A gay rights activist in Oregon has decided that getting even is much more fun than just getting mad.
Konrad Juengling recently purchased the domain names for several members of the Indiana state legislature who voted in favor of the controversial Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) and has them redirected to an alternate web site which contains?statistics about lesbian, gay, bisexual,?and transgender youth.
The six legislators–Martin Carbaugh, Dale Devon, Douglas Gutwein, Kathy Kreag Richardson, Don Lehe, and Donna Schaibley–are the subjects of the prank. Should you type in the web?address DonnaSchaibley.com, for example, you will be automatically redirected to the site about LGBT issues,?which is hosted by the Human Rights Campaign.
Just last week,?Juengling wrote a letter to the Indiana representatives and told them he would be only too happy to give back their websites at no charge to them provided they would support?a statewide nondiscrimination policy protecting LGBT people. ?As he noted in the letter:
“If you bring to the floor a nondiscrimination policy protecting LGBT people in Indiana, vote for it, and it is passed, I will happily donate the domains in question to you. I’m sure they’ll come in handy come stumping season.”
Juengling says he chose to redirect the web addresses to a site dealing with issues which impact LGBT youth as a way of showing legislators that the RFRA would directly affect them as that sector of the state:
“Is already disadvantaged and have less accesses to family, community supports, and healthcare.”
He added that he could not understand why the legislators would support such a bill, writing:
“A disproportionate number of homeless youth are LGBT; why would you support a bill that lets organizations turn these people away?”
While he awaits a response, Mr.?Juengling can be proud of the fact that he managed to punk a group of politicians who deserved exactly what he gave them.
