Former actress and social activist Somy Ali is making waves once again. Under her nonprofit organization, No More Tears (NMT), Somy has launched a new line of t-shirts aimed at spreading awareness and raising funds for the cause. Speaking passionately about the initiative, she shared, “What prompted me to integrate a t-shirt line into No More Tears were two significant reasons: Firstly, I was seeing many teenagers and young adults wearing t-shirts which objectified women like ‘blondes do it better’ and many ridiculous messages. So I decided, why does fashion have to be stupid? The second reason was and is that if people donate $25 to help us save lives, they get a t-shirt of their choice once we update our online store with the new line. Hence, putting our smart and witty messages still appeals to our youth and plants seeds in their brains to change the status quo.” Somy explained that practicality and passion drove her to create this fashion line. “I wanted something to bring in revenue in addition to monthly recurring donors, and since I love t-shirts and that’s what I wear when I rescue victims, I decided why not create an NMT Fashion Line? T-shirts are the most worn form of clothing, mostly by men.” Talking about the theme she said, “I wanted to make sure that each of my shirts carries a message which will be a walking billboard for change. People reading messages on our t-shirts would hopefully think about the deeper meaning behind them. My first t-shirt designed by me was the ‘HUMAN BEING’ one with all the religious symbols, meaning none of that matters as we are all Human Beings. Hence, we carry more similarities and fewer differences. I was elated to learn that my nonprofit and t-shirts inspired Salman to do exactly the same. As they say, imitation is the best form of flattery. And from what I hear, Being Human is doing excellent work. Good for him and the people his NGO is helping. As I always say, differences and ideologies can be polar opposites, but if someone is doing good to help others, they deserve that credit irrespective of whether I like them as a human being or not.” Acknowledging the organization’s ongoing transition, she remarked, “Given NMT is going through a rebirth period—meaning we are looking for new board members and seeking big donors—I don’t anticipate a huge promotion. But our U.S. PR firm will surely do some promotion via articles and podcasts similar to our India PR Team who are exceptional.” Talking about the difference this new launch will make, Somy says, “If nothing else, it will plant a seed in people’s minds about specific issues such as global warming or the caste system, and supporting our LGBTQ communities. All shirts carry messages to plant seeds. Some may bloom while others might wilt at a glance. It all depends on how open one’s mind is and how much they care about changing the world. Definitely better than wearing something inane which sheds light on a person as being illiterate on an intellectual scale while we don’t even know his mindset. Wearing a t-shirt which objectifies women is not, in any shape or form—pun intended—funny.” “What I find attractive is a man or a woman wearing t-shirts with positive, heavy messages to make even a dimwit think. Trust me, I have had many people come up to me and ask me where I got the ‘WHITE BLACK HISPANIC ASIAN HUMAN’ shirt from. Even Madonna has worn our shirts and Fergie, plus a hugely renowned former football player. I am excited to think of designing new messages and bringing out the new set of shirts.”