Despite dark lighting, loud music, and a poisonous flow of perfume in the air; ten years ago there was no place more desirable to shop than Abercrombie & Fitch. Although the sizing of their clothing was drastically skewed to fit only the most fit individuals, we accepted that our thin frames were indeed “large”. Cool, popular, wealthy teens flaunted a small moose on most of their clothing. If someone were to identify as a beach babe, you might see them sporting a Hollister seagull. The early/mid 00’s were dominated by Abercrombie CEO Mike Jeffries.

You may or may not be familiar with the Mike Jeffries interview in Salon Magazine that went viral in the spring of 2013. When asked about the importance of sexual attraction in the experience created for the A&F customer, Jeffries said “It’s almost everything. That’s why we hire good-looking people in our stores. Because good-looking people attract other good-looking people, and we want to market to cool, good-looking people. We don’t market to anyone other than that.” The rest of the article is filled with Jeffries laughable description of the A&F consumer. In 2013 nearly every major internet outlet covered the interview. A Forbes headline read: “Abercrombie wants thin customers”. While its great that this information is now widely recognized by the public, the article was originally published in January of 2006. It took seven years for the interview to flow through the internet. Yikes.

So why is this? Well in early 2006 Abercrombie was still very much a thing. Teens proudly rocked their destroyed light-wash flares and flip-flops and parents reluctantly dropped $45 for a graphic t-shirt that read “Dreams Do Come True, If You’re Hot.” At that moment it made perfect sense that only the cool, attractive, thin people would wear their clothing; and we were part of their elite club. By 2013 the brand’s popularity had drastically decreased. The company’s failure to keep up with its desired market was the cause of its demise– not their ignorant CEO.

You may be wondering how Urban Outfitters could possibly resemble Abercrombie. In many ways A&F is actually a better company. At least Jeffries is transparent about the company’s goals, even if they don’t reflect the values of our society. UO on the other hand, does the exact opposite. Urban is run by Billionaire Richard Hayne, who happens to be extremely conservative, and extremely politically active. As of recently there has been a lot of talk about republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum. You may know him as the guy who wants to make sure that gay marriage is not legalized by the supreme court. Although in the past few years the public has shown overwhelming support for the legalization of gay marriage, Santorum wants intends on fighting the supreme court if the bill does pass. Richard Hayne, CEO OF URBAN OUTFITTERS, has been donating considerable sums of money to Santorum’s political campaigns for over a decade. Santorum passionately wants to overturn Roe v Wade, and has been known to compare homosexuality to incest and bestiality. Don’t get me wrong– I believe everyone is entitled to their political beliefs, but Santorum is a radical conservative. Your clothing selection is not innocent. If you believe in marriage equality and women’s reproductive rights, Urban Outfitters probably isn’t the company you should be supporting.

Most people are familiar with the endless list of scandals UO has been the center of:

Last week: “Gypster”

December 2014: Kent State Sweatshirt

Buzzfeed covered most of the rest HERE

Yet despite the tasteless products that have had to be pulled from shelves and Hayne’s political unsettling involvement, people still shop at Urban? Why is this? It isn’t just about the fact that Urban sells trendy clothing at a somewhat affordable(ish) price. Free People and Anthropologie are also under the direction of Richard Haynes. The public isn’t ready to give up their beloved kitchen-wear from Anthro or boho dresses from Freeps. Bottom line: Urban Outfitters Corporation is still considered to be cool.

In the next couple of years we are going to see a massive rise in the social responsibility of retail consumers. Stock is decreasing for the corporation, and many people have vowed not to shop at any Urban owned companies. There is no excuse for being blind as to what you’re buying and who you’re supporting; we have the internet. Political campaigns are run almost entirely on donations. Considering Richard Hayne is a billionaire due to the success of Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, and Free People— he holds a lot of political power. Do not give him any more.

I challenge you to share this information with your friends. By shopping at any Urban Outfitters owned stores you are doing a disservice to the LGBT community, as well as those who are actively fighting to protect women’s rights.