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    Jefferson Adams
    Jefferson Adams

    Are Zara's "Gluten-free" T-shirts Funny or Offensive?

    Reviewed and edited by a celiac disease expert.

    Celiac.com 04/21/2016 - Spanish fashion brand Zara has been forced to pull a T-shirt from its stores after a petition argued that the slogan was offensive to people with celiac disease.

    Photo: CC--tupeloThe shirt in question is a simple white T-shirt that sports the slogan "Are you gluten free?" in bold black letters. Zara pulled the shirt after a petition urging the removal appeared on the website change.org, and collected over 50,000 signatures in just under a week.

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    In a statement released on March 14th, Inditex, the biggest fashion company in the world, which owns Zara, announced it was pulling the T-shirt from its stores. "The T-shirt mentioned in this petition was pulled from our online store a few weeks ago now and we are currently confirming that it is not for sale in our stores either," said the statement.

    Zara's quick response came as a pleasant surprise to the petition's author. Marta Casadesús, who started the petition. Casadesús told reporters that she really "just wanted Zara to reflect on the message, I was trying to explain that perhaps it wasn't the best way to make people aware of the illness." She said she was "really happy" with Zara's decision to remove the shirt.

    This is not the first T-shirt controversy to befall the fashion giant. In 2014 Zara stirred up controversy by selling a striped children's T-shirt that many people said resembled the uniforms worn by prisoners in Nazi concentration camps.

    The navy-and-white striped "sheriff shirt" featured horizontal stripes and a six-pointed gold star. Zara also removed that shirt from its stores after numerous complaints.

    So, what do you think? Is it offensive to wear a T-shirt that asks "Are You Gluten Free?"

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    Guest Kathy

    Posted

    We are officially the most RIDICULOUS nation in the world. Can we become more stupidly PC? No, we are there !!

    Actually this happened in Spain, not the USA. So I believe it is the whole world that has become ridiculous, not just our nation.

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    Guest celiacMom

    Posted

    I find it offensive because is asking about a medical condition that should be private matter, and does not define who a person is. When is the last time you saw a t-shirt that said "Are you in chemotherapy?" or "What is your blood sugar level?" or "Got Viagra?"

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    Guest celiacMom

    Posted

    To add a bit more, why I am offended, and I do not even have celiac, its my kid! I am old fashion, from a time when we tried to be polite and pleasant to one another. T-shirts and conversations were about the sports, art, books, TV shows, maybe a bit of politics or religion...

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    Guest CJ Russell

    Posted

    I don't find it offensive at all. What clothing is offensive? Shorts/pants that say "Juicy" on the butt. Do I need to know that they have anal leakage? That's what it says to me. It doesn't tell me that the person wearing them is attractive - if they are I can see that with my eyes. It tells me that they have poor taste in clothing and do not understand the meaning of the word juicy. T-shirts that talk about the wearer's bedroom habits/preferences. TMI. Any clothing that reduces women (or men, but I rarely see it) to an object. I find these things objectionable, but I don't make a stink about it and petition for establishments to not sell them. "Are you gluten free?" is not offensive.

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    Guest Pippy

    Posted

    A shirt like that could be a conversation starter, this befuddles me. I have celiac disease and if I wore that shirt, it would be to bring awareness to the disease. I think there could be better choice saying on the T, but I am sort of confused. I would not be offended.

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    Guest Patrice

    Posted

    I would think that it would raise awareness of celiac and gluten sensitivity. I don't find it offensive at all. But then I'm not easily offended.

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  • About Me

    Jefferson Adams

    Jefferson Adams is Celiac.com's senior writer and Digital Content Director. He earned his B.A. and M.F.A. at Arizona State University. His articles, essays, poems, stories and book reviews have appeared in numerous magazines, journals, and websites, including North American Project, Antioch Review, Caliban, Mississippi Review, Slate, and more. He is the author of more than 2,500 articles on celiac disease. His university coursework includes studies in science, scientific methodology, biology, anatomy, physiology, medicine, logic, and advanced research. He previously devised health and medical content for Colgate, Dove, Pfizer, Sharecare, Walgreens, and more. Jefferson has spoken about celiac disease to the media, including an appearance on the KQED radio show Forum, and is the editor of numerous books, including "Cereal Killers" by Scott Adams and Ron Hoggan, Ed.D.

    >VIEW ALL ARTICLES BY JEFFERSON ADAMS

     


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