Dear Prudence,
A while back, I was a fan of a creator who made some decently popular works, but who isn’t a household name. Since then, this creator has since been accused of some serious things, including sexual assault. No criminal charges or lawsuits have occurred, but the evidence/this person’s own statements seem to indicate they’re probably guilty. I am in the middle of a deep clean of my house and will be donating some old clothes. While cleaning, I found some T-shirts I’d bought promoting this person’s work. I don’t want to keep them, but the question is: Should I donate them or throw them out? On the one hand, they’d be going to someone in need. On the other, having someone wear it might be an unwitting advertisement for this person and their work. I am admittedly leaning toward just donating them, but wondered if there’s something unethical about giving someone clothing that promotes an abuser (especially if the person getting the donation might not be aware of it).
—Ethics in Merchandise