Tyler, The Creator Explains Why He Used a Neo-Nazi Symbol With the LGBT Flag on These New Golf Wang T-Shirts

The message of these controversial shirts is actually pretty deep.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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The lookbook for Tyler, The Creator's Golf Wang's Spring/Summer 2015 collection dropped yesterday, and there is one piece in the collection that has people talking. One of the T-shirts features a rainbow colored logo with the words "Golf Pride Worldwide" encircling it, which doesn't seem like a big deal at first glance, but the message is actually pretty major.

In an article for his Golf Media app, Tyler explains that he took the logo from a Neo-Nazi group called "White Pride Worldwide" and added the LGBT pride rainbow to flip the imagery on its head. "What if a black guy wore this logo on a shirt? Would he be promoting self hate? Would he be taking the power out of a shape? What if a gay guy wore this on a shirt? Would he [be] promoting Homophobia? Then BAM! I had it."

Tyler also addresses the fact that people have called him homophobic his entire career because of his use of the word "faggot." "Trying to take the power out of something, I WAS NEVER REFERRING TO SOMEONES SEXUAL PREFERENCE WHEN USING THAT WORD," he writes. "I mean, I’m legit one of the least homophobic guys to walk this earth but, most people just read the surface."

To read more about the shirts, check out the article Tyler wrote on the Golf Wang Tumblr.

 

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