SR0517 LRB094 15129 LCT 50302 r

1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, Abercrombie & Fitch ("ANF") has been a sporting
3 goods clothing retailer since 1892; and
 
4     WHEREAS, 14 of ANF's 363 retail stores are in Illinois; and
 
5     WHEREAS, ANF's target groups are youths as young as seven
6 years old, teens, and college-age young adults; and
 
7     WHEREAS, ANF markets itself as a "lifestyle brand"
8 allegedly embodying the values and appeal of a desirable way of
9 living; and
 
10     WHEREAS, Since the late 1990's, ANF has produced and
11 marketed several lines of merchandise and catalogues that they
12 have ultimately pulled from the market in response to public
13 disgust and pressure; and
 
14     WHEREAS, ANF has recently introduced lines of girls and
15 boys T-shirts with overt and obscene sexual messages that
16 degrade and objectify women in particular; and
 
17     WHEREAS, The girls T-shirts contain messages like "With
18 these who needs brains", "Blondes are adored, brunettes are
19 ignored", "Anatomy Tutor", and "Muck Fe"; and
 
20     WHEREAS, The boys T-shirts contain messages like "You blow
21 I'll pop", "Bitches love me", and "The Island of Lesbos, every
22 man's dream"; and
 
23     WHEREAS, These T-shirts are available for purchase at ANF's
24 Illinois store locations and on ANF's website; and
 
25     WHEREAS, A group of teenage girls in Allegheny County,
26 Pennsylvania, have initiated a "girlcott" of the company in

 

 

SR0517 - 2 - LRB094 15129 LCT 50302 r

1 response to these T-shirts; and
 
2     WHEREAS, ANF has repeatedly mocked the values of Illinois
3 families with their merchandise and marketing tactics aimed at
4 children; therefore, be it
 
5     RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL
6 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge Abercrombie &
7 Fitch to remove the aforementioned T-shirts from their stores
8 or we otherwise urge the public, and parents especially, to
9 boycott Abercrombie & Fitch, and urge stockholders to demand a
10 public stand against their merchandise and marketing
11 techniques promoting an obscene and degrading lifestyle, until
12 these products are removed from their stores and advertising of
13 this nature ceases.