Willy Chavarria teams up with ACLU for fashionable evening of civic activism

Politics is trending stateside, with a high-stakes election just a week away. For two-time CFDA Award fashion designer Willy Chavarria, his creations have also stood for more than sharp garments to look good in; they are wrapped up with a social message, which at the heart is letting the unseen in society be seen.

In September, his latest show, ‘America’ unveiled a collaboration with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) for which he created T-shirts and sweatshirts to raise awareness for the 100-plus-year-old non-profit, non-partisan organization aimed at protecting the civil liberties of Americans and others here in the United States.

Along with ACLU’s Jessica Weitz, Chavarria gathered some prominent LGBTQ+ figures in fashion, sports, and activism to stress the importance of voting regarding what’s at stake for the community and all citizens in the upcoming election at the América Real Talk event. 

The designer recruited Women’s Soccer League (WSL) player and Olympic gold medal winner Megan Rapinoe, former Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) player Sue Bird, fashion designer Phillip Lim, ACLU’s deputy executive director of strategy & culture AJ Hikes, and co-hosted with Weitz. As Weitz introduced the panel, she reminded the audience of the ACLU’s role.

“The ACLU fights for fundamental rights of our civil rights and civil liberties— from immigrants’ rights to reproductive freedom to racial justice, to freedom of speech, and the right to vote—which all come down to one thing: voting,” she said.

While billed as non-partisan, the issues concerning most on the left were the subject of discussion, such as trans health rights, pay equality, anti-discrimination efforts, and more skew towards the Democratic ticket. The industry itself is primarily seen as a Democratic voting bloc. However, in theory, both parties offer something to the industry. The Democrat’s deficit spending and tax credits to families could provide a slight boost, but higher corporate taxes may stunt growth. In Trump’s vision, corporate tax cuts and light regulatory measures may be a boon to business. Currently, tariffs instituted by Trump and implemented by the Biden Administration prove to be vexing for the industry.

The industry seems more poised to vote its conscience for civil liberties, common decency, and decorum among sensible economic, health, and employment programs offered under the Harris-Walz ticket.

At a recent rally organized by the CFDA and Vogue during NYFW, ‘Fashion For Our Future’ billed itself as a bipartisan event, but offered First Lady Jill Biden as its speaker.

Unlike publishing editorial boards, which generally endorse a candidate—though in a shocking move, Jeff Bezos blocked his Washington Post editorial board from endorsing Kamala Harris lest it mar his tax breaks offered under Trump, and in a similar move, The Los Angeles Times also refused to endorse a candidate—fashion brands’ corporate boards do not make official endorsements.

Thus, Chavarria’s stance on hosting the event was bold, but refreshing. Each panelist was known for their activism to combat discrimination in the form of racism, sexism, and hate crimes. Designer Phillip Lim relayed his story of immigrating to the U.S. and balancing his Chinese heritage with his newfound American status. In 2020, in response to a wave of anti-AAPI  ​Asian American and Pacific Islander) violence, Lim, with other fashion Asians Prabal Gurung, Tina Leung, Laura Kim, and Ezra William, formed House of Slay to combat racism, hatred, bullying, and fear of the ‘other,’ and launched the #STOPASIANHATE hashtag.

“As an Asian-American, I never would ever imagine that in 2021, that blame would be cast on the Asian community for a human virus affecting everyone. So, at that moment, we were called to action, and it was about galvanizing, it was about speaking up and using platforms,” he recalled.

Lim noted that being a minority has many challenges. “We have to accept that we must work harder to prove that we possess more grit to succeed. But we should be energized to understand we have power too.”

“You are a role model too. So, it is incumbent upon us, every one of us, to just act, show up, and get there. You don’t have to know it all but know that at this moment, you have the gift, privilege, and power to affect your role model. This country is a role model for the world, and how we act and what we will do in the next 12 days will influence the world. So, let’s do it,” he urged.

Lim also put some perspective on what non-immigrant Americans should pay attention to. “We shouldn’t take what it is to be American for granted because life is pretty good here. If you can travel to other countries, you will see that.”

Chavarria also spoke of the immigrant experience as he was born to a Mexican father and an Irish-American mother.

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“I was raised in a very Chicano family, so being pro-America was never my vibe. Within the last couple of years, I’ve come to value the fact that we live in a democracy where so many other people do not have the privilege to have such incredible rights, and people have fought and died for our rights. We cannot have complacency,” he said, noting that his living room walls were decked with images of United Farm Workers activists Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta.

“The foundation of my work has taken a position on human dignity, social justice issues, and our rights, and the fashion brand follows that. The more diversity we have in the room or the conversation, the better the creativity, the better the decision, the better the problem-solving and outcome of what is created for all of us,” he said, adding, “To make for a better society, we have to allow everyone a seat at the table, and we can’t deny anyone that. It’s horrible for those who experience that and detrimental to society.”

Like Lim, Chavarria echoed the challenges of being a minority. “I’ve suffered homophobia and racism. I’ve learned to accept that working harder or doing more to get my point across just makes me better. If you resent it, an ugliness brings you down that we don’t want. So, embrace it as a challenge that we’re gifted with that makes us stronger, more interesting, cooler people.”

Rapinoe has used her star-athlete position to uphold and further her core belief “that bullying and taking away someone’s rights is bullshit, and if you see something, you have to say something.”

She has leveraged a sports career to spread goodwill and take a stance. “I get valued for my profession, and I will use that like a cudgel in every way I possibly can to protect all of us and everybody else, too,” she said.

Most famously, Rapinoe followed the famous Kaepernick’s stance of kneeling during the national anthem. She felt that, as a white woman with certain protections and privileges, it was her duty to amplify the message.

“I was getting death threats. I’m like, ‘Am I really? I’m a white woman in America. I play sports. I have security.’ It wasn’t as dangerous for me as it is for people just being black in America. I learned about privilege against inequality early on. And I played for America. I’m like, ‘Oh, I’m American too, whether you like it or not’,” she said, referring to her LGBTQ+ community.

Her choice not to remain ‘mute’ as her pro-sports management referred also helped ‘radicalize’ her mother, who defended her daughter’s decision to kneel publicly while working as a food server.

“If I were using that to judge whether I would say something, I would never speak at all,” she noted. Rapinoe has also fought to demand equal pay in sports and advocates speaking out for LGBTQ+ rights to help the next generation

“I am looking for the trickle-down effects of speaking out to help other gay kids. None of us are free until all of us are free. That is not a free society. That is not the ideal in this country,” she continued, adding, “This election will affect everybody. All of us affect your health from a mental health standpoint, from a physical health standpoint, and a safety standpoint.”

“I would try to talk to the people who are not going to vote. It is a privilege to live here. Sometimes it’s crazy, obviously, but not everywhere in the world is it a given that you get to vote, that you get to come to something like this, and that you get to speak your mind,” Rapinoe reminded the audience.

Bird, also Rapinoe’s partner, recalled her journey as an LGBTQ+ woman, being out to family and friends but not feeling compelled to come out to the media until she met Rapinoe.

During the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests in the wake of the killing of George Floyd, Bird was playing basketball in the specially created pro sports ‘bubble’ that they nicknamed the ‘Wubble’, in which they quarantined as an industry to keep the games going.

“We were in Florida of all places for three months, locked in the whole thing, playing these games. It was 2020, I don’t have to say it. A lot was happening with social activism. There were moments when my Black peers, my Black teammates, players on the other team, or within the executive committee, which is where we represent, just couldn’t do it. It was too much; it was emotionally exhausting and scary. That was when my allyship could take that form as a leader by speaking up and protesting. It was about finding that balance between when to lead and when to follow, but a lot is based on trust and relationships,” she recalled.

Bird also advocates for diversity by comparing it to a team with different skill sets and physical abilities. “We would be a shitty team if everyone looked and played like me. We need diversity to be great.”

Hikes recalled the unfortunate but happy accident that led to the formation of the traditional six-stripe rainbow flag, becoming more diverse during her time as the executive director of the Office of LGBTQ+ Affairs for the City of Philadelphia.

“We have had a lot of discussions on racism within the LGBTQ+ community since 2017. The real smoking gun was when a bar owner was caught on video in a racist rant, saying the N-word repeatedly. This was not someone who trolls on social media but a community leader, and he was caught saying the N-word to a Black person who was a bartender in this restaurant. This resulted in protests, boycotts, and calls for resignations,” Hikes recalled, noting the mayor’s office needed a symbol to mark the time and experience.

Hikes thought the gesture was just for Philadelphia, but it went viral. But also, they faced backlash from what she described as aggressive responses from mainly older white gay men who were not on board with the flag changing its stripes, so to speak.

Hikes also let the audience know that the next big fight the ACLU is taking to the Supreme Court involves the right to evidence-based healthcare for young trans people and will be defended by the first trans lawyer, Chase Strangio, in the country’s highest court. They also leaned into Bird’s approach to allyship, suggesting that white folks spread information on these critical matters.

“The messenger matters. They are going to hear it from you better than they are going to hear it from me,” Hikes advised, adding a fact for the upcoming election many find comforting amidst the current political rhetoric.

“I want to remind folks that Black women are the most loyal voting block the Democratic party has ever had in terms of civil liberties and civil rights. Black men are the second most loyal. Everybody else comes after that. So, there’s an opportunity to get your folks together,” they suggested.

Lim concurred: “You just have to be activated to ensure that you are fighting for your rights and dignity, but for people who look like you and those who do not. Do you know what I mean? We’re all in this together.”