James Davison, one of fashion’s favourite illustrators, has teamed up with the international LGBT organisation All Out for a series of hand painted T-shirts to benefit their campaign to end — and support the victims of — human rights abuses against gay men in Chechnya. James is known for his catwalk and backstage sketches for MAC Cosmetics at fashion weeks in London, New York, Milan and Paris, and last season his work was actually on the catwalk, when he hand painted K-Swiss sneakers for the Ryan Lo show.
The ‘RUFF’ T-shirts for All Out are printed with James’s instantly-recognisable pouting man outline, with a rainbow of handpainted marks in two different styles, Pink and Intense, modelled exquisitely here by i-D Culture Correspondent Princess Julia, London drag star Max Allen, and dancer and actor Ted Rogers. The T-shirts cost £35 including UK shipping (international shipping costs vary).
“I have been a member of All Out for about a year and they are my primary source of information about the social injustices LGBT communities face around the world,” James tells i-D. “In the UK we are lucky to be free to live our lives with little fear of persecution. All Out is working towards making this a reality for all LGBT persons. I am grateful and happy to be able to work with them on this project.”
After news broke of ‘gay camps’ in Chechnya last year, All Out say there is evidence that “up to 200 men, perceived to be gay or bisexual, have been hunted down, abducted, taken to unofficial and illegal detention centres and subject to the most appalling torture and humiliation.”
“There is credible evidence that up to 20 men have been murdered,” they add in a statement. All Out have so far collected 2 million signatures on a petition demanding an end to the abuses and to bring those responsible to justice.
Matt Beard, Executive Director at All Out says, “Tens of thousands of All Out members from across the world are demanding an immediate end to the appalling crimes taking place against gay and bisexual men in Chechnya. The anti-gay pogrom must end and those responsible must be brought to justice with the full force of Russian and international law”. “As news of further arrests and abuses now reach us, All Out is making a long-term commitment to our partners in Russia…” — they work with the established Russian LGBT Network — “We will stand in solidarity, bringing tens of thousands of voices together in a show of people power that will show those responsible for these crimes that the world is watching”.
Order James’s AllOut T-shirt by contacting him on Instagram @jamesdavisonstudio or emailing james@jamesdavisonstudio.com. Find out more about All Out’s Chechnya campaign on their website.
Credits
Text Charlotte Gush