Australian pyjama and apparel brand Peter Alexander has been forced to pull a kids t-shirt from its latest line of clothing after a series of complaints.
The t-shirt, made for boys, features the slogan “boys will be boys” emblazoned on the front and is marketed to children.
Upon seeing the t-shirt in a Melbourne shop, a member of the public, Bridie Harris, took to social media to ask for Peter Alexander to remove it.
“Boy won’t be boys,” she wrote.
“Boys will be held accountable for their actions. I hate to see an Australian store, who makes such great pjs, put such a sexist statement on a t-shirt intended for young boys. Excusing boys of their behaviour is not a step in the right direction. It’s 2018.”
“I was shopping in Peter Alexander for a gift for a friend, and she saw it and we both just were a bit taken aback that that was something Peter Alexander would do,” said Harris
“It was not something I expected to see from them. I got home and I kept thinking about it.
“I just think that it allows boys to do whatever they want because they are boys. It gives them an excuse for inappropriate behaviour. If a girl hurts someone or does something, you never hear someone that says girls will be girls.”
As well as Harris, Facebook user Chris Pearson posted a photo of the t-shirt to his page, with the caption, “What are you trying to say here? …Boys will be held accountable for their actions, surely.”
Peter Alexander pulled the t-shirt on Wednesday following the comments.
In a statement, the company said, “I just wanted to update you and again thank you for taking the time to get in touch with us and bringing this to our attention. We do not tolerate the behaviour that is being associated with this slogan,” the statement read.
“In the light of your feedback, we have decided to withdraw this item from sale.”
