I tend to not buy clothes in “hipster” stores that often but there was a time this fall that I needed some new clothes and Urban Outfitters is a 15 min walk from my house and has some fun tee shirts… they also have some of the worst and ugliest shit I’ve ever seen. However, they are cheaper than Brooklyn Industries and have little amusing things like mints in a tin that look likes an old Nintendo controller and whatever else appeals to an 80s child.

They also seemed to be left-ish in their political stances… I never looked into who owned Urban Outfitters and I have, in recent years, somewhat given up and accepted that to an extent it’s very difficult to “get away” from buying things that in one way or another contradict my own political beliefs like buying a pair of shoes or sweater that was probably made in a sweatshop or buying a drink who’s owner is a right-wing nutjob.

Anway, this week Urban Outfitters got into trouble with their hipster audience when they pulled a shirt made by Tara Littman – A shirt that openly states support for gay marriage. Apparently, in my digging around today – they pulled it right before Prop 8 went to the polls in CA and their website… and to be honest, I don’t recall seeing it in the store window of the Urban Outfitters here in Bklyn or in the one I pass by in the village on a weekly basis.

Here’s a good blog post about the issue:
http://www.bradwalsh.com/2008/12/i-support-support-shirts/

Here’s an article:
http://nymag.com/daily/fashion/2008/12/urban_outfitters_responds_to_y.html

Here’s Tara Littman’s website – buy it direct from the artist:
Support Shirts

I’m calling for a boycott – and I know this blog doesn’t get much publicity but this is ridiculous –
we’re all lulled into this sense of living in fear, stereotypes, and then we’re “tricked” by some company who appeals to our socio-political standards and yet… the fucker is giving money to a Senator who would like “his” America to have a law that could allow anyone to fire, evict, and jail someone who engages in homosexual actions. Gee… thanks… I was already feeling like half a citizen for most of my life… and now it just reinforces that.