California’s Proposition 8 has been a controversial hot-button of gay marriage debate since it was originally introduced as an amendment to the California state constitution in the 2008 election.  An answer to the Supreme Court of California overturning a previous ban on gay marriage as unconstitutional, Prop 8 added this language to the California constitution: “Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.”

In the wake of Prop 8′s slim but decisive victory, photographer Adam Bouska and his partner Jeff were moved to start a silent protest proving the notion that an image is worth 1,000 words.

And so began the NO H8 Campaign, which showcases ordinary people and celebrities alike who have stood up in silent but arresting protest of what they consider to be a violation of basic civil rights.

Given that the NO H8 Campaign centers around white T-shirts, it made sense to offer the simple but powerful message on such a canvas so that those averse to everyday face-painting and application of duct tape can opt to support the cause by sporting their support in NOH8 T-shirts and buttons.

There’s been a lot of media attention around the healthcare town hall meetings and the contentious debate that surround them, but one thing that hasn’t gotten a whole lot of airplay is the accessorizing of some of its protesters.

Times have changed a lot since the Bush years, during which simply showing up to Presidential speech in a homemade anti-Bush T-shirt might get you arrested (and later mollified to the tune of 800 Franklins).  While First Amendment Rights were those at the heart of the Bush-era public assembly fashion debate, in the Obama administration it would seem that firearms are the new black.

Indeed, the Second Amendment seems to be rearing its nickel-plated head at a variety of healthcare town hall meetings, including one in Arizona where a guy showed up with an AR-15 strapped to his back.  (No word on whether this trend is courtesy a new Max Motors “Guns for Clunkers” promotion.)

It turns out that the Arizona assualt rifle incident was staged by a Libertarian talk show, but other folks who showed up in New Hampshire and Arizona with smaller, more fashionable and versatile handguns were apparently there to exercise their Second Amendment Rights.  Or maybe they just attended the Plaxico Burress Institute of Fashion.

Pumping fists is the American way, but the implied threat of pumping lead has activated some conservative organizations to speak out and recommend that folks leave the firearms at home.  (The NRA has been silent on the matter.)  The meetings are already heated and contentious – due in part to the Right’s scripted disruption strategy, which is well-outlined in a detailed Town Hall Playbook – and with a town hall meeting in Washington State canceled due to threats of violence and one in Tampa disrupted by it, throwing guns into the mix may not create the best environment to productively discuss the future of American healthcare.

What the Second Amendment has to do with the healthcare debate is fodder for another debate, though some would argue that it’s entirely relevant given the $100 billion spent in the healthcare system annually treating gunshot wounds.  But perhaps protesters might consider a Bush/Obama hybrid model, and shelve the firearms for T-shirt cannons instead.  There are certainly plenty of anti-Obama T-shirts to go ’round.

Ted Kennedy passed away this week after a 15-month battle with a malignant brain tumor.  The Lion of the Senate and its second most senior member, Kennedy served 9 terms since 1962.  He’ll be remembered for his thundering, eloquent speeches, his commitment to his ideals, and his service to the American people.

One of Kennedy’s more relevant and lifelong positions: affordable healthcare for all Americans.  His bipartisan appeal is a loss for the healthcare debate, but the memory of his legacy on the issue won’t soon fade.  There’s already talk of the healthcare bill being named after him, with one op ed piece pointing out that, if we’re to do this, “it better not suck.”

And so we pay tribute to Ted Kennedy today, and to his nearly 50 years of public service.

UPDATE 8.27:

We’ve seen some great new designs come through since news broke, so we figured we’d share some more:

In a move that’s been widely approved across party lines, President Obama took a vacay break to announce that Ben Bernanke would be reinstated for a second term as Chairman of the Federal Reserve.

Bernanke has been cited as being instrumental in the economic recovery efforts, by both the President and financial analysts, and his reinstatement is viewed as a safe and wise move for both political and economic stability reasons.  For the T-shirt designers ’round these parts, though, Bernanke is synonymous with “bailout” – a trend that started with the $700 billion Paulson/Bush/Bernanke Wall Street bailout of 2008, continued through the auto bailouts, and is still relevant given the Obama stimulus package – which of course included bailouts for Main Street residents in danger of, you know, having to leave Main Street due to impending foreclosures.

Indeed, a look back at the catalogue reminds us that Bernanke was the subject of the “S” word long before Obama showed up to earn like-minded design work.

Given the flavor of the designs about Ben Bernanke, we award a Fantasy T-Wearer Award to him today on behalf of our design community with the “Get out of Debt” card mousepad, at right.

The debate on healthcare is  raging on despite the President’s vacation, with leading members of the Senate Finance Committee working to come up with a draft that addresses bipartisan concerns.

The healthcare town hall meetings have been what could best be described as lively.  They’ve thus far been filled with contentious debate as well as surprising, random displays of unrelated Amendments.  The “Tea Party” activists have been a fixture at these town halls, having apparently read a Memo to “Rock the Town Halls” which reminds folks to sit in front and yell out early, with “short intermittent shout-outs” serving as disruption throughout.

The newest debate over the so-called “Death Panels” has inspired some interesting T-shirts.  It also inspired an interesting exchange between a Town Hall attendee and Barney Frank, which provided the American public with a dramatic enactment of Godwin’s Law during one particularly energetic town hall in Massachussetts:

On our end, this flavor of back-and forth is what we’re seeing in the T-shirts.  The designs in volume seem to be swaying slightly against the proposed healthcare plans, particularly the so-called “public option,” around which the Obama administration seems to be altering its talking points.  The government plan (called “Obamacare” by the Right) was first stated as necessary to create a competitive market, then more recently de-prioritized by the President as not being the central component of healthcare reform.

What the future holds for the nation’s healthcare is, at the moment, in the hands of the legislators.  What We the People think is summed up in the T-shirts, so if town hall shouting matches give you a headache you can just take a gander:

Healthcare is the topic du jour these days, and the younger generation is just as affected by the issue as everyone else.  With that in mind, Rock the Vote has launched a T-shirt design contest so that you whippersnappers can sport your support for a better healthcare system.

Rock the Vote also launched their own series of healthcare T-shirts, one of which was designed by artist Andrew W.K. – that design is seen here at right.  So if you’re hot on the issue but not so hot on making your own, no worries.  In this case, you’re covered.

The judges of the design contest are N*E*R*D, Andrew W.K., DJ Skee & Chester French, who will narrow the field down to 5.  At that point the final 5 go to a public vote, and the winner’s design will be featured in the Rock the Vote online shop.

So there you have it: talking about healthcare can be cool.

We’re accustomed to our T-shirts showing up in unexpected places, but this submission by one of our Shopkeepers is a first.

The fine folks at Awkward Family Photos have showcased someone modeling one of our Maternity shirts, and while we might have suggested that this person go with a regular ol’ black T-shirt, hey – to each their own.

Whether this T-shirt was returned for a size exchange is unknown, but we’re finding the question mark to be a rather apt fashion choice.

The 40th anniversary of Woodstock happened this week, with a sold-out concert that delighted Baby Boomers and tie-dye fans alike.

The grassroots concert that gave us Jimi Hendrix’s electric Star Spangled Banner and put Bethel, NY on the map was originally planned as a money maker, until event organizers realized that they were expecting about 200,000 people more than they’d planned.  This caused a bit of havoc in this normally quiet, rural community: traffic jams, shortages of bathrooms and sustenance and the sheer number of people caused the county to declare a State of Emergency, though festival organizers did convince the Governor not to call in the National Guard.  (Their uniforms don’t come in tie-dye, and being overdressed at a concert is just embarrassing.)

Billed as “An Exposition: 3 Days of Peace & Music,” Woodstock happened against a backdrop of major domestic political unrest – the Vietnam War was going on and the Baby Boomers were becoming politically active (and getting drafted).  Had there been a CafePress back then, we imagine that the crowds might have been wearing a lot of user-designed creations, especially the peace sign hand.  As it was, tie-dye had a chance to be a superstar.

And so we remember Woodstock today with Hendrix’s unforgettable nod to the flag:

Supreme Court nominees aren’t usually T-shirt fodder – heck, either are Supreme Court Justices – but Sonia Sotomayor can chalk up another win for breaking the norms.

Her much-debated “wise Latina” remark has become an empowerment slogan for other like-minded ladies, and when folks feel empowered by a catch phrase it’s only a matter of time (very little time, usually) before it makes its way to the ever-flexible canvas of a cotton T-shirt.

The AP covered the pop culture trend today, noting that the appeal of “Wise Latina” T-shirts is partially cultural.  Said one interviewee: “In Hispanic culture, there is such a veneration of the older Latina figure. She represents that.”

So if you’re looking for that perfect gift for your own wise Latina, hey – look no further.  Even if you don’t want to go political, we gotcha covered.

There’s been a lot of talk lately about the anti-Obama T-shirts in our catalogue, all made by folks who are getting something off their minds and onto their chests (and the chests of those around them).  It would seem that a T-shirt is worth 1,000 polls…

One of the more discussed designs is the Obama/Joker design, which went viral both online and as a subversive poster campaign in the real world.  This image was the first real iconography to catch on in the anti-Obama movement, and it certainly got some attention from the Left.  Some decried it as “racist,” (these folks apparently aren’t big Batman or circus fans), while others went on record to doubt the intelligence of the design itself.

Perhaps, under a new administration, the collective memory slate that once held notes of political outrage has been wiped clean.  Indeed, those decrying the Obama/Joker image seem to have forgotten that President Bush earned himself similar artistic… er, tributes.  A simple search for “Bush” reminds us that the process of Presidential policy critique via the almighty T-shirt isn’t remotely reserved for the Right.

The trend of anti-Obama merchandise is to be expected.  This is, after all, the artistic cycle of political opposition; those opposed to a specific candidate spend the majority of their pre-election energies on promoting their candidate of choice, not focusing on The Other Guy (or Girl).  In fact, the only candidate we’ve seen garner a big anti-following well before holding the Presidential office is Hillary Clinton, who started the whole retro communist/socialist propaganda art theme long before Obama was the target.

Which is to say that all the folks making McCain ’08 merchandise should be expected to join the new political dialogue, and that dialogue centers around President Obama and his policies.  Those who made the pro-Obama T-shirts have, already, done their jobs: their candidate was elected, their merchandise is still – for the most part – relevant in supporting him.

For those interested in the trend, here’s some factoids for you:

• There are about 1 million anti-Obama products, vs. 3 million pro-Obama products
• Sales of pro vs. anti are fairly evenly split, though anti can spike if there’s a good, T-worthy catch phrase or policy that comes up (like the Great Stupidly Debate & Happy Hour)
• The anti-Obama sentiments post-election tend to focus on policy issues – socialism is a big theme, as well as generalized “I told you so” messaging.  Pre-election, the anti-Obama sentiments trended more towards a generalized answer to the ubiquitous Hope/Change messaging, with “Nope” being a main theme.

Overall, the anti-Obama merchandise is, in its infancy, displaying much the same pattern as the anti-Bush merchandise.  One big difference: anti-Obama merch tends to be almost exclusively about what Obama does; anti-Bush merchandise had a lot of content specifically related to what Bush said.  The “acting stupidly” remark was the first Obama public gaffe to make its way as a trend to ring-spun cotton, so we’ll just have to wait it out to determine whether or not the Obama administration will go the way of Bush, inspiring designers with “Obamisms” or some such.