Company behind Kyrsten Sinema’s ‘f*** off’ ring to donate all proceeds to fight for increased minimum wage

The jewellery company that makes the ‘F*** Off’ ring worn by Senator Kyrsten Sinema has announced it will donate all proceeds from the sale of the accessory to an organisation fighting to raise the minimum wage.

Over the weekend, the Arizona Democrat uploaded a photo of herself to her Instagram Stories, in which she could be seen sipping from a glass of sangria as showed off a gold ring featuring a rose and the words: “F*** Off”.

Although it is not clear who, if anyone, the message was directed at, the photo prompted criticism on social media, as some members of Ms Sinema’s party felt it was the lawmaker’s response to backlash over her decision to vote against a $15 minimum wage.

“Sen Sinema thinks the F*** Off ring is a witty way to send a message to the people upset at her actions. The reality, the F*** Off ring is a gut punch to the people that worked their ass off to elect her. Shameful,” Education Coordinator to the Arizona Democratic Party, Brianna Westbrook tweeted.

Another said: “Kyrsten Sinema really making a statement with that ring considering the person serving that sangria to her makes $2.15 an hour in no small part to her thumbs down rejection of a living wage.”

Following the attention on the controversial Democrat’s ring, Yellow Owl Workshop, the company that makes the $26.50 accessory, announced that it would be donating all profits of the ring for the rest of the month toNational Employment Law Project, a non-profit organisation that fights for “policies to create good jobs, expand access to work, and strengthen protections and support for low-wage workers and the unemployed”.

The following images contain profanity.

Sharing a screenshot of Ms Sinema wearing the ring on Instagram, the company wrote: “A picture featuring our F*** Off ring has gone viral. At Yellow Owl we create fun stuff to express yourself but we are dead serious about social justice. We fully support at least a $15 minimum wage because EQUITY and DIGNITY LOOK GOOD on EVERYONE.

“Thank you to all of our customers, including Senator Sinema (D-Arizona) whose dollars allow us to pay well above San Francisco minimum wage and support our small woman-owned business that proudly holds values over profits.”

In a second photo, showing a close-up of the ring against a backdrop of flowers, Yellow Owl shared its decision to donate the profits from the sale of the jewellery item to the National Employment Law Project.

“We appreciate the attention brought to our work by the recent events with @kyrstensinema and we want to put our money towards an organisation that is fighting to protect workers and build systemic change,” the company wrote.

Yellow Owl also took the opportunity to encourage Arizona residents to contact the Senator directly, with the brand sharing the address and phone number of Ms Sinema’s office.

The brand’s announcement was met with praise on social media, where followers applauded the company for turning the attention into something positive.

“I love how you used the momentum of this situation to do some good. Just ordered from your shop,” one person commented, while another wrote: “Thank you for posting this, thank you for your statement, and thank you for holding your values over profit.”

In March, the senator became one of seven Democrats to vote against a $15 minimum wage proposal. The current federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour.

The Independent has contacted Yellow Owl Workshop and a representative for Ms Sinema for comment.

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