A new form of social protest has become quite the fad in political action, known as glitter bombs.
Recently, gay-rights activists across the country have been “bombing” politicians with glitter in order to protest anti-gay opinions by the politicians. Whether or not the glitter bombs have changed the opinions of those blasted with the shiny substance, it is certainly an eye-catching and peaceful form of protest that’s catching the eye of people across the country.
According to Yahoo’s Atlantic Wire, this past Saturday U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann became the most recent Republican politician to get blasted with glitter. During a speech in Minnesota, Rachel E.B. Lang, an attorney and gay-rights activist threw glitter all over the presidential candidate in protest of her support of anti-gay preacher Bradlee Dean. Lang believes Dean is running a “gay witch hunt,” trying to ban same-sex marriage in Minnesota.
The first victim of the glitter blasting was Newt Gingrich. He got covered at a book signing on May 17. Then, last week Tim Pawlenty got a dose of pink glitter and feathers in San Francisco.
The glitter bombs have recently become a 45-second video explosion shooting all over the internet. The goal of the glitter movement is to make conservatives look silly in light of their opinions regarding the gay community.
Most people are finding the politicians reactions to glitter quite hilarious as they freak out over a little glitter. A light-hearted Gingrich laughed in his video clip after being glitter bombed, allowing the video to stay under the radar. However Mike Huckabee, who hasn’t even been glitter-bombed, is calling for the arrest and prosecution of sparkle throwers. Critics of Huckabee believe his reaction makes him look a bit ridiculous.
The glitter bomb movement has ties to the “guerrilla theater,” movement of the 1960s relating to Situationists International and the Youth International Party. Both groups mixed art with activism in their social protests. The groups created situations that would allow their targets’ actions to speak volumes to their point.
Glitter bombs are set to be an interesting aspect of the political season.
