Chicago City Council rejects effort to limit sale of new fur products

The proposed ordinance from Ald. Raymond Lopez (15th Ward) sought to prohibit the sale of fashion and accessories made with animal fur. It failed in a 19-26 vote.

“We have a society where we’ve lost our sense of compassion and empathy for other living things,” he told WGN.

Lopez and the more than 20 alders who co-sponsored the proposal argued it was an effort to reduce animal cruelty. Opponents said the ordinance was government overreach that would have harmed business.

“We’ve been in business for over 30 years serving our community,” Gerard Brown, owner of Island Furs, said before the meeting. “What I do is art.” 

The ordinance would have allowed the sale of used fur products and included exceptions for leather, cowhide and deerskin items.

Chicago is home to six furriers, including the nation’s only Black-owned furrier. Animal rights activists argue there’s no humane way to make fur products and that plenty of fashion alternatives exist, but the chair of the City Council Black Caucus called the ban extreme.

“It goes beyond just the sale of furs but it prohibits the sell of UGG boots,” said Ald. Stephanie Coleman (16th Ward). “Gentlemen, every woman in your life has a pair of UGG boots, I want you to know. This ordinance is misguided, and the premise of the argument is based on fur farms and production practices that are not relevant to the retailers here in Chicago.”  

Lopez’s proposal came amid increased efforts around the country to reduce the fur trade. Several cities across the nation and the entire state of California have gone fur-free.