On New York runways, the wool from "gay" rams comes to life in sweaters, hats, and contemporary garments. The new collection "I Wool Survive", designed by Michael Schmidt, transforms a fashion trend into a powerful statement: homosexuality is not a choice, but a reality present in the animal kingdom as well-a phenomenon that is well documented in "The Development of Male‑Oriented Behavior in Rams", a study that estimated that around 1 in 12 rams naturally prefer same-sex partners-roughly the same percentage as in the human population.
Schmidt, a renowned Los Angeles designer who has worked with icons like Madonna and Cher, launched the line after discovering that some farms kill rams who refuse to mate with ewes. In collaboration with Rainbow Wool, a German non-profit that rescues non‑breeding rams, and LGBTQ+ dating app Grindr, the collection brings a "story of fauna and human rights" to the runway. In the designer's own words: "The mistreatment of animals that exhibit same-sex attraction is a painful reminder of the prejudice that continues to affect LGBT communities worldwide. Hopefully, by illustrating that homosexuality exists throughout the animal kingdom, we can help put to bed the false and damaging notion that being gay is a choice."
Michael Stücke, co‑founder of Rainbow Wool, recounts how his personal journey inspired the project: growing up on a conservative German farm, he came out at 24 and decided to raise a flock of gay rams, now numbering around 500, 35 of which were rescued from slaughter. From this, they created a business that uses the wool of non-breeding rams to make garments, with proceeds supporting LGBTQ+ initiatives and charities.
The presentation featured 37 pieces, from woolen hats to overalls, a sailor dress, and a robe each piece conceived to emphasize how LGBTQ+ people are still treated differently around the world. Tristan Pineiro, Grindr's Vice President of Marketing, commented that the collection could challenge anti-LGBTQ+ views, adding: "The gay sheep get discarded, get forgotten, are seen as not valuable."