Time Out defends use of ‘slave’ on Streep T-shirt as slogan sparks row over ‘Suffragette’ film

LONDON – Time Out magazine has defended its use of a slogan including the word slave on a T-shirt worn by Meryl Streep to promote the movie “Suffragette,” arguing that critics have taken the quote out of context.

The magazine’s London edition last week published a story including photos of Streep and her co-stars wearing T-shirts reading “I’d rather be a rebel than a slave,” a 1913 quote from suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst. The photos triggered controversy, as critics said the words belittled the suffering of slaves in America.

Time Out says the original quote aimed to “rouse women to stand up against oppression,” and was not intended to refer to American slavery or the American civil war “as some people who saw the quote and photo out of context have surmised.”