Our stores have always carried BUTT Magazine, a lifestyle magazine that focuses on gay culture, art and fashion. But last week, a West Vancouver mother took offense to it after finding it in a display mannequin's backpack. Pulling it out of the display she wasn't allowed to touch, she thought the cover was "funny" and opened it up. When she saw the spread of art photographer Jeff Burton she began crying. She labeled it "pornography" and called every news station that she could think of. The store was fined $100 by the city.

We are very proud to carry BUTT in our stores and plan to appeal the fine. Photography of gay men is not automatically pornography and her assumption is offensive and dangerous. Free expression is under siege when sensitive

shoppers are the ruling authorities on what is or isn't porn. We'd like to leave that decision to the courts. This is not a question of morality but an issue of free expression and artistic taste.

Thankfully several great websites (these are a few: gayagenda, Tres Fab Sweetie) came to our support and the comments section on the CBC piece were fantastic. Almost everyone but the media was tolerant and understanding of the message we were trying to send. Take some time to show you know what's right by commenting here, or on other sites that have covered this story.

As always, you can find BUTT Magazine and the BUTT BOOK at American Apparel stores worldwide (properly merchandised to local law) or on our website.

Here are two statements we wanted to share:

STATEMENT FROM BUTT MAGAZINE, JANUARY 2009

Since its inception in 2001, BUTT magazine has been hailed for its groundbreaking and original approach to journalism. The tone of BUTT magazine is - as the title suggests - playful, sometimes ironic, and always positive and honest in its representation of gay life today and the equality of our times. From the beginning, the magazine has interviewed or commissioned such prominent figures as Michael Stipe of REM, writers such as Gore Vidal and Edmund White, fashion designer Marc Jacobs, Turner Prize winning artist Wolfgang Tillmans and film director Gus Van Sant.

In 2006 the respected art book publisher Taschen debuted BUTT BOOK, which has gone on to sell 50,000 copies worldwide. The magazine has a global circulation of 36,000, and is sold in high-end fashion boutiques, local corner newsstands, hip galleries and respectable cultural institutions worldwide. Retail locations include such respected institutions as the the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, the New Museum in New York, MOCA in LA and the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis.

Besides American Apparel, the magazine's advertisers include leading brands such as Calvin Klein, Gucci, Adidas, Dior, Marc Jacobs, Helmut Lang, Yves Saint Laurent, all of whom have been supporting the magazine since its beginnings in 2001.

BUTT magazine is proud to work with a company like American Apparel that supports diversity and freedom of choice, and welcomes an honest and open discussion about sexuality in the real world today.

Comic about the event courtesy of Slap Upside The Head

DOV CHARNEY'S LETTER TO HIS MOTHER ABOUT BUTT, FEB. 2007

Dear Mom:

BUTT is an important art magazine that I support. No question, that it is going to offend people and it is my feeling that that is the nature of provocative art. At times, to make progress, you end up offending people. And people were offended by many things I have done over the years. But I did what I felt was right, especially from an art and creative point of view.

We are going somewhere with what we are doing, and no one is required to buy it. Many people have told me how much they appreciate our carrying the magazine. It has sold out in some stores.

Also, because some moralistic anti-gay forces opposed our carrying it within our company, I am committed to having it. I wanted our company to be open enough to accommodate this kind of magazine, and if I don't set the precedent now, it could become too late to get that done later.

We are also facing customs obstacles in Asia which I am committed to overcoming, on civil libertarian grounds.

Sexual freedom, art, and photography are important to me and I am standing firm on my support for BUTT.

Dov

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