A Hostage Calm fan was assaulted for wearing the band’s “I Support Same-Sex Marriage” t-shirt.
Before this, the first offense on a fan of the band occurred when a man was fired from his job at Rocketown venue in Nashville, TN for wearing the same shirt. This time, a fan named Alex was assaulted by another patron for wearing the shirt at Izzy’s Sports Bar in North Carolina.
According to a statement given by Alex to AbsolutePunk, people in the bar were talking about how they were unpleased with his shirt. One man, who disapproved greatly of the shirt, choked Alex, bringing him out of his chair and to the ground.
“I spoke up, because who you love has nothing to do with your religion or your political views,” said Alex.
Alex was kicked out of the bar, and the assaulter was not. By the time the police had arrived after Alex called, the owner of the bar had already sneaked the assaulter out the back door.
The event occurred when the Supreme Court made the vote against the Defense Of Marriage Act (DOMA).
“This incident only reinforces our conviction that punk rock can challenge the larger issues of oppression not just within its own community, but in the brutal world around us,” the band said in a statement in response to the event.
Hostage Calm is extremely proud of Alex for standing up for what is right and has reached out their support and gratitude to him.