Domenico Dolce of Dolce & Gabbana has apologised for controversial comments he made in an Italian magazine earlier this year that children should be born to a mother and a father, saying “I’m not convinced by those I call the children of chemicals, synthetic children”.
The gay designer angered many in the LGBT community and beyond, with Elton John — who has two children by IVF — calling for a boycott of the brand. Dolce did respond at the time to say that these were his “private views,” but many did not feel that this was an adequate repudiation of his statements.
In a new interview with American Vogue, Dolce says, “I am so sorry. It was not my intention to offend anyone.” “I’ve done some soul-searching,” he continued, “I’ve talked to Stefano a lot about this. I’ve realised that my words were inappropriate, and I apologise. They are just kids,” adding that, “You don’t need labels, baby labels.”
“I don’t know everything about IVF,” he confessed, “but I love it when people are happy. It’s like medicine. Science has been put on the table to help people.” On his own hopes for a family, Dolce said, “When they ask if I wanted to be a parent, I say yes, of course, why not? But it’s not possible in Italy” — it is still not legal in Italy for a same-sex couple to adopt a child. Perhaps now, Domenico could petition the Italian government to change that discriminatory law.
Credits
Photography newsonline via Flickr