After making derogatory comments about children of same-sex couples, Dolce & Gabbana have done a 180 and released handbags and t-shirts celebrating same-sex couples and families.
The designing duo released three photos on their Instagram account Jan. 29. The photos depict simple drawings of a same-sex couple, one featuring men and the other women, with several multi-racial children on a handbag. A third picture features similar artwork on t-shirts. The posts are accompanied with #dgfamily.
A photo posted by stefanogabbana (@stefanogabbana) on
The new designs send a very different message than the one Domenico Dolce sent last year in an interview with Italian magazine Panorama in March.
“We oppose gay adoptions — the only family is the traditional one,” Dolce said at the time. “No chemical offspring and rented uterus.”
Dolce later apologized after a call for a boycott from celebrities like Elton John, Ricky Martin and Madonna.
“I’ve done some soul-searching,” Dolce said in an interview with Vogue in August. “I apologize. They are only kids.”
The new line of same-sex families inspired merchandise was announced just as Dolce &Gabbana’s home country of Italy is hearing debate on a bill that would legalize same-sex civil unions and allow same-sex couples to adopt.
Thousands of Italians protested today in the country’s capital of Rome. The protestors are calling it “Family Day.” The Italian Senate is expected to vote on the bill sometime next week.
