4 Platforms to Find and Support Queer-Owned Businesses All Year Long
These resources help you find Pride merch, goods, and services created by queer people, for queer people all year long
Hi gay. By now you’ve probably heard about Pride merch being pulled from major corporations, supposedly due to backlash and threats. I've heard and read conflicting thoughts from members of the LGBTQ+ community about this, and as a Libra rising, I certainly have conflicted perspectives about it myself as well.
Like, it's Pride month and we deserve to be represented and celebrated publicly, and removing Pride merch seems like a step backwards in our progress. And we must remember that Pride was a riot, trailblazed by Black and brown trans women against cops and systemic injustice, and rainbow capitalism feels like a distraction from the cause. And, if we're being honest, we must ask ourselves, "Do these corporations really care about us?" The answer is no. It's important to be critical of rainbow washing. I mean, we've all seen the "Corporations on July 1" memes that go something like this:
The Powerpuff Girls Season 1, episode 11: "Mime for a Change", in which Rainbow the Clown gets hit by a bleach truck, turning him into an evil mime that removes all color from the city of Townsville
The reality is that unlike seasonal Pride merch, members of the LGBTQ+ community exist all year. We wake up every day facing the unique joys and challenges that come with navigating the world while being queer. And while corporations may not have our back, what we do have is each other.
So what can we do?
Rather than giving our money to corporations who don’t really support us, we can find Pride merch, goods, and services created by actual queer people, for queer people and contribute directly to the queer economy all year long!
These four resources will make it easy for you:
- Famm is a website created by a queer married couple Cat and Mariana that allows you to find queer owned businesses and services all in one place. They also have an app currently in development! Imagine linkedin, but queer friendly, intersectional, and safe, without all the pretentious, stuffy, gatekeepy drama.
- Everywhere is Queer was created by Charlie in 2021, and is a public resource and map that helps you discover welcoming, queer spaces from all over the world. You can apply to have your business featured on their map and they also have a really great and easy to use mobile app available for download now.
- Pink Robin Shop is a new e-commerce marketplace that exclusively focuses on queer owned businesses. Founded by Erica and Amanda, they are devoted to providing visibility and support to queer owned businesses and elevating their products and services.
- Our team at LGBTQ+ Business Week not only has an annual event celebrating queer owned businesses, we also have a directory featuring hundreds of queer owned businesses for you to learn about. If you are a queer business owner or entrepreneur, you can also join the directory by signing up on our site!
We hope you enjoy checking out these resources, and that they help you celebrate pride all year long.
