Three years ago, Williamsburg writer Jennifer Baumgardner got her controversial "I had an abortion" T-shirt onto singer Ani DiFranco, pundit Susan Estrich and feminist Gloria Steinem, and now she has new piece of sexual-issues-awareness fashion that could spark even more high-profile interest: a t-shirt reading "I was raped."

Baumgardner told the Times the shirt is meant to "force [rape] into everyday conversation" and thus help reduce victims' shame and fear. Her shirt is probably one of the only tees in Williamsburg that the neighborhood's hipsters will never attempt to wear ironically, but it is still going to be controversial. Consider what happened with her abortion shirt:

...the Planned Parenthood Federation of America sold hundreds in a matter of days, but didn't renew the order when it sold out (the shirt was highly controversial among affiliate chapters).

Plus, the new shirt has already been criticized by some of Baumgardner's friends, who told her "they are really grossed out by the T-shirt," she told the Times.

But it's not like the feminist hasn't taken precautions. She recruited someone else to help her test out the shirt in public venues. She also rejected another design, with "I was raped" in big black spraypaint, as too "harsh" and "shocking." The design she settled on uses the words in small cursive type, as shown at left. She's already selling them on her site Scarleteen for $25.



[Times]

(Photo via Scarleteen)