Urban Outfitters Pulls Marriage T-Shirts

New York Magazine reports that Urban Outfitters suddenly pulled their line of t-shirts that support marriage equality, possibly because the company's owner is an anti-gay right-wing tool who gives generously to GOP candidates and causes.

A buyer cited the reason as "too much bad press" to Littman [the shirt's creator], though the designer couldn't find more than one blog entry that dissed the shirt. (Funny how a youth-targeted company blamed the Internet.) But we had to wonder if there was more to it than just bad press. After all, Urban has carried more sensational items than this in the past. In a 2006 interview, the Boston Globe asked Richard Hayne, the CEO of Urban Outfitters, if he felt regrets or second thoughts about potentially offensive products, and he said "very, very, very rarely." So is the veto of Littman's shirt just a case of good ol' discrimination? Consider this: Hayne is a notably right-wing Republican who supports senators who vote for legislation against gay marriage.

Over at Good As You, Jeremy Hooper has posted Richard Hayne's donation record.Next time you feel like getting all hipsterish with one of Urban Outfitter's ironically downmarket t-shirts, remember two words: Rick Santorum. Last month, claims were made that Hayne also donated to Yes On 8, but the makers of these claims say his donation has somehow been scrubbed from the list of donors. The call to boycott Urban Outfitters and other Hayne-owned companies seems to have since died down.