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It’s finally Pride Month! It’s always good to wear your gender and sexuality as loud and as proud as you want to, but it’s that time of year that large companies start mass-producing rainbow-themed goodies. Big name corporations tend to debut Pride Collections in the early summer, and while we always support showing off your support for the community, keep an eye on where your proceeds are going (many companies donate Pride Month revenue to worthy causes, but others do not). This way, you don’t have to worry about where your money is going—you can feel confident your Pride purchases are going directly to the LGBTQ+ community itself.
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There are tons of queer-owned companies, both online and probably even in your own neighborhood. You can find local businesses that are a part of the LGBTQ+ community through the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC), and if you’re a fan of online shopping and supporting LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs across the country, here are 20 queer-owned businesses you can support today and all year round!
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Otherwild, which opened in LA in 2012 and now has a second location in NYC, was founded by Rachel Berks. Berks is a queer woman who you might remember as the one who brought back “The Future is Female” shirt, after seeing the imagery from HerStory. Berks doesn’t just sell awesome stuff. She also uses her small business to give back to the community by donating to organizations like Planned Parenthood, The National Center for Transgender Equality, The Lesbian Herstory Archives, and Black Lives Matter. Her shop sells a variety of LGBTQ+ inspired apparel, accessories, housewares, media, and apothecary that range from loud and proud to silly to subtle.
Fluide is a queer-owned beauty company that produces makeup for men, women, and everyone in between. Co-founders Isabella Giancarlo and Laura Kraber started this “radical, community-based beauty business” back in 2018 after wanting to see “queer beauty represented by queer people.” Fluide’s collection covers all gender expressions, identities, and skin tones so everyone can find something for them. The makeup is cruelty-free, glitter-free, and free from potentially harmful chemicals like parabens and formaldehyde, so you have one less thing to worry about.
Founded in 2013, Wildfang sells a variety of clothing, accessories, and shoes for all women ranging from casual to professional styles. Co-founded by former Nike employees Emma McIlroy and Julia Parsley, Wildfang is queer-owned and an inclusive feminist-leaning business. Some of its more well-known products are the Wild Feminist collection and the Empower Suit that comes with ACTUAL pockets and tons of flexibility. It doesn’t hurt that the company is great at giving back, too—in 2018 alone, Wildfang raised more than $400, 000 for charities that support reproductive, immigrant, and women’s and human rights.
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Based in San Fransisco, Elizabeth Hudy founded The Peach Fuzz back in 2017 with the goal of making activism accessible and fun. Of course activism is more than just a cute sticker or a quirky pin, but you’ve got to spread the word somehow and The Peach Fuzz lets you speak your mind in colorful, funky ways. With shirts that proclaim “Rehabilitation Not Incarceration” to bucket hats that say “Just Getting Bi”, you can really flaunt your thoughts—while still looking adorable.
Over the years, The Peach Fuzz has donated over $20, 000 to revolutionary organizations. They have a specific list of products that proceeds from them will go to charity. Some of these organizations include RAICES Texas, The Last Prisoner Project, Texas Equal Access Fund, Root And Rebound, and National Expungement Works.
Peau De Loup sells “androgynous-style clothing designed for all bodies with curves regardless of gender identity.” Founders Adelle Renaud and Erin McLeod were just like a lot of women out there—slightly tomboy-esque and wanting to wear “men’s” clothing but soon realized it wasn’t suited to fit the curves most “women” have. So they started by designing a well-made button-down for bodies with curves.
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In every “Alpha” shirt, there’s a secret inner pocket on the left breast to keep your cards, cash, or phone safe when you’re out and about. Think of it as a better hiding place for your things than your bra, because that’s where the idea came from. Peau De Loup also makes it a point to use upcycled fabrics so nothing is ever wasted.
Flavnt Streetwear is an Austin-based independent clothing company that promotes self-confidence and self-love through clothes. Co-owners (and twins) Courtney and Chris Rhodes don’t believe in men’s and women’s clothing—just clothes that make you feel your most confident, truest self. As Chris is a trans man and Courtney is a lesbian, their company is truly “by queer people for queer people.”
Founded in December 2013 in Pittsburgh, Steer Queer was first a quarterly queer arts and literature magazine, and now a retail shop run by Cat Conley, a genderfluid jewelry-maker who's the genius behind this whole operation. Steer Queer's store is jam-packed with zines, gay jewelry, vintage knickknacks, and more. I fell in love with their jewelry fast—I mean the detailing in some of the wooden rings is impeccable (ex: the Golden Girls rings?!?! love it). The giant They/Them hoop earrings are a
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And you can pick what color you want them made in. You can really tell how much work goes into each piece, which is incredible considering how affordable each of the items is.
Founded by a gay trans man in London, Abprallen is a small-business that sells quirky pins, gadgets, and stickers so you can flaunt your pride. Alongside your flag stickers and pronoun pins, you’ve got buttons that say things like “Satan respects pronouns” and “How dare you presume I’m straight.” You won’t be able to find unique accessories like these anywhere else. Abprallen, which means “ricochet” in German, has a wide variety of pastel-colored apparel for all of your queer needs. Whether you’re an ally, a member of the LGBTQ+ community, or just want a good laugh at these funny phrases, Abprallen is for you.
Made by queers, for queers, Queerly Designs is a Philly-based Etsy store that specializes in a variety of gay pride shirts. I personally can't get enough of quirky queer shirts, especially with puns I haven't heard before. If you plan on going to a Pride parade, there are a bunch of options, ranging from edgy Stonewall merch to a variety of Vaccinated Top and Vaccinated Bottom shirts to choose from—to let people know right from the start what they're getting into.
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Seeing your family for the first time in over a year? Why not rock the Gay Cousin shirt and just get that over with? Don't let anyone misgender you with one of these cute tops, like Too cute for a gender identity. There's really something for everyone here, queer or ally alike!
Men’s sizes are typically more straight-cut and slim-fit, with no real room for curves in the chest or thighs—this is where Dapper Boi comes in.
Dapper Boi is a gender-neutral, everyday clothing line for individuals of all body types. Founders Vicky and Charisse Pasche’s goal is to make people feel comfortable and confident in their own skin. Vicky talks on the site about how she used to shop in the men’s department and how it was not only an uncomfortable experience, but “men’s” clothing just isn’t made to fit the curves that “women’s” bodies have. Dapper Boi’s button-ups have room for curves, and even some hidden snaps on the button placket to ensure there is no chest gap—which in my opinion, is genius. They have a variety of clothing from jeans and jackets to joggers and swimwear.
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Ruby Rose, Tiffany Haddish, Jada Pinkett Smith, and Spike Lee are just a few celebrities who have been seen wearing Stuzo clothes.
Started in 2010 by Stoney Michelli and Uzo Ejikeme, Stuzo is a gender-free clothing company that is one of the few to put an emphasis on the BIPOC queer community. As they so cleverly put it, “Our pieces are unisex, or gender-free as we prefer to call them, because clothes don’t have any organs last time we checked.” Celebrities such as Ruby Rose (
Founded in 2015, gc2b is a trans-owned company based in Maryland. Founder Marli Washington actually created the first binders that were designed and patented specifically for gender-affirming chest binding (that means the original chest binders were designed by trans people for trans people—how warm and fuzzy is that?) They come in two different styles and 11 different colors, they’re swim-friendly, and their cotton blend inner panel provides comfortable compression. The gc2b website even has a very thorough guide on how to properly determine your size to get the best fit. And you can find more than just binders when you shop their site—they’ve expanded to sell cute Pride-themed merch as well!
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In late 2018, Victoria’s Secret’s chief marketing officer Ed Razek publicly made transphobic comments about how he didn’t think they should include trans women in their fashion shows—so trans influencer Nikita Dragun responded with a video of her
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