Gap makes love out of hate

Via HuffPo

A Gap ad, featuring American actor and jewelry designer Waris Ahluwalia, was recently defaced by some racist in the NYC subway:

Via Arsalan Iftikhar (Twitter)

Gap actually responded quite well to the notification. First, they asked to know where the defaced ad was spotted (presumably to have it fixed without delay). Then they made their support of the Sikh community even more visible, placing the ad their feature image on both Twitter and Facebook.

The response has been phenomenal. A grassroots "Thank You, Gap" campaign has sprung up on Facebook and Twitter. Mr. Ahluwalia himself posted this pic on his own account:

Love wins, this time, on the social media battlefield.

Gap is in social media hell for not knowing what "Manifest Destiny" is

So, apparently Gap has been selling this shirt with the words "Manifest Destiny" written on it.

As a Canadian, the first thing it made me think of was the rhetoric behind post-1812 border skirmishes with our southern neighbours. But that's just the way I learned it in history class.

FB friend Audra (a social media specialist in the not-for-profit world) made me aware of just how much shit it's causing with the real victims of the policy when she shared this post on The Belle Jar:

The term Manifest Destiny was coined by journalist John L. O’Sullivan in 1845 as part of his campaign to encourage the annexation of Texas and Oregon County. His first use of the phrase, in the 1845 July-August issue of the Democratic Review, didn’t draw much attention, but the second time he used it, in a column published in the New York Morning News on December 27th, 1845, became extremely influential: 

“And that claim is by the right of our manifest destiny to overspread and to possess the whole of the continent which Providence has given us for the development of the great experiment of liberty and federated self-government entrusted to us.” 

Manifest Destiny became the smart, fancy-sounding name for a belief that had already been around for quite some time: namely, that white folks of European descent were destined to rule the entirety of North America. These people truly believed that it was God’s will that they colonize the new world and systematically destroy any civilizations that might already be occupying the lands they wanted.

To make things worse, here's what the shirt designer had to say about it:

Via Ida Hammer

There's now a petition on Change.org that states:

GAP is selling a black shirt with the words "MANIFEST DESTINY" written on it. This article of clothing promotes a belief that has resulted in the mass genocide of indigenous people, and it serves to normalize oppression. This shirt is marketed to teens and young adults, and it gives no context for the racism and inequality that persists in our society, to this day, as a result of this doctrine. We are asking that this shirt be discontinued, and that an apology be issued.

The designer, Mark Mcnairy, is very very sorry:

Like ALL CAPS sorry.

Meanwhile, Gap have lost all control over their Facebook wall. 

Here are some choice posts.:

Seriously. Is nobody minding the store?

Gap Kids sells sequined hooker shorts to tween and teen girls

PR Twitterer @woodlandalyssa shared a link to this item, from the Gap USA online catalogue:

Available only in sizes 12, 14 and 16, these "Sequined Party Shorts" have just a 2.5" inseam, putting them close to the realm of booty shorts.

Is this yet another horrible example of the fashion industry oversexualizing young girls?

Gap customers seem to think so. From the site comments:

Click to enlarge and read.

Cue the social media outrage in 3... 2...