“I've been a professional body piercer for over 15 years, and licensed tattooist for one. I’ve been a macabre artist and had both feet firmly planted in the alternative culture scene for over 20 years now. I’ve seen more than my share of stigma and physical aggression toward people who are ‘different’.

I come from Vermont, USA, considered liberal, and the first U.S. state to recognize same-sex civil unions in 2000. However in the late 90's I had a female friend who, whilst walking through the mall one day, was thrown up against a wall so hard by three boys, she lost her unborn child. She had tattoos and a skinhead and they we calling her a ‘freak’ and ‘dyke’. This was over 10 years ago so it’s not a new problem.

Around this same time, I spoke out at community meetings for the inclusion of "self made minority" into the vocabulary of the hate crime bill. Being heavily tattooed and pierced back then was not considered acceptable, and I was immediately scoffed at and silenced by other citizens and told, "you people choose to be different".  Does this mean we deserve it when we are assaulted?

I am glad people are finally noticing this unacceptable trend in our society, and are speaking out against it. It's great to see such a widely circulated magazine, like Bizarre, taking real initiative to educate readers that harming others for being different is not acceptable human behaviour. It's just a shame that it took the brutal murder of Sophie Lancaster to gain public acknowledgment of the issue.

About two years ago my wife and I began a photography and social networking website celebrating the differences in all of us. We’ve ended up with the most delicious and vicious girl group around, Cherry Club Inc.!

Ladies of all shapes and sizes are able to showcase their beauty and unique talents and we encourage diversity in all senses of the word. Because, even within the alternative world, there are some who exclude others simply because they are from a different ‘scene’.

Anyone can be a friend of Cherry Club and we showcase a new, featured Cherry Girl every two weeks!

For more visit Myspace.com/cherry_club