CALIFORNIA—Patagonia, a California-based outwears company, uses a slogan, ‘VOTE THE A**HOLES OUT,’ behind tags to encourage people to vote for the coming election. The labels are attached to Patagonia’s Regenerative Organic Stand-Up Shorts for men and women.
Outlander Magazine first reported the political label and shared an image on Saturday, September 12 on Twitter. After the tags went viral on social media, Tessa Byers, spokesperson of Patagonia, told NBC News, that the labels are real, and Patagonia has been fighting against people who deny climate change. “It refers to politicians from any party who deny or disregard the climate crisis and ignore science, not because they aren’t aware of it, but because their pockets are lined with money from oil and gas interests,” said Byers.
Yvon Chouinard, founder and CEO of Patagonia has asked people to take action for climate change for a few years. According to the website, Chouinard wrote, “P.S. Remember, vote the assholes out – all of those politicians who don’t believe we should do anything about climate change. Vote for the planet and against those who would do nothing. We have the power and now is the time to use it.”
Patagonia created a site to motivate consumers to pay attention to the upcoming election and environmental problems. The website allows people to make a voting plan and provides information about leaders who will fight for environmental problems in different states.
“We need to elect climate leaders. The 2020 US Senate races will have a significant, long-lasting impact on the strength of our nation’s climate policies and the existence of our wild places,” states the website.
The company has used social media to make donations to non-profit organizations. Patagonia Action Works was founded in 2018, which allows people to find and participate in neighborhood environmental activism efficiently.
