After the staff at Feminist Apparel discovered the founder admitted to being sexually abusive to women, they asked for his resignation. Less than two weeks later, they were fired.
On June 21, Feminist Apparel was tagged in a Facebook post accusing Alan Martofel of rape. Upon being tagged, employees dug deeper and discovered a Facebook post that Martofel wrote in 2013 that described his own sexual abuse of women, how he came to learn about rape culture and that he was starting a company called Feminist Apparel as his “humble attempt” to “solve it.”
The company had popularized slogans like “cats against catcalls,” and “pizza rolls not gender roles,” and its apparel became a staple of the Women’s March and Pride. The brand boasts more than 137,000 followers on Instagram.
Martofel’s Facebook
In a moment of full disclosure, Martofel admitted the terrible acts he committed against women.
He wrote, “We’ve all either faced this firsthand, seen it, heard a firsthand account of it, or are guilty of it ourselves. I’m someone who’s guilty of it. I’ve grinded up on women on buses and at concerts without their consent. I’ve made out with ‘the drunk chick’ at a party because it was easier. I’ve put a woman’s hand on my dick while she was sleeping.”
Martofel’s Facebook
In the post, Martofel shared his own experiences with sexual abuse and his plan to “fix” rape culture. However in a later interview with Forbes, Martofel claimed the idea for the company sprouted from a documentary he was making about sexual assault on college campuses. The latter was what his staff understood to be true. Was this an attempt to mitigate his admission or to not be fully honest about the root cause for starting the company
His employees were in shock over the post. The next day, Marofel was confronted and asked for his resignation as well as they requested that he release a public statement to his customers.
On June 24, Martofel announced to his staff that he had suspended operations for the coming week. On June 30, employees say they could no longer log in to their company emails. On July 1, nine out of the 10 staff members were let go, without severance, they said.
His former art director, Rebecca Green told Refinery 29 “I feel righteous and angry…. I feel incredibly sorry knowing that there are survivors in this office who were led to believe that their contributions to this company were directly going to creating a safe space and platform for survivors, feminists, and marginalized identities.”
Martofel defended his commitment to the company’s mission and explained his decision to fire the staff.
He said, “Sadly, in the meeting that took place with my now-former employees last Friday, I was made aware that they, unequivocally, do not share my views on either business or feminism … I truly believe in Feminist Apparel, its mission, and in the important causes and individuals it supports.”
He continued on saying:
“Lastly, for those of you who believe that the note I wrote 5 years ago, along with the contents within it, disqualifies me from having a place within this movement, while I appreciate your perspective, I wholeheartedly disagree with it.”
The full press release can be read here.
