Television

It’s A Sin “La” t-shirt raises over £500,000 for HIV charity Terrence Higgins Trust

By Conor Clark

27th August 2021

Philip Normal, the indie shop owner behind the popular It’s A Sin-inspired t-shirt, has confirmed that they have raised over half a million pounds.

The five-part Channel 4/HBO Max series, which was written by Russell T. Davies, depicts the lives of a group of gay men living through the HIV/AIDS crisis in the United Kingdom from 1981 to 1991.

It was met with critical acclaim and quickly generated a cult following, with many praising its depiction of AIDS and the emotional cast performances.

Following the success of It’s A Sin at the start of this year, Philip Normal partnered with Terrence Higgins Trust to create a t-shirt that allows people to “join the gang from the Pink Palace”.

Now, Normal has confirmed that his infamous “La” t-shirt has raised over £500,000 for HIV and sexual health charity Terrence Higgins Trust.

“So excited to announce that the La T-shirt has now raised over half a million pounds for @thtorguk,” Normal wrote on Instagram. “What a year it’s been.”

He continued: “Thanks to EVERYONE that’s bought a t-shirt but the biggest thanks has to go to @russelltdavies63 and the cast and crew of #itsasin for starting a national discussion around the realities of living with HIV today, and what’s even better is you can still buy one!!”

Terrence Higgins Trust is the UK’s leading HIV and sexual health charity, supporting those living with HIV and amplifying their voices – as well as providing an array of sexual health services.

Normal and Ian Green, Chief Executive of Terrence Higgins Trust, were joined at Tower Bridge in London by some of the 30,000 people who bought the t-shirt to celebrate the momentous achievement.

It has even caught the attention of the show’s cast, with Nathaniel Curtis – who plays Ash in the show – sharing a photo of himself wearing the top in February.

The phrase “la” was used by characters in the series as a way of showing their love for each other as they lived through the health crisis.

“I couldn’t be more proud of the fact that one of the many great legacies of this show has been to raise so much money for Terrence Higgins Trust,” said Davies, the show’s creator.

“I would like to pay tribute to [the] wonderful Philip Normal for making the most of the moment that It’s A Sin created and thank everyone who has bought a T-shirt to support efforts to tackle the stigma still surrounding HIV.”

The money raised so far has been used to fund the Life Really Changed campaign, which features Normal and 12 others living with HIV as they challenge the stigma surrounding the virus by celebrating their achievements since being diagnosed.

It will also be used to help the charity provide counselling and develop training to help workplaces become HIV-inclusive.

The “La” t-shirts are available here.