29 LGBTQ-Owned Brands to Shop and Support Now

When Pride month comes along, big-name companies come out of the woodwork, flying rainbow flags and releasing colorful collections. Some help our community, others don't. And while there is certainly something to be said about the feeling that one gets in seeing businesses recognize our humanity, many members of the queer community don't necessarily want to become consumers of rainbow capitalism, a term used to describe "the commercialization and commodification of LGBTQ+ movements."

So, during this Pride month, consider instead supporting queer business owners, artists, and makers who spend their time working to make a difference, support their families, and often give back a portion of what they earn.

It's important to keep in mind that supporting a small business doesn't just mean buying something. Follow them on social media. Share their work in your Instagram stories. Recommend their products when someone is looking for something they excel in. Even commenting on social media posts helps amplify their work and their message.

To get you started, here are 15 small queer-owned businesses that you'll love.

Queer-Owned Fashion Brands

Transfigure Print Co.

To some, a T-shirt is just a T-shirt. But to the Transfigure Print Co., a T-shirt is a vehicle for so much more than that. The small Grand Rapids-based screen-printing shop celebrates queer identity, builds community, and actively gives back, with the small business donating more than $70,000 to date. Choose from its collection of tees, tapestries, beanies, prints, and stickers, or commission your own custom screen-printed design. Sizes go up to a 6X.

Curve Conscious

Thrifting as a plus-size person can feel impossible, but Curve Conscious, a Black-owned Philly-based plus-size clothing resale store is working to help change that. With clothing in sizes 12 to 28+, Curve Conscious owner Adrienne Ray sells clothing on her website, and on Instagram and Facebook. If you're looking to revamp your wardrobe, you can book a virtual styling session, and Ray will help you find clothing for school, work, or your next vacation. With everything from swimsuits to loungewear to mini skirts in stock, you're sure to find something to love. Worried whether you have space in your closet for another outfit? No worries—Ray also buys clothing, too.

WILDFANG

WILDFANG has a wonderfully inclusive approach to making clothes: they make clothes for bodies, not genders. The gender-fluid, queer-led brand was co-founded by Emma McIlroy (CEO) and Taralyn Thuot (Creative Director), who both came from NIKE. They're known for their classic coveralls, which come in a wide range of colors and styles, but most importantly, lots of sizes and fits. Psst: We've tested these coveralls and love 'em, and we can attest to their comfort and flattering fit.

Plus, WILDFANG donated over $300K to The Trevor Project last year during a "Dragathon." Additional charities that benefit from  WILDFANG's giving program are ProjectQ, ACLU, Planned Parenthood, Tegan & Sara Foundation, RAICES, and Girls Inc, among many others!

Hey Mavens

Everybody deserves beautiful, well-fitting lingerie, and Hey Mavens is making that happen. The Nashville-based brand specializes in brightly colored, gender-free lingerie that is available in sizes XXS-10X with custom ordering slots open a few times a year. Hey Mavens also prioritizes ethical fashion, making every beautiful garment by hand, and paying its U.S.-based sewing team a liveable wage. You'll love the velvet bralette and undie sets and stunning rainbow designs.

Peridot Robes

Robes and lounge dresses as a fashion statement? Yes, please. While this category might have lots of businesses in the straight-size space, plus-size options (especially luxurious plus-size options), are relatively limited. Peridot Robes are offered in sizes 14-40 and made sustainably, using fabric remnants for lower waste options, and are made in fair-wage sewing rooms in Los Angeles.

Queer-Owned Jewelry and Accessories Brands

Ode'imin & Sage

For the jewelry lovers out there, Indigenous-owned and Milwaukee-based Ode'imin & Sage is a must-visit Etsy shop. Selling a large selection of hand-beaded earrings in beautiful colors and a wide range of styles—including hoops, dangling earrings, and rosettes—the earrings are clearly a delicate, stunning piece of art that is sure to be a conversation starter. Most jewelry is made-to-order, with the current turnaround listed in the Etsy page announcement. If you are partial to a specific color combination, the shop does accept some requests, depending on available inventory.

Yas Petit Poulet

For the queer science nerds, you'll have to check out Yas Petit Poulet, which is both the name of the business and the pen name of the artist. Founded by a non-binary, trans, disabled, Lebanese designer and illustrator, Yas Petit Poulet focuses on "exploring queer identities through the lens of science." You can find a variety of artworks that blend identity with science, including mugs, stickers, hats, pins, and more. Yas Petit Poulet donates 15 percent of its profits back to the community, including organizations like the Piamp, which supports young people who are sex workers.

Garbage Humans

Are you a fan of subscriptions? How about earrings? Cathy Aycock, the artist behind Garbage Humans, designs the coolest earrings and offers a monthly subscription through Patreon for just $23 a month. If you'd rather just grab a pair, you can do that too. With options like a hanging composition book with the words "The Gay Agenda" to menu board earrings and everything in between, you'll find a quirky, handmade-to-order set of earrings that's a perfect fit for your style. If you're not an earring person, you must check out their snarky wall signs, with sayings like Live, Laugh, Leave.

The Crafty Queer

Card stores often don't cater to queer people and the occasions we may wish to celebrate, but Alister, the trans, nonbinary, foster care survivor behind The Crafty Queer is working on changing that. Head to the shop for gender and sexuality-affirming greeting cards and stay for the extensive collection of pride-related jewelry, pins, and even tote bags.

Automatic Gold

This jewelry brand Automatic Gold uses sources all of their materials ethically and locally, and they also produce all of their pieces in their own studio. They also offer a huge range of sizes so that everyone, with any body, can enjoy their pieces. They also offer custom pieces and very fair pricing, because everybody, regardless of identity and size, can enjoy their classic and chic styles.

Queer-Owned Skincare

Noto Botanics

This clean beauty and skin care line, Noto Botanics, created by makeup artist Gloria Noto offers gender-fluid skincare and cosmetics, created with plant-based ingredients and using environmentally friendly, recycled packaging. Proceeds from the sales of Agender Oil, a hydrating skin and hair oil, are donated to a selection of charities impacting LGBTQ+ and other communities.

malin + goetz

The beloved NYC-based brand, malin + goetz, founded by Matthew Malin and Andrew Goetz started with a mission to create skincare that was inclusive to every skin type, tone, and gender. Today, they have a sustainability mission, using uncomplicated packaging, more eco-friendly formulas and more sustainable materials that are designed to be reused and recycled. Their gentle and effective skincare products are also popular travel companions, as they have their best-selling TSA-friendly kits for on-the-go.

Queer-Owned Food and Beverage Brands

Uncommon Coffee Roasters

This queer-owned Michigan-based coffee roaster, Uncommon Coffee Roasters, offers Pride-perfect blends, including Love Wins (with notes of cherry, chocolate, and spice) and Pride (a medium-roast with earthy and fruity flavors). A portion of their proceeds goes to their own Uncommonly Fabulous fund, which helps cover the needs of the LGBTQ+ community in their area.

Diaspora Co.

This queer-owned spice company, Diaspora Co., buys their spices directly from farmers, and ensures they're paid living wages—up to 6 times the commodity price. While they're known for their masalas and chillies, you can upgrade your spice rack with single spices like saffron, cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Birdhorse Wine

Founded by queer life partners Corinne and Katie after working a grape harvest in South Africa, Birdhorse Wine "strive[s] to showcase regions, varietals, and humans that have long had a presence in this industry, but have yet to been celebrated by many of its constituents." Buying a bottle of wine from Birdhorse isn't like picking up a bottle at the grocery store. You'll find detailed flavor notes, and learn exactly where the grapes were grown and by whom. Each bottle is its own unique experience.

Friday Tea

If you're a tea drinker, or just looking for a new beverage to add to the rotation, you'll find a wide selection at Friday Tea. And Friday Tea isn't just another beverage shop. The owner, Friday Elliot, has a condition called lexical-gustatory synesthesia, a rare form of synesthesia in which hearing, speaking, reading, or thinking about certain words triggers specific tastes. Friday uses this "superpower" to create unique tea blends. You'll find everything from white to aged teas, fandom-inspired blends, and seasonal favorites. Not sure what to get? You can indulge in a sampler and discover a new favorite! Friday Tea also offers a custom tea blending service that would be perfect for unique wedding favors, business gifting, and other special occasions.

Drink Gay Beer

This gay-owned brewery, Drink Gay Beer, makes only one beer—a citrusy golden lager—but it makes it well (alongside a whole slew of cheeky beer-themed T-shirts, hats, and other gear that'll make your party. It donates a portion of proceeds toward several different charities that support the LGBTQ+ community.

Cowgirl Creamery

This 16-year-old creamery develops award-winning cheeses, using organic cow's milk from local farms. Cowgirl Creamery specializes in both spiced and herbed triple creams and hard cheeses with bold flavors. Their donation program gives back to community organizations, especially those committed to the environment and food.

Omsom

This fan-favorite brand makes Asian pantry staples with rich, delish flavors. Vanessa and Kim Pham, first-gen Vietnamese-American sisters, started Omsom to "reclaim the cultural integrity of Asian cuisines that are often diluted in the mainstream grocery aisle." Their Saucy Noodles (we've had 'em, and they're incredible!) are among the brand's most popular products and have truly redefined that tired dry noodles and flavor pack category of foods. Some of our favorite flavors include: Coconut Lemongrass Curry Saucy Noodles and Chili Sesame Saucy Noodles. They're delicious as is, or you can add in a protein and/or some veggies for a more hearty meal.

Queer-Owned Candle Brands

Queer Candle Company

This queer and trans-owned business makes non-toxic, small-batch candles and uses dehydrated fruits, herbs, and salt rocks to decorate the top layer of their candles. Queer Candle Company also contributes 10% of its profits to the Sylvia Rivera Law Project. The Sylvia Rivera Law Project is an NYC-based grassroots organization working to "guarantee that all people are free to self-determine gender identity and expression, regardless of income or race, and without facing harassment, discrimination or violence."

Among our favorites are their astrology three-packs (one pack is for fire signs, one is for earth, one is for air, and one is for water), and their discovery packs so you can figure out which scents you like the most.

Bijou Candles

Bijou Candles was started by self-described luxury candle hoarders Alaina and Jocelyn. They turned their passion for collecting luxury candles into a business, celebrating pop culture, women, and all things witchy. "Our candles are inspired by women in pop culture history and they carry the moniker of their iconic namesakes." From '70s, '80s, and '90s icons to the Romy & Michelle's High School Reunion, Bijou has a candle for nearly everyone—luxury at an accessible price point.

Nose Best

A candle that comes with a cocktail recipe pairing and its own playlist? Sign me up! POC-, woman-, and immigrant-owned Nose Best offers a full sensory experience with each purchase. The 4-ounce mason jar collection is the perfect gift for the astrology lover in your life, with scents celebrating each sign. If you're feeling flirty, pick up a candle from the Cheeky Collection, with scents like banana nut bread and honey, which it calls "Send Nudes," or "Garden Hoe," scented with tomato and eucalyptus.

Boy Smells

Boy Smells' candle scents are a perfect balance between masculine and feminine, with complex (and intoxicating) scent profiles that are heavy on spice, wood, and fruits. Their beloved Hinoki Fantome features notes of black pepper, cardamom, Williams pear, fir balsam, smoked amber, and jasmine. Note that fragrance fans can also find gender-neutral Genderful fine fragrances, such as LES, a blend featuring notes of bergamot, pomelo, peony, vanilla, and cedarwood.

Queer-Owned Bookstores

Loyalty Bookstore

For all the avid readers out there, you can support a queer-owned small bookstore simply by ordering the same books that you might get from a massive company. Located in Washington, D.C., Loyalty Bookstore, which is Black-owned, has a brick-and-mortar location where you can shop and attend community events, as well as a website where you can submit orders online. Additionally, it has an incredible subscription program where it will send you a book signed by the author, an invite to an event with the book's author, and some carefully curated goodies quarterly. The subscription intentionally features books by marginalized authors.

Reparations Club

Black, woman, and queer-owned, Reparations Club in Los Angeles also has a strong online presence. You can order, pre-order, and request titles via their website and they also offer 10% discount for bookclubs, you just have to email them with the title so they can give you and your club a special code! They also have rentable space for events, book launches, and more.

Queer-Owned Home Goods

MINNA Goods

This LGBTQ-owned business, MINNA Goods, focuses on gorgeous textiles for your home, including handwoven throws and sleek rugs—but you'll also fine pretty dishes, storage containers, and even artwork to enhance your space.

Suay Sew Shop

Suay Sew Shop uses deadstock and recycled fabrics to craft its pillows, tea towels, quilts and oven mitts, and even creates new fashion out of recycled jackets, shirts, and more. They've started getting the community involved in the move to recycle and repurpose their clothing, with their Community Dye Baths, when you can send in old, stained, or faded clothing in a fresh new hue from the selection chosen each month.

Lockwood

NYC-based shop Lockwood has seven locations in the city, and a huge selection of products you can buy online. They're a great spot for picking up fun, giftable home and paper goods, and they carry products from a variety of small makers.