San Francisco Bans Fur Sales

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors unanimously voted today to ban the sale of fur within city limits—making it the biggest region in the United States to impose such a ban. The ordinance was proposed in June by animal-rights group Compassionate Bay and sponsored by city supervisor Katy Tang, who told city officials that selling fur in San Francisco was not consistent with the city’s moral fiber of treating all beings with kindness. “It is unfashionable to take the life of another living creature for the purpose of wearing them,” Tang said. “I am grateful to have the opportunity to speak on behalf of animals everywhere and make it clear that animal fur is not for sale.” San Francisco is now the third city in California (behind West Hollywood and Berkeley) to impose such a ban, which requires retailers such as Macy’s, Saks Fifth Ave, and Bloomingdale’s (along with smaller businesses that sell items such as keychains adorned with fur) to end the sale of fur by January 1, 2019. The fashion industry is also eliminating the use of animal skins, as a number of companies—such as Gucci, Armani, and Michael Kors—have pledged to discontinue the use of fur in their future collections. Furthermore, last week designer Donatella Versace stated, “Fur? I’m out of that.”