Story from the Washington City Paper. I hear lots of complaints from local folks, especially women, about American Apparel's pretty sexist ads in the local City Paper.
This week, hooligans targeted a couple of local American Apparel stores over the stores’ prominent “Legalize Gay” T-Shirt displays. On Monday, a window at the Silver Spring location was shattered. Yesterday, an anonymous caller informed the Georgetown location that as long as “Legalize Gay” is on display, the storefronts can expect more broken glass.
American Apparel isn’t scared.
Following the second threat, Silver Spring American Apparel manager Kassandra Powell told CP that the store had temporarily removed the anti-Prop-8 clothing from its window display. Last night, company spokesperson Ryan Holiday wrote in to say that “Legalize Gay” was there to stay. “The store employee misspoke about taking the display down,” wrote Holiday. “[T]hose decisions get made in Los Angeles and we wouldn’t want to give into something like this.”
In a statement, American Apparel’s Jonny Makeup made clear that the two local incidents would only strengthen its marriage equality efforts in D.C. The company will “continue to run Legalize Gay advertisements in papers across DC-Metro area,” wrote Makeup. Some Washingtonians may even get some free stuff out of the deal: “We’ll also send Legalize Gay t-shirts to any group in Washington DC that is fighting for gay rights,”
Things are always complicated, aren't they? I once bought a shirt that said “Gay? Okay by me” and had a friend tell me it made me uncomfortable when I wore it around her. Well, not so much tell me as just panic when I wore it. The shirt sort of fell apart in the wash so I didn't wear it anymore. Would I wear a Legalize Gay shirt? Yes.
American Apparel, you can send mine via the Pittsburgh City Paper.
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