LGBTQ+ Brand Condemns Proud Boys For Wearing Its Yellow Kilts At A Pro-Trump Rally

A Virginia-based clothing brand, Varillas, denounced far-right facist group The Proud Boys after members were shown wearing its products during a violent rally.

Far-right extremist group the Proud Boys shown wearing kilts made by LGBTQ+ brand Verillas, gather to protest President-elect Joe Biden's victory on December 12, 2020 in Washington, D.C. | Getty Images
Far-right extremist group the Proud Boys shown wearing kilts made by LGBTQ+ brand Verillas, gather to protest President-elect Joe Biden's victory on December 12, 2020 in Washington, D.C. | Getty Images

A brand that promotes LGBTQ+ pride through its merchandise sales is condemning far-right extremist group The Proud Boys for wearing its yellow kilts at a pro-Trump rally. The brand has since discontinued the yellow kilts.

Fredericksburg, Virginia-based clothing brand Verillas condemned the Proud Boys last week after members of the group were shown wearing its yellow kilts during a chaotic pro-Trump rally in Washington, D.C. In a tweet, Verillas said it was “disgusted” seeing the “fascist terrorist org” wearing its products. 

“Our products have been regrettably co-opted by some of the people in the fascist terrorist organization calling itself the ‘Proud Boys,’” Verillas wrote in an Instagram post to its nearly 20K followers. “We roundly denounce any association with these individuals and the hatred they stand for.”

The brand went on to say that it is “LGBTQIA+ owned, operated, designed and lived” and that it is “against everything [the Proud Boys] stand for.” 

“I see $750 of our gear in the picture - I just gave $1000 to the NAACP to redirect hate to love,” the brand tweeted. 

Over the weekend, Trump supporters — including a reported roughly 200 members of the male-only Proud Boys — held rallies in downtown Washington, D.C. to protest the election results, days before the Electoral College affirmed President-elect Joe Biden’s victory on Monday.

The demonstration turned violent, and at least four people were stabbed, leading to dozens of arrests, according to The Washington Post. Rally goers burned Black Lives Matter flags and clashed with counter-protesters, the Guardian reported. President Donald Trump has not commented on the violent rallies as of Tuesday.

This wasn’t the first such post-election march; in November, thousands of Trump supporters descended on D.C. for the so-called “Million MAGA March” a week after news outlets called the race for Biden.

Justin LaRose, Verillas vice president of marketing, told Dazed that he was shocked the group would use the brand’s merchandise, considering it sells pro-LGBTQ+ clothing and promotes pride on its website. He went on to say that he was grateful for the positive response online after Verillas condemned the Proud Boys, adding: “I feel like we got folded into the arms of an understanding and empathetic world.”

Verillas has since discontinued the yellow kilts worn by the Proud Boys.