Marc Jacobs' Gay Pride T-Shirt Scandal!

Photo: The Shophound

Marc Jacobs loves to make a statement (which is one of the many reasons we adore him). He always hawks festive wares and sports colorful window displays (Look! It's Marc in drag!) in his Bleecker Street boutiques, but now he's selling a rainbow t-shirt for Pride. But the shirt is making a statement that has ruffled a few feathers within the gay community.

The "Rebel Pride" shirt, designed by Jon Lynn, features a remixed upside-down rainbow flag with a confederate flag superimposed over it.

The Confederate flag doesn't have the friendliest historical connotations. Sure, it's an emblem of rebellion (and rebellion is soo chic right now!), but for many people it represents slavery and bloody racial disputes. Is that a reference that we want mixed with the homo banner?

While the rainbow flag is meant to celebrate diversity and welcome everyone under the Skittles colors,  the Confederate banner is often viewed as divisive. The gay community already faces a ton of criticism for being myopic when it comes to racial issues. 

I appreciate that MJ loves to push the envelope, but what exactly is he trying to say or do with this shirt? Is he trying to reclaim the Confederate flag? Make the rainbow chic again? Protest the Bushies? We'll let you know if we hear anything from the man himself.

I have mixed feelings about the shirt mostly because of my own crazy experience with the Confed flag. In my high school, when the gay-straight alliance created an educational display to celebrate June as gay pride month (I grew up in the SF Bay Area, just 30 minutes from the Castro), the right-wing students raised the confederate flag on our school's flagpole, while wearing offensive shirts with "straight pride" and "white pride" slogans. Needless to say, it wasn't pretty. Kids walked out of classes to protest, fights ensued, countless threats of violence occurred, parents complained about the gay pride display to administrators and many students were just plain scared. It was a horrible time and the GSA was forced to take down the seemingly-innocuous display. Needless to say, I'm not a big fan of the Confederate flag.

So, what do you think? Is Marc Jacob's gay pride shirt fashion forward or fashion faux-pas?

Comments

[Louie]

I'm on you with this one. I think it's more for the shock-value than anything else. I mean, if the meaning behind it is so elusive then what's the point?

It's only going to confuse and frustrate everyone who sees it.

[Zarek]

I feel that with meshing the two flags together it's a statement that he believes we should take a look at where we all come from. My guess is it's a hope for the better that the two very opposing groups can perhaps someday work past the brutal history.
But hey, I'm a bit of an optimist.

Peace

[thevegasstyleguy]

I've never understood the people who fly that flag. It's the flag of a bunch of racists traitors who lost a war. Last I checked treason was punishable by death. Not saying to kill the idiots but these are the same people who always scream about patriotism! As far as MJ goes, what a twit! Obviously he and the people he surrounds himself with don't know or employ any black people. This flag has only one meaning and most everybody knows what that is. "Proud to be a racist". Sad thing is, I'm sure the homos around the design studio never even thought about it. I bet the first one I see will be on some Weho queen who can't wait to take it off on the dance floor of a Jeffrey Sanker circuit meth party.

[Spencer]

Yee-haw. That's gonna piss off dem crackers!

[rd]

There are also many gay southerners who revere the confederate flag as a symbol of southern heritage, especially a symbol of great brave men who fought for southern independence against northern invaders. I for one like the mix of the confederate flag with the rainbow flag. You know, being pro-southern does not automatically equate with anti-black.

[Andre]

I can understand the controversy, but I know for sure Marc Jacobs isn't anti-black, nor do I think the shirt is meant to be anti-anything, except anti-homophobia and anti-hate.

[RJ]

I think it's great. Get over it people. It's only fashion. In a month there will be something new that y'all can be offended over.

[wotanzeus]

I'm from and live in the deep South and will always consider the confederate flag offensive. I can only imagine how hurtful it must be for black people.

[Leona Eber]

I am an african-american from the south, the deep south (just like you wotanzeus but unlike you..i am black), and I for one am not at all offended by this shirt. I actually like it. It's pretty obvious that this isn't meant to be racist or offensive.

[Kristin]

I will always be offended by people's pride in displaying the Confederate flag. I am a black woman, who is in love with fashion- and I don't agree with the t-shirt. I have lived many places, including the DEEP SOUTH, and people down there are stuck in their ways, and don't see anything wrong with the flag either. Ok, yes, some ppl do wear it as a sign of "rebellion," but you don't see me wearing the swastika persuading ppl that it's "fashionable." It's sad that he and his team totally looked over that aspect in thinking ppl wouldn't be offended.

[Al]

Those complaining obviously have no clue what the Confederate (battle flag) represents. It's not about racism or slavery, it's about Southern heritage and pride. Yall are just looking for something to get all worked up about.

[Kirk]

I'm mostly offended from this article by the fact that people in San Fransisco were waving the Confederate Battle Flag at all. No place in the country could be further removed from the tradition, values, and way of life this flag is intended to represent. It is from these exact instances - groups misusing the flag as a totem for their obscure and misappropriated causes - people have an inaccurate perception of what it truly means. While a flag is a symbol and every symbol holds unique meaning to its viewer, the Confederate Battle Flag fundamentally harks back to the morals, values, and ethic held so dear in foundation of the south. It represents those gentlemen who fought and died for the cause of preserving this truly American way of life. Dignity and grace. Courtesy and poise. Respect for fellow men. Manners. Chivalry.
Ideals the Gay Community, in my opinion, should adamantly support.

[Brian]

all this shirt is doing is degrading those who typically degrade the gay community, those who choose to hide behind their self-promoted, and socially-promoted, symbol of hate. the flag is no longer associated with those who fought for the south unless you force it to be, when juxtaposed to a monument for example. it no longer represents chivalric behavior. its meaning has been completely changed do to its use as a marker for hate. it started with the slaves, later to other racial minorities, and now is pressed upon social minorities. props to the artist, jon lynn, for this awesomely assimilated design. controversy is healthy....