'Rainbow Wool' Is the World’s First Fashion Statement Made from the Wool of Gay Sheep

Homosexuality remains a crime in 62 countries worldwide. In 12 countries, the death penalty is still a looming threat. Rainbow Wool funds initiatives that raise awareness for the queer community and supports the fight for legal and social equality.

The wool for Rainbow Wool comes from the farm of shepherd Michael Stücke in Löhne, North Rhine-Westphalia. Stücke, a member of the Gayfarmer Association, produces yarn for various creative applications. This yarn is spun from the wool of over 20 gay sheep. While gay rams typically have no 'value' in industrial farming and are often slaughtered, they live full lives at Rainbow Wool Farm, providing high-quality wool for statement fashion pieces.

Bill Kaulitz, one of Germany's most popular fashion and lifestyle influencers, has been a supporter of Rainbow Wool from the very beginning. As the face of the campaign, Bill not only advocates for the protection and adoption of gay sheep but also co-designed the first haute couture collection alongside renowned German designers Danny Reinke and Kilian Kerner.

But Rainbow Wool isn’t just about haute couture. The collection includes statement pieces such as shoelaces, patches, and caps, allowing anyone to show their support for LGBTQIA+ equality while making a bold fashion statement.

This one-of-a-kind fashion collection is available at rainbow-wool.de, with proceeds going to LSVD+—the Federation Queer Diversity in Germany. The funds will be used to support LGBTQIA+ projects worldwide, especially in queer-hostile countries like Uganda, through initiatives such as Queer Emergency Aid.

The campaign accompanying the collection’s launch will be promoted online, on social media, and through out-of-home advertising. In addition to Bill Kaulitz, around 30 well-known influencers from the queer community in Germany and the UK are supporting the Rainbow Wool initiative on a voluntary basis via Instagram. Notable names include Helge Mark Lodder, Nicolas Puschmann, Carlo Sommer, Kyle Thomas, Joe Baggs, Kizzy Edgell, and Bestly.

The farm Schäfer Stücke not only produces Rainbow Wool yarn, They also offer sheep sponsorships to save more gay sheep, increase their flock and produce even more yarn. Bill Kaulitz is already on board. His sponsored sheep are named Karl and Wolli.