American Apparel Pushes Back Against Anti-LGBT Vandalism

categories: Gay Marriage, LGBT Rights and Business, Marriage Equality

Published July 22, 2009 @ 09:03AM PT

Legalize Gay T-shirt

What's a company to do when a radical anti-LGBT person not only verbally attacks them for their support of LGBT rights, but does physical damage to their property?

In the case of American Apparel, the answer is fight the hell back.

That's what's happening with a Washington, D.C.-area American Apparel store, after a group of vandals broke the windows of a store that had a bunch of "Legalize Gay" t-shirts on display. The shirts, which are a sign of American Apparel's support for marriage equality, have been a popular item, especially in the wake of Proposition 8 and the decisions of four states in 2009 to recognize same-sex marriage.

As a response to the violence, some stores would consider removing the shirts or hiding them, or placing them on the racks that are just past the fitting rooms, down a long hall, and next to the bathrooms. Not American Apparel. Here's their company statement responding to the attackers, essentially saying that nobody is going to intimidate the company into silencing their support for equal rights:

Yesterday an American Apparel store in Silver Spring, Maryland had a window broken by someone upset over the company's support for gay marriage. Our Georgetown location and others in the areas have received similar threats. We just wanted to use this forum here to announce that not only are they not going to prevent us from speaking out on an issue that is important to this company and our employees but we'll continue to run Legalize Gay advertisements in papers across DC-Metro area. We'll also send Legalize Gay t-shirts to any group in Washington DC that is fighting for gay rights and will help support any protest or rally for the cause.

Vandalizing a store for selling Legalize Gay shirts is a low blow, even by the standards set by most anti-LGBT activists. But it's great to see a company not only refuse to back down, but step up their support for marriage equality in the wake of such violent actions.

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Comments (15)

I never would have known. I never even knew that American Apparel was selling this. I'm totally going to go buy a shirt now. :)

Posted by Edmund Xu on 07/22/2009 @ 10:24AM PT
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I didnt know either...

Im gonna check and see if they have a website I can order from.

Posted by Thomas McHugh on 07/26/2009 @ 01:23AM PT
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As disturbing as actions of this nature are, they are an expected price when fascists realize their fight is doomed. Initiating violence is often the resort of an animal who perceives no means of escape.

Rise above and continue the GOOD fight.

Posted by Fred Frankenberg on 07/22/2009 @ 10:56AM PT
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Powerful. I'm off to buy a shirt. Good on American Apparel.

Posted by Michele Rodriguez on 07/22/2009 @ 01:10PM PT
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This is great! I love it when people stand up to bullies!!! For anyone who is interested, I'll save you some time. Here's a link to the American Apparel website with the shirts:

http://store.americanapparel.net/search.html?s=gay

Posted by Romy Carver on 07/22/2009 @ 01:48PM PT
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Thanks for posting this. Just ordered mine :)

Posted by Dave Hershey on 07/22/2009 @ 04:07PM PT
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Thank you mr. carver.

Posted by Thomas McHugh on 07/26/2009 @ 01:24AM PT
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That's "ms" carver, and you're welcome!

By the way, they have a "contact us" link on their website, and I was thrilled to have another way to support them by giving them feedback.

Posted by Romy Carver on 07/27/2009 @ 10:07AM PT
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My apologies ms carver.

Posted by Thomas McHugh on 10/08/2009 @ 06:35PM PT
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Violence against LGBT people on their basis of sexual orientation is unjustified and so is the vandalism that occured at the American Apparel store. Although intolerant conservatives don't agree with LGBT rights, the movement is one for equality which is necessary to fufill the goals of human rights and civil rights. It's great that the company is standing brave in the face of such violence and is why I support American Apparel's statement in the blog.

Posted by Edwin Bonilla on 07/22/2009 @ 03:06PM PT
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So that's where I get one of those shirts! I pass by the Silver Spring AA every day and somehow managed to miss them.

I have to say though, DC isn't quite the happy liberal place people seem to think it is. We're quite frequently listed among the top 10 locations for GLBT related hate crimes and have the second highest rate of trans murders in the country (at least, we did last I checked).

I live in Silver Spring now and it's about a 50/50 split. Some areas are brilliant, they have one of the most inclusive high schools I've seen since leaving California, but others I can't walk in without hearing some form of epithet. Just because an area is urban or has GLBT friendly policies does not mean that the *residents* are accepting.

Posted by Tobias Fangor on 07/22/2009 @ 04:33PM PT
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Thats a mighty sad commentary on those residents.

Posted by Thomas McHugh on 07/26/2009 @ 01:27AM PT
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It's more a commentary on how being perceived as gay is often more important than actually *being* gay. Quite a few people in the area are fine with gay people so long as we don't "act gay". My less obviously effeminate friends don't get nearly the same level of harrassment I do.

The shirts are a very similar idea. So long as you sit and are a nice, quiet little homo most residents will shut up. It's the second you actually speak up for your rights that they get their panties in a twist.

Posted by Tobias Fangor on 07/26/2009 @ 11:17PM PT
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The day I heard of this I drove right to the Silver Spring store and shopped. In my opinion, this was one of the best ways to defeat this act. Often times it's with our wallets that we make the biggest statements, I encourage you all to do the same. God bless,

Jason J.

Posted by Jason J. on 07/23/2009 @ 08:33PM PT
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I have a shirt in teal :-D

Posted by Greg Goldgof on 07/24/2009 @ 04:01AM PT
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Michael is the Communications Director for the Human Rights Program at Harvard Law School, and previously was Communications Director for Pax Christi USA, a progressive Catholic human rights organization.