Hat brands continue to cut ties with shop over ‘NOT VACCINATED’ Star of David badges

HatWRKS of Tennessee facing shortage after owner complains of ‘tyranny’ of Covid rules and criticism for antisemitic yellow patches

Brands and manufacturers are continuing to cut ties with a hat shop in Nashville amid accusations of antisemitism for an anti-vaccination badge .

It follows the owner of hatWRKS, in Nashville, Tennessee, advertising a picture of a yellow patch resembling the Star of David along with the words “not vaccinated” on Friday.

It was deleted soon afterwards on Instagram, drawing criticism for referring to the badge forced on Jews under Nazi occupation.

Although the owner of hatWRKS, identified as Gigi Gaskins, issued an apology for “trivaliz[ing] the Star of David” and for “disrespect” on Saturday, a number of manufacturers continued to say they were cutting ties with hatWRKS.

Stetson, the well-known hat brand, called the anti-vaccination patch “offensive” and that it “condemns antisemitism and discrimination of any kind”.

“We are aware of the situation in Nashville,” Stetson tweeted on Saturday. “As a result of the offensive content and opinions shared by hatWRKS in Nashville, Stetson and our distribution partners will cease the sale of all Stetson products.”

It was followed by Goorin Bros, another hat manufacturer who announced on Sunday it was stopping distribution to hatWRKS.

“Due to the recent offensive content shared by hatWRKS in Nashville, Goorin Bros. has ended their distribution with this business effective immediately,” the firm tweeted.

Another hat brand, Bailey Hats, wrote on Facebook that “use of the Star of David by our customer [hatWRKS] as a statement against vaccination was not just insensitive, but disrespectful and wrong”.

“We have given Gigi Gaskins at hatWRKS Nashville a chance to change,” it added, but that “additional posts on her feed, and the refusal to remove past offensive posts, make it clear to us that her apology is not sincere”.

Bailey Hats also confirmed it was “permanently terminating hatWRKS Nashville as a customer”, immediately.

Ms Gaskins wrote in an apology on Saturday that “In NO WAY did I intend to trivialise the Star of David or disrespect what happened to millions of people. That is not who I am & what I stand for.”

“My intent was not to exploit or make a profit. My hope was to share my genuine concern and fear, and to do all that I can to make sure that nothing like that ever happens again,” she added. “I sincerely apologise for any insensitivity.”

In a follow-up post, the hatWRKS owner wrote that she was the “target of the mob” and that she was fighting against “tyranny” and a “power grab”, and went on to complain about Black Lives Matter protests over the past year.

She also said that none of the patches advertised on Friday were sold.

Demonstrators assembled on Saturday in protest against Ms Gaskin, according to CNN, with signs including “No Nazis in Nashville”.

It comes almost a week after firebrand GOP congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene compared Covid vaccination stickers and face coverings to the Star of David and the Holocaust.

An estimated six million Jews were murdered during the mass extermination event.

Ms Greene afterwards apologised and defended her remarks, saying she was fighting against rules that were comparable to that of “the great tyrants of history”, in apparent reference to Hitler.