Welsh91, the ebay user trying to sell the state of Alabama, pulled down the listing — not because states can’t be sold, but because of the amount of homophobic “vitriol” he received as a result, AL.com reported.
In the item description, Welsh91 explains that he was selling the state over its antiquated anti-gay marriage stance.
“We loved this state for many years, but now that Alabama is subverting federal law by allowing officials to refuse to perform same-sex marriages, it’s time to let her go. We tried to trade Alabama to other countries in the world, but even Saudi Arabia and Iran though it was, frankly, too backwoods and messed up. We even tried to deal it to ISIS, but they were worried that Alabama is too fundamentalist.
Alabama became a state on December 14th, 1819. They have made no recognizable progress since.”
Welsh91 also pointed out that Alabama was the last state to legalize interracial marriage, asking ebay shoppers to guess what year it happened.
“It was 2000!,” he wrote. “That’s not a typo. (40 percent of Alabamans [sic] voted to keep the ban.) Two. Thousand.”
The seller also had some recommendations for potential buyers of the state:
“Education – 49th out of 50. 15% of the state is illiterate. So, upon purchase, you might want to invest a little money in dictionaries.
A whopping 60% of Alabama believes in Creationism. 60%!!! Bring a lot of bibles!
Health – Alabama ranks as the 47th most obese state. So, there’s good food here! I hope you like fried food and diabetes!”
The highest the bidding reached over its three day sale was a mere $202.50, which, given the problems spelled out by the seller, might be a little high.
Welsh91 pulled the listing today, telling AL.com in an email that the “experiment was fun, but frightening at the same time.”
“I am not LGBTQ, but the amount of hate, pure freaking evil and vitriol spewed my way was eye-opening … I’m not even gay, they just thought I was. I thought I knew how much hate was out there towards those of alternative sexualities, but I wasn’t even close … the amount of thanks, laughs, compliments and praise I received showed me that there is hope. 90% of the feedback I received was positive. Know this — There are people fighting for equality for everyone. Even in Alabama. To those in the LGBTQ community, I may have inadvertently walked only a couple of steps in your (fabulous) shoes, but I now have a much deeper understanding of your battle. Know that I remain on your side, and so does pretty much anyone with a modicum of a sense of humor.”
