Hostage Calm fan assaulted over "I Support Same-Sex Marriage" shirt; band responds

Hostage Calm's “I Support Same-Sex Marriage” shirt has once again sparked conflict for a fan.

As you may remember, earlier this year, an employee of Nashville, Tenn.'s Rocketown venue was fired in connection with wearing the group's shirt, and the message it conveyed, among other things.

This time, a fan named Alex alleges he was assaulted in a North Carolina bar for sporting the same shirt. Check out Alex's statement, via AbsolutePunk, below.

“I had a sub at a local place, went next door to a place called Izzy's Sports Bar for a beer. Got my beer, went to smoke a cigarette, and that's when everyone saw the back of the shirt. When I came back inside to the bar, the bartender (the only nice person in the whole establishment) let me know that people were upset about my shirt. I guess she thought she was warning me. I still wanted to drink my beer, and I was not going to leave over the T-shirt I was wearing.

The guy sitting behind me at the bar with the owner of the place mentioned the shirt to me. I turned around and asked him if he had a problem with it, all the while people are talking shit in the background about how you don't bring religion and politics into a bar. I spoke up, because who you love has nothing to do with your religion or your political views. The guy was not happy. I went to smoke another cigarette and told the guy to leave me alone. I came back in after the cigarette and he kept talking shit to me, when I told him to stop being an asshole and stop talking, he choked me out of my chair to the ground.

I got kicked out. The guy who choked me did not.

I called the cops on him, and the owner let him flee out the back door.”

The band responded to the matter on their website, shortly after Alex's story began circulating online:

“We were disappointed to hear this morning that a fan wearing the “I Support Same-Sex Marriage” shirt was violently assaulted in North Carolina yesterday. I am warmed by his conviction to express his support for the cause, and to not be silenced by the hostile attitudes of those other people at the bar, even in the face of violence. We’d like to thank him for sharing his story, and we’re reaching out to learn more and offer him anything we can do to help.

This incident, along with a number of others that have surrounded this shirt, serves a reminder that while much has been accomplished in this nationwide movement, American society remains deeply hostile towards marriage equality, and more importantly, towards the idea of equal respect and dignity for all LGBTQ individuals. Intolerance too often takes the form of violence, and I do hope this event sparks a larger discussion about what it might be like to face the threat of violence on a daily basis as a gay or transgender person. In the end, 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.”

News of the incident came just one day after the band praised the Supreme Court's recent ruling on DOMA, and its affect on marriage equality.

Such a big win for Marriage Equality today with the Supreme Court's ruling against the hateful Defense of Marriage Act. One step closer.

— Hostage Calm (@HostageCalm) June 26, 2013

Hostage Calm are set to tour this fall with Saves The Day and Into It. Over It. The group recently announced some additional solo dates, which will take place around the tour. Check out the new dates, below.

8/29 – Clancy’s – Keyser, WV 
8/30 – Hoosier Dome – Indianapolis, IN
8/31  – Wings Stadium Parking Lot (Audiotree Festival) – Kalamazoo, MI
9/3 – Club Congress – Tucson, AZ
10/15 – Launchpad – Albuquerque, NM
10/16 – The Conservatory – Oklahoma City, OK
10/17 – The Firebird – St. Louis, MO