By Tara Cavanaugh
Parents of honor roll students shouldn't get all the bumper sticker bragging rights. Javier Monllor is the proud owner of a gay cat, and he created the bumper sticker to prove it. Monllor, who by day works as a teacher in Chicago, chatted about the stickers and the proud cat and dog owners who snatch them up.
How popular are your bumper stickers?
How popular my stickers are really depends. My online store is not too active, but that is mostly because I don't have a lot of time or resources to do marketing. On the other hand, when I participate in events, like Market Days in Chicago, reception is great and I sell a lot of them. I've been selling the stickers for two years now.
How did you react when you discovered Gustavo was gay?
We always loved our cat, and we think that is what makes him special. For me and my wife, Gustavo was gay from the moment we laid our eyes on him, so we never went through an acceptance phase. Everybody knows Gustavo is gay and accepts him and loves him.
Why do you think people like proclaiming they're a proud owner of a gay cat or dog?
My impression is that most people who purchase our stickers do it because they think they are very clever and funny. The reaction we always get is that they're hilarious, and people either buy them for themselves or for a friend they think will love them. We even have some people buy them as a prank for their conservative friends and family. The sad thing is that even a tongue-in-cheek sticker like this provokes some people, and we received posts on our Facebook page making horrible comments that insulted us and our fans. So I also think proclaiming your cat or dog gay is also one way of supporting the LGBT community and their rights in a fun and lighthearted way.
