Lavender has been associated with both gay men and women.
“Lavender boy” was a term used for gay men in the 1920s. A guy who had any characteristic not deemed masculine enough would be accused of having “a streak of lavender.”

In fact, in 1926, historian Carl Sandburg once referred to Abraham Lincoln as having “a streak of lavender” which ran through him.

For women, lavender became associated with lesbians wanting to be included in the women’s movement.

As historian Naoko Shibusawa wrote in The Lavender Scare and Empire: Rethinking Cold War Antigay Politics, Betty Friedan labeled their involvement “the Lavender Menace.”

Later in 1971, lesbian rights became part of the platform as a “legitimate concern of feminism.” lesbian feminist Rita Mae Brown and other activists fought back in 1970 by disrupting a women’s event wearing T-shirts that said “Lavender Menace.” The crowd supported them and welcomed them into the fold.


This t-shirt is everything you've dreamed of and more. It feels soft and lightweight, with the right amount of stretch. It's comfortable and flattering for all. 

• 100% combed and ring-spun cotton (Heather colors contain polyester)
• Fabric weight: 4.2 oz/yd² (142 g/m²)
• Pre-shrunk fabric
• Side-seamed construction
• Shoulder-to-shoulder taping
• Blank product sourced from Guatemala, Nicaragua, Mexico, Honduras, or the US

This product is made especially for you as soon as you place an order, which is why it takes us a bit longer to deliver it to you. Making products on demand instead of in bulk helps reduce overproduction, so thank you for making thoughtful purchasing decisions!