In a groundbreaking and very sweet initiative, a farm in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, is shepherding the world’s first openly gay flock of sheep. To add to the sweetness, Rainbow Wool is launching the world’s first collection made from the wool of those cute gay rams.
Farmer Michael Stücke, who shepherds the sheep and is also openly gay himself, is leading this unique effort from his farm in Löhne. Stücke’s farm offers a new cyclical and sustainable way of supporting the queer community by transforming the wool of gay rams into fashion products that give back to LGBTQ+ projects.
The initiative partners with LSVD+ (Federation Queer Diversity), the largest non-governmental LGBTQ+ rights organisation in Germany. LSVD+ is part of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA), which advocates for queer rights on a global scale.
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One of the unique aspects of this project is that Stücke and his team buy gay rams from breeders across Germany, outbidding butcheries in the process and saving them from being slaughtered.
The farm itself operates with a deep commitment to holistic and animal-friendly agriculture. Stücke works closely with environmentalists and local authorities to ensure the preservation of natural resources and biodiversity.
The farm’s sheep play a central role in this sustainable ecosystem, acting as natural lawnmowers on hard-to-reach protected lands and providing manure that supports local insect populations. In turn, these insects are crucial for migratory and rare birds in the region.
Stücke’s farm and its wool-based fashion products highlight the prevalence of queerness in nature. Same-sex behaviour in animals is more common than most realise. Studies have documented such behaviour in over 1,500 species, including about one in 12 sheep, and queer animals, like queer humans, often face stigmatisation.
The initiative also underscores the harsh reality that 62 countries still criminalise same-sex relationships. That’s a third of the world.
Even in countries where it is legal, hostility toward the queer community persists, including in Germany. By combining fashion and activism, Stücke and his gay sheep flock aim to make the world a more accepting place, one wool product at a time.
You can get involved by adopting your very own gay sheep or by purchasing some of their fashionable wool-based items here!
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