Who knew all the fashion world was missing was a herd of iconic gay sheep?
On 13 November 2025, a unique community-driven fashion show debuted in New York City – showcasing the very best that gay wool has to offer.
Always one step ahead of the curve, dating app Grindr has spearheaded the world’s first truly gay fashion collection, ‘to shine a light on the beauty of queer connection and the natural diversity that exists across species.’
‘I Wool Survive’ is the brainchild of American artist and designer Michael Schmidt and German non-profit organisation Rainbow Wool -a farm that looks after and protects gay rams.
At the show, beautiful men took the runway, wearing different designs that flaunted the wool and gave high fashion a whole new dimension.
Gay creatives have always been at the forefront of innovation. And now, this community has done its part to shove Dolly the sheep from her throne – with a new herd gay sheep leading the charge.
I know what you’re thinking: gay sheep? Tell me more.
How can you tell if a sheep is gay?
You’d be surprised at how much time academics have actually spent deliberating and discussing the sexuality of sheep.
Charles Roselli, a professor of physiology and pharmacology at the Oregon Health & Science University, has studied the sex preferences in Sheep for some time – publishing a research paper in 2020 specifically looking into the topic.
‘Programmed for Preference’ was trying to establish whether or not ‘hormone mechanisms that sexually differentiate the brain underlie the expression of sexual partner preferences.’
In fact, according to Roselli’s research, he believes that approximately 8% of rams prefer same-sex partners.
Given there are around 90 to 130 million rams around the world, that would mean that 7.2 and 10.3 million rams may in fact be gay (or bisexual, we shouldn’t assume).
Breeders typically test a suspected gay ram via a pen test. This means they’ll check the ram’s libido by putting him in a pen with other males and a female to see how he reacts. If the ram shows no interest in the female and prefers a same sex partner, his performance on the farm becomes jeopardised.
The global gaybourhood that cares
Rainbow Farm, led by Farmer Michael Stücke, centres on an ethos of ‘Wool with an impact.’ This involves protecting and rescuing rams who would’ve been sent to the slaughterhouse otherwise, due to their lack of interest in breeding with ewes.
Metro spoke with Nadia, a member of the Rainbow Farm team, to gain greater understanding into how this collective came about.
‘We started our project in 2021,’ Nadia explained. ‘Since then we’ve been rescuing gay rams we could source all over Germany from different farms and breeders. Sometimes we even were in bidding processes against the slaughterhouses and meat works.’
And it’s not been an easy journey. Nadia spoke about how, given the fact that the farming in Germany is very conservative, it took a while for people to get onboard with the idea. But as time has gone on, the farm’s gained more and more supporters.
As per the farm’s public mission statement, the group’s goal is to ‘use the wool from our furry friends to create products that help queer projects in countries where it’s not safe to be queer.’
Stücke, a member of the gayfarmer association in Germany, is making a clear statement to the world. By spotlighting the necessity to protect gay rams, his collective is re-emphasising the fact that queer people are still being deeply persecuted across the world.
It might sound like a bizarre call to action to some – but it’s evidently making an impact.
‘Being gay is natural. It’s part of life. And gay wool can say a lot of things without saying anything, if you know what I mean. There is triple win: we save animals from slaughter, make a statement that being gay is natural and generate funds for LGTBQ initiatives worldwide. The anti queer narratives are on the rise, and we want to make a colourful fluffy statement against this narrative,’ Nadia shares.
As of 2025, there are 12 countries around the world where being gay is legally punishable by death. Moreover, in a further 38 countries – homosexuality is criminalised.
The rams at Rainbow farm produce a multitude of products including hats, shoelaces and patches, which are available for purchase on the initiative’s website.
All of the money made from sales goes directly to two charity partners – LSVD+, Germany’s largest queer rights organisation and Hirschfeld Eddy Foundation, a platform raising awareness of the lethal threats facing queer people.
The fashion show’s designer Schmidt, who has made jewellery and clothes for celebrities such as Beyoncé, Lady Gaga , Cher, and Taylor Swift, said it was a ‘pleasure’ to get to create a light-hearted collection of pieces that in actuality address a very serious topic.
‘The mistreatment of animals that exhibit same-sex attraction is a painful reminder of the prejudice that continues to affect LGBT communities worldwide. Hopefully, by illustrating that homosexuality exists throughout the animal kingdom, we can help put to bed the false and damaging notion that being gay is a choice,’ he added.
According to the recent press release, Grindr is committed to following through on this project – pledging to continue to support Rainbow Wool’s mission throughout 2026.
Select pieces from the I Wool Survive collection will also be available for auction, supporting LGBTQIA+ initiatives worldwide.
‘Rainbow Wool’s story mirrors the experience of so many LGBTQ+ people, cast aside for being different, yet thriving through community,’ says Tristan Pineiro, SVP of Marketing & Communications at Grindr.
‘Together, we’re proving that connection can transform exclusion into celebratory expression.’
Grindr has roughly 13 million active global users – making it the most popular app for queer connection.
That being said, it’s faced numerous ethical concerns in the past – regarding both the handling of user data and the ways in which its algorithm and layout reinforce strict and harmful stereotypes.
While wide-scaled initiatives, such as the app’s global social impact project Grindr for Equality, are important, there’s also something to be said about corporations like these taking a more receptive approach to representing and supporting its own community.
In regards to the Rainbow Farm’s future hopes – it’s all about expanding the sense of togetherness: ‘We would be happy if more farmers would join us + more brands collaborate with us to make the statement: save more gay sheep, create more fashion from their wool and generate funds for queer projects and charities worldwide. Let’s make a world a more fluffier place together.’
Here’s hoping the gay sheep bring about positive and necessary change.
