The wool of gay sheep has made its debut at a New York fashion show as part of a campaign to raise money for rams that prefer same sex-partners.
Los Angeles-based designer Michael Schmidt, who has styled A-listers including Beyonce and Taylor Swift, launched the line to bring a ‘human rights story’ to the runway after finding out that homosexual sheep are often slaughtered.
Hats, dungarees, a dressing gown and a sailing hat were all crafted for the show from the wool of exclusively gay sheep.
Rainbow Wool, a German non-profit that rescues non-mating sheep, partnered with gay dating app Grinder to put on the ‘I Wool Survive’ fashion show.
‘I don’t view this really as fashion,’ Mr Schmidt told the New York Times. ‘I view it as an art project.
‘The idea it’s selling is that homosexuality is not only part of the human condition, but of the animal world.
‘That puts the lie to this concept that being gay is a choice. It’s part of nature.’
Tristan Pineiro, Grindr’s vice president of brand marketing, added: ‘You can’t say the sheep were corrupted by woke culture.’
Studies have revealed that up to 1 in 12 rams are gay and are often killed as they can cause problems with breeding
Pictured: A male model wearing some of Mr Schmidt’s fashion line on the catwalk in New York
Studies have revealed that up to 1 in 12 rams are gay and they are often killed as they can cause problems with breeding.
Rainbow Wool co-founder Michael Stucke said it was this realisation that prompted his business to exclusively use wool from gay sheep.
Breeders typically test a suspected gay ram via a pen test.
They check the ram’s sex drive by putting him in a pen with other males and females.
If the ram shows no interest in the female and prefers a same sex partner, his performance on the farm becomes jeopardised.
Mr Schmidt said it was a ‘pleasure’ to get to create a light-hearted collection of pieces that address a very serious topic.
‘The mistreatment of animals that exhibit same-sex attraction is a painful reminder of the prejudice that continues to affect LGBT communities worldwide.
‘Hopefully, by illustrating that homosexuality exists throughout the animal kingdom, we can help put to bed the false and damaging notion that being gay is a choice.’
