It’s no secret that homosexual behavior is natural in the animal kingdom.
Bonin flying foxes, a type of bat, curl up in same-sex clusters to keep warm during mating season.
Male zebra finches form lifelong monogamous relationships with each other, which include courtship dances and sex.
And as it turns out, roughly 10% of all male sheep exhibit homosexual tendencies, too.
On a farm, however, rams who don’t mate with female sheep are considered useless and often end up in slaughterhouses. For shepherd Michael Stücke, this fact became a calling.
On his farm in Germany, Stücke has created a sanctuary for gay sheep, saving them from near-certain death and helping LGBTQ+ humans in the process.
In partnership with creative agency Serviceplan, Stücke rescues the sheep and sources their wool in a sustainable and labor-intensive process to create yarn for a line of products called Rainbow Wool.
All products, including hats, shoelaces, and patches are available for purchase online, with all proceeds going to Berlin-based LSVD+, Germany’s largest queer rights organization, which funds LGBTQ+ equality projects worldwide, especially in “queer-hostile countries.”
In 62 countries around the world, homosexuality is still punishable by death.
By intertwining the story of the gay rams with those of LGBTQ+ people, Andy Wyeth, the creative director at Serviceplan, says this project has become a “literal fashion statement.”
“It’s about uniting a community of talented people and using creativity to make the world a little better,” he said.
In addition to products, supporters of the project can purchase a “sponsorsheep” and ceremonially adopt a gay sheep to help grow Stücke’s beloved flock.
“At Rainbow Wool Farm,” the organization’s website shares, “you'll meet the fluffiest Pride ambassadors in the world.”
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A version of this article was originally published in The 2025 Pride Edition of the Goodnewspaper.
Header image courtesy of Serviceplan
