Domenico Dolce, one half of Italian luxury label Dolce & Gabbana, has apologised for remarks he made surrounding IVF and gay families in March.
The apology came six months after an interview with Italian magazine Panorama in which he said: “We oppose gay adoptions. The only family is the traditional one.” He went on to describe children born through IVF as “children of chemistry, synthetic children. Rented uterus, semen chosen from a catalogue.”
The comments caused an outcry in the gay community, with the singer Elton John calling for a boycott of the label and openly berating the designers on social media. He wrote on Instagram: “Your archaic thinking is out of step with the times, just like your fashions. I shall never wear Dolce & Gabbana ever again. #BoycottDolceGabbana.” Meanwhile LGBT rights activist, Peter Tatchell, staged a protest outside their London shop.
Speaking in an interview with US Vogue, the designer apologised for his comments: “I am so sorry. It was not my intention to offend anyone.” He explained that the apology came after a period of “soul searching”.
“I’ve talked to Stefano a lot about this. I’ve realised that my words were inappropriate, and I apologise. They are just kids. You don’t need labels, baby labels.”
His label partner, Stefano Gabbana went on to to admit that he had toyed with the idea of having children himself: “I had thought of going to California and having a baby, but I couldn’t bring the baby back to Italy, because you need the mother’s passport. I asked about adoption in Italy. It’s very hard for a straight couple here – imagine if you are gay!”
At present, it’s still not legal for gay couples to adopt in Italy.
