I never intend to get political on Tunes & Tunics, but I do feel as though today is an important day to remind those of us that are ready to give up with our political system that there are actions we can take every day to influence the future of our country. Regardless of your political affiliation or your personal experience with sexual assault or harassment, the past two weeks have been especially triggering for a large population of the United States, and have highlighted the intense political divide that is only growing in our country. I have always struggled with the idea that federal elections only take place every two years, and I know I am not alone in feeling frustrated that I am only one vote in a state (NY) of 8.5+ million people, or a country of 325+ million people. That has not discouraged me from voting, because my voice DOES and will ALWAYS matter, but it has lead me to thinking more about ways that I can have more of a regular impact on issues that are meaningful to me.

Obviously I could not personally vote in the Kavanaugh confirmation today, and I cannot personally influence the future of the Supreme Court of the United States, but I can vote in the midterm election, I can encourage civil political discourse among my peers at school, I can support organizations like the ACLU and Planned Parenthood that I believe are bringing about meaningful change despite the current political climate, and I can do all of these things simultaneously through a little something I like to call AC(TEE)VISM.

Each of the brands in this special edition of my AC(TEE)VISM series donate a portion of their proceeds to organizations that I believe in and trust, and they also design tee shirts (as well as accessories) that are meant to spark meaningful conversations. So if you are feeling dismayed by the decisions of our elected officials today, if you are not okay with the commodification of women’s bodies in politics, if you believe survivors of sexual assault and sexual harassment, or if you are simply too young to vote and still want to be part of the conversation, consider supporting any of the companies below.

BULLETIN

I want to give my best friend Norah a major shout out for introducing me to Bulletin last Spring. Bulletin has a whole range of feminist and political tees, as well as jewelry, accessories, and home decor. Bulletin has three physical stores in New York City where they rent out sections of their store on a monthly basis. This lowers the barrier to entry for smaller female-founded brands to enter the physical retail space, and has given women the opportunity to sell their products on a larger scale. Some of Bulletin’s products are very politically pointed, but there are also products that just generally promote women’s empowerment and sisterhood (i.e. their “phenomenal woman” tee). Read more about Bulletin here.

10% of Bulletin’s proceeds go directly to Planned Parenthood in New York City. As they describe in their stores, “$225 provides a young woman (just like you) with a gynecological exam and birth control. That means only 9 hat sales, 5 sweatshirts or 15 mugs get a NY woman the reproductive services she needs. $300 fully funds a colposcopy exam for the early detection of cervical cancer. If 25 people buy a $12 pin, they’ve helped a New Yorker deter cancer before it’s too late. $850 covers the average full cost of an abortion at Planned Parenthood NYC for women with financial hardship. This means that your purchases can directly address unwanted pregnancies and pregnancies from nonconsensual intercourse.” I love how Bulletin is not only supporting Planned Parenthood NYC directly, but they are also communicating the direct impacts of donations to this organization.

I am super excited to be partnering with Bulletin this semester, because now more than ever I believe in the importance of sparking conversations about women’s issues, and I see the impact that activism through fashion can have. Use my code McSherryBFF to get 15% off your order. 

OMAZE

Are you more focused on the importance of voting in the upcoming midterm election? Omaze has a number of shirts specifically geared toward this topic. Below are my favorites, where 100% of the proceeds are donated to organizations like VoteRiders and When We All Vote. Click on each shirt to learn more about the organization it supports.

EVERLANE

The ACLU is an organization that has a proven track record of preserving the rights of individuals across the United States, especially on issues such as full equality for LGBT people, establishing new privacy protections for our digital age of widespread government surveillance, ending mass incarceration, and preserving the right to vote or the right to have an abortion. Everlane has a longstanding partnership with the ACLU through this line of their 100% Human Collection. $5 from every purchase goes directly to the ACLU. Through another line of their 1005 Human Collection Everlane supports Equality Now, an “international human rights organization dedicated to action for the civil, political, economic and social rights of girls and women”.

THE OUTRAGE

The Outrage is a female-founded activist apparel company that promotes the idea of voting with your consumer dollars and wearing your values. The Outrage donates to Capital Pride Alliance, Planned Parenthood, Black Lives Matter, the ACLU, the National Organization for Women, and more.

The Outrage recently launched a collection specifically about the bravery of Anita Hill and Dr. Christine Blasey Ford. 100% of the proceeds from these tee shirts, buttons and stickers will be donated to Senator Susan Collins’ (R-ME) opponents in the 2020 elections. The Outrage additionally has a collection called “November Is Coming” where 100% of the proceeds will be donated to FamiliesBelongTogether.

SHRILL SOCIETY

I could try to give Shrill Society a worthy introduction, but they say it best on their about page: “After the viral success of our Nasty Woman shirt, we saw corporations and mega-brands co-opting feminist ideals for a quick buck. Rather than churning out cheap shirts with an unreliable supply chain (i.e. sweatshop labor), we brought together feminist designers creating change in their communities through ethical production and charitable giving.” A portion of their proceeds are donated to Planned Parenthood, the ACLU, She Should Run, and the Houston Food Bank. Below are two of my favorite shirts – the classic The Future is Female shirt, and “nasty” spelled out in American Sign Language.

FEMININITEES

Femininitees is a tee shirt company that donates a portion of each sale to the National Organization for Women, as well as other organizations like the ACLU and Planned Parenthood. Femininitees believes in the power of their shirts serving as conversation starters; “For us, we begin by explaining that the shirts make a statement that makes us feel strong. That this shirt calls out problems in our society. That we’re proud to wear something that represents the power women have while highlighting injustices we deal with everyday and that our purchase also benefits women in need.” Their Ruth Tee is incredibly timely, and a portion of the proceeds from that tee are donated to the ACLU. In a more general women’s rights notion, I also appreciate their Wage Gap tee which supports NOW. Their Wage Gap tee is also customizable based on race, because women of color have a much larger wage gap than white women.

THE F WORD GIFT SHOP

The F Word Gift Shop (the f word being feminist in this case) is a woman-owned and operated feminist company dedicated to promoting the discussions surrounding the intersectional feminist movement. All of their products are responsibly sourced, made in the USA, and 15% of the proceeds from each sale go to Planned Parenthood.

If there are any AC(TEE)VIST brands that you love that I did not include in this post, please comment below or message me on Instagram so I can include them!

DISCLOSURE: THIS POST CONTAINS AFFILIATE LINKS, WHICH HELP KEEP THIS SITE RUNNING. ALL OPINIONS ARE MY OWN.

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