The Lesbian Avengers Will Not Be Commodified

At least, not by the Gap.

Among the many rainbow-colored products and sparkly knickknacks for sale during Pride month this year, a T-shirt briefly available from the Gap stood out for its sober design. Printed on a plain white crew neck with short sleeves was a bomb encircled by the words “The Lesbian Avengers.” The logo originated with an unsung radical activist group that had its heyday almost three decades ago. Seeing its insignia at a mass-market retail chain left people familiar with the group confused and divided over whether the T-shirt was more evidence of the corporate commodification of L.G.B.T.Q. allyship or a sign of growing recognition of a marginalized community. Others were outraged. One of the founders of the Lesbian Avengers, the journalist and novelist Sarah Schulman, tweeted on May 19: “I just heard about this today and of course they stole it.” Activists, including members of former Lesbian Avengers chapters around the country, expressed their frustration on social media.