Urban Outfitters' "New Black" Eye

Adopted children are not trendy accessories. Not fashion items. Not fads.

They are our hearts.

To URBAN OUTFITTERS, they are the butt of a cruel joke:

ADOPTING IS THE NEW BLACK

Ha ha. Sadly, most people don't hang with Angelina and Madonna, so they won't get the joke. Who will "experience" this fine foray into humor are adopted kids and their parents. They will be the ones who get the "pleasure" of being demeaned, of having their bond trivialized. Adopted kids are already prone to feeling like they don't really "belong". Imagine the "fun" of having their peers wearing these shirts which suggest that their parents acted not out of love but out of a desire to be "trendy" or "hip". How "cool" to have your existence equated to a Birkin bag, a Louis Vuitton or Ugg boots! And for adoptive parents, how "irreverent" to suggest that your child is a commodity, obtained thoughtlessly, for the purpose of self-aggrandizement and status.

What makes this all the more disgusting is that the founder, Chairman and President of the company, Richard A. Hayne, is a staunch supporter of a "family values" politician, Rick Santorum. I would love to know how the above T-shirt fits with Santorum's Christian beliefs and "pro-family" stance.

Evidently, Richard Hayne's idea of valuable customers don't extend to adoptees or adoptive families. Other customers Haynes decided not to value include those of Mexican descent, Jewish people and African-Americans. The store has featured shirts with the slogans "New Mexico, Cleaner Than Regular Mexico" and "Everybody Love a Jewish Girl" (the slogan was surrounded by dollar signs, showing that Shylock is alive and well in this century) and the board game GHETTOPOLY , which, I'm sure, had a very realistic portrayal of black, urban life.

Oddly, given his politics, he also decided it was cool to sell a magnet set in which one could play "dress up" with an image of a crucified Jesus... put him in a nice hat and a dress, for example.

I think we need to inform Richard Hayne that our children are not accessories.

Please join me in calling, writing and emailing Mr. Hayne to communicate our feelings on the way he chooses to make money:

Richard A. Hayne
Chairman of the Board of Directors and President

Urban Outfitters, Inc.
1809 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103

richard.hayne@urbanout.com

Tel: 215-564-2313

Fax: 215-568-1549

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