On Wednesday, American Apparel’s Silver Spring store received the chain’s latest threatening phone call in response to its anti-Prop-8 “Legalize Gay” T-shirts.

“Five minutes ago, I just answered the phone and got a death threat from a man with a bad phone connection,” the female Silver Spring employee wrote to superiors in an e-mail. The caller asked the employee why the pro-gay shirts were still on display, then threatened to take action. He said, “If I didn’t take it down, bad things can happen to me, resulting in drastic measures,” she wrote.

Read More “American Apparel “Legalize Gay” Vandalism Inspires Support, Security” »

Last night, WJLA* reported on the recent recent vandalism linked to American Apparel’s “Legalize Gay” displays. Yesterday, the Silver Spring location received another threat over the phone in regards to the anti-Prop-8 shirts, which an anonymous employee recounts for WJLA: “Why is that T-shirt still in the window? You should take it down or something will happen to you.”

Read More “American Apparel Employees Receive Death Threats” »

This week, hooligans targeted a couple of local American Apparel stores over the stores’ prominent “Legalize Gay” T-Shirt displays. On Monday, a window at the Silver Spring location was shattered. Yesterday, an anonymous caller informed the Georgetown location that as long as “Legalize Gay” is on display, the storefronts can expect more broken glass.

American Apparel isn’t scared.

Read More “American Apparel Windows Will Stay Gay” »

A local vandal may have found an antidote for the “Legalize Gay” T-shirts that have popped up in American Apparel window displays around the D.C. area—eliminate the window.

Read More “Gay T-Shirts In Windows A Problem For American Apparel” »

The California Supreme Court is expected to hand down its decision on Prop 8, which banned gay marriages in the state, right about now. Since I’m currently hurtling through the sky at great speeds away from California, you all will know the results of the decision before I will. The suspense!

UPDATE: :(

Portia de Rossi, wife to Ellen DeGeneres, apologizes for all the pain her gay marriage has caused Prop 8 protesters, including Buddy the dog, “who was forced to wear this ridiculous sign even though he, himself, is gay.”

In California, political action courts political violence

Santa Clara County, the California county south of San Francisco, has released its hate-crime data for 2008. In 2007, 15 percent of hate crimes were classified as homophobic; in 2008, 56 percent of hate crimes were motivated by homophobia. What changed? Deputy District Attorney Jay Boyarsky told The Mercury News that it is “headlines and controversies of the day” that lead to “surges in types of hate incidents”—meaningthe ongoing battle over Prop 8 may have turned some Californians violent.

Read More “Prop 8: Leading Cause of California Hate Crimes?” »

Because he can’t not be involved in every seminal public shaming in American history, Kenneth Starr has signed on to defend Prop 8 in California Supreme Court. On Friday, the former airer of Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky’s dirty laundry was named lead counsel for the official pro-Prop 8 team. Starr & co. won’t stop at upholding the ban: The Yes on 8 campaign has filed a brief moving to nullify the nearly 20,000 same-sex marriages made official before the law’s passage. No word as to whether Starr will wear his trademark shit-eating grin (right) when the case goes to trial.

Photo via the U.S. Federal Government.

Personally, I’m interested in calling in gay today, but “Day Without a Gay” organizers are suggesting you wait until tomorrow. The national gay hooky event—scheduled for International Human Rights Day—was founded by West Hollywood couple Sean Hetherington and Aaron Hartzler in response to the victory of California’s Proposition 8.

One caveat of calling in gay—you’re expected to spend your day off work volunteering.

D.C. Prop 8 protest photo by tvol.

Prop 8: The Musical!

[Via The Slog].