Sarah Palin attempted to squash sartorial criticism this weekend when she told a crowd her favorite store’s a consignment shop, not fancy stores like the ones the RNC patronized when picking her campaign duds.
We’re not sure if the comment changed any minds about Palin’s $150,000 wardrobe, but it spurred CBS Early Show‘s crack team to track down the store, Anchorage’s Out of the Closet.
Does that name sound familiar? It should – that’s the name of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation’s chain of thrift shops, all of which benefit the group’s good cause.
Well, the AHF is not amused by this coincidence and has sent the store a cease and desist letter that demands they find a new name. And it’s all Palin’s fault!
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
Read what the group has to say, after the jump.
We are grateful to Governor Palin for bringing the infringement of AIDS Healthcare Foundation’s trademark on our eighteen year-old ‘Out of the Closet’ name to our attention. In addition to raising funds for the care and treatment of thousands of people with AIDS in the US and around the globe, several AHF ‘Out of the Closet’ sites also serve as free HIV and STD testing centers. A growing number are now partnered with or placed alongside full service AHF Pharmacy stores, which are open to everyone, but offer clients specific expertise in HIV/AIDS medications. AHF’s ‘Out of the Closet’ chain and our related services at these sites provide the community a unique opportunity to give back.
We value our good name and as such, have sent a ‘cease and desist’ letter to the independent for-profit resale shop operating under our ‘Out of the Closet’ name in Alaska….We also invite Governor Palin and the Republican National Committee to give back to the community by donating the Vice Presidential candidate’s campaign wardrobe to AIDS Healthcare Foundation’s ‘Out of the Closet’ following the election.”
andy_d
One thing that is not being mentioned in all the donation hoopla. Palin’s choice is a CONSIGNMENT store. In plain english this means that the store receives a portion of the price for acting as a broker. She would get to keep the actual proceeds.
This differs from a THRIFT store, like the official AHF stores where ALL the proceeds from the sale go to the charit(ies) under which auspices the store is run.
John Smith
Oh, please. I don’t think it’s in good form for a big AIDS charity in California and Florida to go bullying a small storekeeper in Anchorage, Alaska of all places.
CHURCHILL-Y
Rightly so John Smith. It makes them seem like a fucking joke.
Nickthekick
A small shop keeper who stole a great name for a Thrift Store. I’d be plenty pissed if another business did this to me. I guess, you have to experience running your own business, being the boss, working so hard, to be stolen from is the lowest.
...
What if the store came first?
someone
“…AIDS Healthcare Foundation’s chain of thrift shops, all of which benefit the group’s good cause.” I’m confused. . .what good cause?
CHURCHILL-Y
SoCal Halloween Scene Has Palin Hanging From Noose:
http://cbs5.com/watercooler/sarah.palin.noose.2.849638.html
And it had to be two queens the ones behind it.
bobito
to confused “someone” (#6): Did you actually read the AHF statement in the posting? “In addition to raising funds for the care and treatment of thousands of people with AIDS in the US and around the globe, several AHF ‘Out of the Closet’ sites also serve as free HIV and STD testing centers. A growing number are now partnered with or placed alongside full service AHF Pharmacy stores, which are open to everyone, but offer clients specific expertise in HIV/AIDS medications.”
Your stated confusion implies that you wouldn’t consider that a good cause. I hope that is not the case.
someone
Bobito-you nailed it. . .I don’t consider that a good cause. I can think of LOTS of other good causes.
ajax
You know what, John Smith and Churchill-y? You’re completely wrong. As a CHARITY, it would be unethical for Out Of The Closet not to issue a “cease and desist”. OOTC cannot allow patrons of the Anchorage store to infer that proceeds for the sale go to charity as it could lead the patrons to take fraudulent tax donations.
I’m not sure if you two are stupid or just unethical, but stop smearing honest charities, okay?
ousslander
They probably never heard of the charity or it’s stores. I haven’t.
Palin said she buys at the thrift store not SELLS her clothes.
Alan down in Florida
The questions that come to my mind are “Does AHF have a physical presence in Anchorage or any other Alaskan city with which the store the Governor shops at can be confused?” and “Does the consignment shop in any way try to pass itself as associated with AHF or as being a charitable organization?”
If the answer to both questions is “No” then I agree that this seems to be a case of hunting a mosquito with an elephant gun and AHF’s money would be better spent in a non-litigious manner.
ajax
I just typed “out of the closet” in my search engine and here’s the first link:
http://www.outofthecloset.org/
It’s the link to the charity’s website. You think they have the internets in Alaska? You think the shopkeeper might own a computer? You think the people who dropped their old clothes on the shopkeeper’s doorstep might have done so because they typed the name of the shop into their browser and thought they were making charitable contributions?
Look, I’m sure the shopkeeper chose the name innocently, but she has to stop using it and Out Of The Closet took the correct action.
bash
This is AHF’s specialty–filing largely baseless lawsuits against and generally threatening ASOs, CBOs and, apparently, small businesses. It’s why they’re a pariah among HIV/AIDS groups across the country. Seriously. They also sue drug companies–not a bad thing–but then withdraw the suits when they get a donation, rather than pushing ahead for the sort of systemic and policy changes these suits are designed to bring about, changes that save lives.
PARKAVMAN
There is a store in Indianapolis that uses the same name. I lived in L.A. for many years, so I was very surprised when I went there to donate and found it was a high-end women’s consignment shop.
Jon
Out of the Closet in Los Angeles are crappy stores. They don’t seem to wash any of the clothes they receive and the stores SMELL and are very dirty! I’ve been to several and they’re all the same. The prices are also rather high for a thrift store, for a few dollars more you can buy new items at TJ Maxx. They may do good work in donating their profits, but I certainly would never recommend shopping there.