Be Gay Do Crime T-Shirt

Be gay, do crime: three words of queer anti-assimilationist mischief, printed above a fist that is not here to ask the system nicely.

The slogan has circulated through queer graffiti and protest culture, then travelled widely online through late-2010s meme culture. Its point is not that hurting people is glamorous. It is that rules have often criminalised queer existence, queer survival and queer refusal, so “good behaviour” is not always the neutral virtue respectable Pride branding wants it to be.

The raised fist and rainbow bracelets give the design its protest grammar, while the blunt wording keeps one foot in the meme and one in a much older history of queer resistance.

Wear it as a gay activist shirt, an anti-assimilationist queer tee or a little piece of protest clothing for Pride, a march or the supermarket when corporate rainbow language has started to make you itchy.

Printed on a soft, classic unisex tee, the slogan is easy to style and difficult to misunderstand. It is provocative, but the provocation has a target: compulsory respectability, authoritarian rules and the idea that liberation must arrive neatly ironed.

This original Queer In The World design is for gays, queers and allies who know that a polite request has never been the only way to change the terms.

Product details

• Solid colours are 100% ring-spun cotton; heather colours contain polyester.
• Lightweight 4.5 oz / 153 g/m² fabric.
• Pre-shrunk fabric for a more consistent fit after washing.
• Taped neck and shoulders with double-needle stitching on the sleeves and bottom hem.
• Classic unisex fit for everyday wear.
• Machine wash cold, inside out on a gentle cycle with similar colours; do not iron directly over the print.

Sizing note

This is a classic unisex T-shirt cut. Width is measured flat across the chest and length from the shoulder to the hem. Compare the measurements with a T-shirt you already like; size up if you want a roomier fit.

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Shipping

This Queer In The World Original Design is printed to order, so please allow around 2-5 business days for production before dispatch. Making each piece only after it is ordered helps avoid overproduction and unsold inventory, and orders are fulfilled regionally where possible to reduce unnecessary travel. If your order includes other items, they may be produced separately and arrive in more than one parcel.