Gay designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana hit back at musician Elton John, after he called for a boycott of their clothing over their remarks on gay families.
Stefano Gabbana posted dozens of photos and comments on social media, at one point calling John a “fascist” for “an authoritarian way seeing things: If you don’t agree with me, I will attack you.” The designer also posting an image that borrows from the “Je Suis Charlie” movement, saying Je Suis D&G and #boycottfalsenews. Some of the messages posted include #boycottEltonJohn.
“This online campaigning is useless. A gay rights group put words in our mouths in bad faith, and it got out of control,” Gabbana told Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera on Tuesday. “We don’t and won’t boycott anyone.”
RELATED: Check out the reactions to #BoycottDolceGabbana
He added in a statement provided to NBC News: “We firmly believe in democracy and the fundamental principle of freedom of expression that upholds it. We talked about our way of seeing reality, but it was never our intention to judge other people’s choices. We do believe in freedom and love.”
Dolce also noted in the statement that “I was talking about my personal view, without judging other people’s choices and decisions.”
Gabbana and Dolce, who were previously a couple, have said in the past they oppose same-sex marriage, but added this weekend that they opposed same-sex families. In an interview, the pair called children conceived using in vitro fertilization “synthetic.”
John posted a photo of the business partners on Instagram and slammed them for their comments. “How dare you refer to my beautiful children as ‘synthetic’. And shame on you for wagging your judgemental [sic] little fingers at IVF,” the musician wrote in part. “I shall never wear Dolce and Gabbana ever again. #BoycottDolceGabbana”
John and his husband David Furnish have two children, both by in vitro fertilization through the same surrogate mother in California. Since posting his call for a boycott, #BoycottDolceGabbana has been mentioned 42,000 times on Twitter in the past day.
Yasmin Aslam
Jane Timm