Los Angeles-based clothier American
Apparel will reportedly be giving away thousands of “Legalize
Gay” t-shirts in France to support the government's plans to
legalize gay marriage.
The retailer said in a press release
that it would be giving away 10,000 t-shirts in its stores and on the
streets of Paris.
“In America the foundation of our
civil rights are written as life, liberty, and the pursuit of
happiness – in France it is liberty, equality, fraternity,” said
Dov Charney, founder and CEO of American Apparel. “Our company
believes that those creeds by our founding fathers join us in an
obligation to fight for freedom and fairness. Both the French and
American people have a shared tradition of the pursuit of justice and
we are proud to use our company's resources and give our support to
this important fight.”
The company first introduced its
popular “Legalize Gay” t-shirt in 2008 as a statement against
Proposition 8, California's voter-approved gay marriage ban.
American Apparel said it has given away more than 100,000 of the
shirts over the past 4 years.
France's National Assembly is expected
to start debating the issue in January, and a vote could come by
mid-2013.