the unofficial Charleston High School club, the Gay and Straight Alliance, asked the Fagbug speaker to talk with the group.

Erin Davies went to the high school at 8:30 a.m., and parked her rainbow colored VW Bug with “FagBug” stamped on the driver side and passenger side doors in a public parking spot. She spoke to the 12 group members for two minutes before she was called into the administration office. Brandon Miller, the Charleston High School assistant principal, asked for Davies to move her car off the campus because it was causing a stir from parents and students.

Davies said they did not ask her to leave, but it was rude nonetheless. She added it was discriminatory to say someone can be here but their car cannot especially because, to her, it was important to the gay community and that her car made a statement.

“I said well, why can’t you just explain the story behind it,” Davies said. “The car is doing what it is supposed to do. To get people talking.” Principal Diane Hutchins said she made the decision to have the car removed from the campus because when talking to the group about the importance that the school feel like a safe environment, words deemed offensive were put on a list the school would advocate and enforce against like “fag.” She said even though students in the group might have understood the point being made, the school was unsure of whether other students would understand the statement being made. She added she was unaware that the group would even have a speaker coming. Students had come to the office when seeing the car and asked why that could be said but other things could not be said.

Davies said despite these complaints, it was important the school was talking about this topic. She added topics like these should not be thrown under the rug and hidden.

Davies defied their opinion and did as se promised she would do and stayed until 9 a.m. to talk to the group. She said she was confident they had no right in trying to remove her car from the premises.

“I just sat in my car for five minutes just to prove a point,” Davies said.

This has only been the fifth time she has been asked to move her vehicle in the seven years she has been touring the country.

Jarad Jarmon can be reached at 581-2812 or jsjarmon@eiu.edu.