What is the Gay? Fine By Me™ T-Shirt Project?

The gay? fine by me™ T-Shirt Project gives Americans a simple but effective way to Start A Conversation and publicly condemn homophobia and support equal rights. Fine By Me, Inc. joined Atticus Circle in September 2008.

We make T-shirts that read "gay? fine by me." and "gay marriage? fine by me." and work with communities across America to distribute dozens, hundreds, sometimes thousands of them at a time. When Fine By Me started back in 2003, we initially worked only with high school and college students. Now, in addition to expanding the campaign to more and more schools, Atticus Circle is also helping churches and synagogues, local civic groups, businesses, and even entire towns join the movement. As we continue to grow, we will be expanding the T-shirt campaign and initiating other projects, as well. To stay updated, be sure to sign up for our Newsletter.

What is the purpose of the T-Shirt Project?

The purpose of the T-Shirt Project is to give voice to the millions of Americans who oppose homophobia and support equal rights, but whose beliefs are too often drowned out in the noise surrounding the issue. Sometimes, it seems like all of America is homophobic, even though we know that isn't true. The T-Shirt Project is an easy way for the many, many Americans who support their LGBT friends and family to speak out. By participating in the T-Shirt Project, you are sending a message to the rest of your community about what you believe and what kind of community you want to live in. You are sending a message to those in your community who may not be open about their sexual orientation that they will have support if they decide to come out publicly. And you are sending a message to local and national leaders that you do not support and will not tolerate homophobia. The T-Shirt Project is not just for people already involved in LGBT activism, but for any and every American who believes in the Fine By Me message and wants to stand up publicly for equal rights.

How do these "gay? fine by me." drives work?

Individuals in communities across the country plan their own drives, and come to Atticus Circle both for suggestions on how to make their campaign most successful, as well as to order the actual shirts. While we are eager to help T-Shirt Project participants plan any aspect of their campaign, from fundraising for the shirts to publicizing the event itself, we believe that you know your community better than we do, so each Fine By Me drive is organized primarily by people in the community where it's taking place.

What do the "gay? fine by me." T-shirts look like?

The shirts are high-quality, 100% cotton, brand name T-shirts. They come in twelve different colors, all sizes, all with white printing. For more information on the shirts, check out our ordering page.

.Why is ordering the shirts in bulk so cheap?

The shirts are priced at just above cost. The objective of the T-Shirt Project is not to make money, but to put T-shirts on as many people as possible who believe in their message. One dollar from each shirt goes to Atticus Circle both to cover administrative costs and to help expand the T-Shirt Project to hundreds more schools, businesses, and other organizations all across the country. Everything else just covers the cost of printing and shipping the shirts.

Who prints the shirts?

Our printer, Social Imprints, is based in San Francisco.  At Social Imprints, they print with purpose by empowering lives and providing the best customer experience.

Can I resell the shirts?

Sure. You can resell the shirts, but you may not price them above the price you paid (shipping included). In other words, you can't sell the shirts for profit. While you are welcome to resell, we've found that it's much easier to create a successful "gay? fine by me." campaign if you can give the shirts away for free. While this may sound like an impossible task, it isn't as hard as it seems if you know where to look. For more advice on raising funds to start a campaign at your school or in your community, visit our start-up guide.  We'd also be glad to work with you to develop a more customized fundraising plan for your community.

Can I sell shirts as a fundraiser for my LGBT group?

No. Because one of the main goals of our organization is to get as many people as possible who believe in our message to wear shirts—as a way of publicly condemning homophobia and supporting equal rights—we do ask that groups either give the shirts away for free or sell them at cost (see above). With very few exceptions, we prohibit the shirts from being sold above cost. Our program is not intended as a fundraiser (even for a good cause) but to provide both support for LGBT people and a voice for gay-friendly people in communities across the county.

Can I print my own shirts?

No. Atticus Circle controls the design and the text of the shirts.

I just want to buy one or two shirts. Can I do that?

Sure. We offer single shirts as a fundraiser to help support our T-shirt drives in communities across the country. Single "gay? fine by me." shirts cost 20.00 USD, plus shipping/handling and tax (where applicable). This is substantially more than the shirts cost to make (for our shirt drives, each tee costs between 4.10 and 6.90 USD, depending on how many you order). Your contribution, in addition to paying for your shirt, goes to help spreading the T-Shirt Project to even more communities across the country. You can order shirts in small quantities using our individual order form.

How can I start a Fine By Me campaign at my school or in my community?

To start a Fine By Me campaign at your school or in your community, visit our start-up guide.  In addition, if you own a business or work for a corporation that you think might be interested in starting a Fine By Me campaign, we'd be glad to discuss customized shirts specifically for your workplace (i.e., "Gay? Fine By Joe's Shoe Shop").

Contact us at [email protected] for more information on Corporate Fine By Me.