Grindr launches 36-piece fashion line made from the wool of ‘gay sheep’
Grindr has backed a fashion collection made from gay ram wool. (Grindr)
Grindr has backed a fashion collection made from gay ram wool. (Grindr)
Grindr, the world’s largest dating app serving the LGBTQ+ community, has launched a 36-piece fashion collection made entirely from the wool of gay rams.
Yes, gay rams.
Designed by Michael Schmidt alongside German not-for-profit farm Rainbow Wool, which rescues and cares for gay rams, “I Wool Survive” is being heralded as the world’s first gay fashion collection.
Many creatures exhibit same-sex behaviour but gay rams are often sent to slaughter because they can’t fulfil their “breeding role.” However, Rainbow Wool is now giving them a loving home. On average, one in every 12 sheep is thought to be gay.
“We rescue them before that happens, giving them a safe home where they can live and love freely. Each year, their wool is crafted into fashion, with profits donated to the queer charity LSVD+,” a spokesperson for the farm said.
The collection was showcased at The Altman Building, in New York. Gay archetypes, from firefighters’ suspenders to sailors’ crops, were refigured in wool. A play on Gloria Gaynor’s gay anthem “I Will Survive”, is shining a light on “the beauty of queer connection and the natural diversity that exists across species”.
‘We can put to bed the damaging notion that being gay is a choice’
Schmidt, who’s worked with Beyoncé, Lady Gaga and Madonna, revealed it had taken a year to create.
“It’s been a pleasure to create this light-hearted collection that also addresses a very serious topic,” he said. “The mistreatment of animals that exhibit same-sex attraction is a painful reminder of the prejudice that continues to affect LGBT communities worldwide.
“Hopefully, by illustrating that homosexuality exists throughout the animal kingdom, we can help put to bed the false and damaging notion that being gay is a choice.”
Grindr has pledged to continue to support Rainbow Wool’s mission throughout 2026 and you can adopt a gay ram to help cover the costs of food and medicine.
One study has shown that approximately eight per cent of the some 130 million rams in the world prefer same-sex partners.
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