Celebrating Pride: Support the Courageous LGBTQ+ Community
Sourced from: The Conversation
Let’s release the rainbow flags and douse ourselves in glitter, it is Pride! One of our favorite times of the year! While we are super excited to see so many big companies selling merchandise to commemorate it, we worry that not all of it is coming from the right place. Instead of going to one of the big companies (who will remain nameless), how about you show your support and influence a positive change to the community by supporting LGBTQ+-owned businesses!? Don’t know any LGBTQ+-owned brands? Jejune has you covered. We have compiled a list of some amazing stylish ethical LGBTQ+-owned businesses to to go full pride with. Check them out below!
Who are they: Big Bug Press is a go-to fashion brand for summer! All clothing is bright and colorful. They use low-impact and non-toxic dyes in their dye processes and use 100% recycled polybags.
Price range: $$
Fun fact: More than 98% of the fabric used is grown and made domestically and is NAFTA certified.
NOTO Botanics
Who are they: Noto Botanics is a sustainable, vegan, gender-neutral cosmetics line. As sustainability is one of their core values, all their products and packaging are made from glass, PCR materials and recycle biodegradable material.
Price Range: $
Fun fact: Noto Botanics donates a percentage from agender oil sales to vulnerable communities (i.e., planned parenthood, The OKRA project, Transgender Freedom Fund, and many more). They raised over $26k as of early 2021.
We Are Fluide
Who are they: Fluide Beauty creates vegan, cruelty- and paraben-free cosmetics designed for all skin shades and gender expressions.
Price range: $
Fun fact: The mission-driven beauty brand partners with and donate to non-profits that focus on LGBTQ+ health and advocacy.
Nicole Zïzi Studio
Who are they: The streetwear brand focused on designing clothes that are eco-conscious, sustainable, gender-free, and made with recycled content.
Price range: $$$
Fun fact: They follow ethical and fair-trade standards.
Alder New York
Who are they: Alder New York is a queer and woman-owned independent vegan skincare brand. For all Everyday Skincare Set purchases, they contribute 10% of the proceeds to Ali Forney Center. Ali Forney is an organization that protects and houses LGBTQ+ youths who are experiencing homelessness.
Price range: $
Fun fact: Their vegan products are made from plant-powered extracts and clean with dermatologist-approved ingredients.
Allies of Skin
Who are they: Allies of Skin is sustainable skincare that only works with SGS and FSC-certified vendors to maintain the highest level of sustainability possible. With sustainability being their core value, they use 100% recycled paper and soy-based ink for boxes and shippers as well as never use virgin forest materials.
Price Range: $$
Fun fact: Allies of Skin is PETA-certified as cruelty-free.
Wildfang
Who are they: This fashion brand designs trendy ethical clothes for all genders by partnering with SA 8000 certified factories, meaning the factories are audited annually to ensure humane working conditions and socially acceptable practices across health and safety, remuneration, and working conditions. In addition, they exercise environment-friendly practices from removing 80% unnecessary product packaging to eliminated paper receipts in-store.
Price range: $
Fun fact: Since launching, Wildfang has given back over 40 different non-profits like ACLU, Planned Parenthood, New Avenues for Youth, and many more!
Malin + Goetz
Who are they: Malin + Goetz designs natural odor protection clean (i.e., free from cruelty, aluminum, alcohol, paraben, baking soda, residue) head-to-toe skincare. Besides incorporating sustainable formulation and packaging practices, they also produced refills in gallons for their rum and bergamot hand + body washes.
Price range: $
Fun fact: To limit their carbon footprint, they are locally made in New York.
Meow Meow Tweet
Who are they: The organic and vegan brand is a mission-driven personal care product. They always strive to be ethical, low-waste, handmade & cruelty-free. For example, their first-ever deodorants are packaged in compostable tubes. The Leaping Bunny certified brand is palm-oil-free and avoids sourcing materials that harm the habitats or food source of animals.
Price range: $
Fun fact: They donate to organizations, in particular small, mutual-aid, grassroots-focused, BIPOC- and queer-led organizations that focus on Earth & Nature, Social Justice, and Animal Justice.
Femme Forte
Who are they: Femme Forte create a sustainable, ethical and kind fashion option. They use vegan inks that are free from toxic chemicals and all their clothes are made sustainably, by people who are treated well and paid fairly. What’s more, is that they raise money to help create an LGBTQ+ Community Centre in London, support homeless LGBTQ+ youth (akt), transgender young people (mermaids), and provided period products to those who can't otherwise afford them!
Price range: £
Fun fact: The minimalistic stylist brand is 100% cruelty-free and sweatshop-free.
Automic Gold
Who are they: Automic Gold constructs jewelry by hand using precious metals that were reclaimed from old electronics and jewelry. All products are size-inclusive and diverse.
Price range: $$
Fun fact: The chic brand works with non-white models only and avoids photoshop/retouch photos.
BioGlitz
Who are they: BioGlitz produces environment-friendly biodegradable glitters with the aim that everyone can shine responsibly. All materials used are sourced from The Forest Stewardship Council Certified Suppliers (FSC), in which suppliers met the set standards for responsible forest management to protect forests for future generations.
Price range: $
Fun fact: Glitters is a plant-based formula derived from the pulp fibers of eucalyptus trees. They are GMO-free which means that it’s safe for your face and body.
Kirrin Finch
Who are they: Kirrin Finch is a menswear-inspired apparel brand to fit a range of female and non-binary bodies. All clothes are made from low-impact dyes, all-natural fabrics, and organic materials added to partnering with fair and ethical factories.
Price range: $$$
Fun fact: They are passionate about giving back to the LGBTQ+ community and empowering women.
Otherwild
Who are they: Otherwild is a queer-identified woman-owned store, a design studio that produces goods made within an ethically sourced supply chain. They offer an array of refillable bulk home cleaning and personal care products + lo/no-waste reusables under the moniker Otherwild General.
Price range: $$
Fun fact: They provide sustained support to grassroots activist and social justice organizations and via direct grants to makers through Anotherwild Fund.
gc2b
Who are they: gc2b focuses on creating binding options for trans people. It is owned and designed by trans people too. They have a philanthropic program where they are sponsoring 100+ LGBT organizations and donated over 6000+ chest binders to be distributed to people in need. Grab them throughout June 2021 as $2.47 for every binder sales are contributed to Trans Lifeline!
Price range: $
Fun fact: gc2b binders were the first garments designed and patented specifically for gender-affirming chest binding.
BraveGentlemen
Who are they: BraveGentlemen develops vegan luxurious lifestyle menswear. They use fabrics like organic cotton, Brazilian future-wool tweeds, twills made from recycled cotton and recycled polyester, and future-silk linings made from recycled water bottles.
Price range: $$$
Fun fact: The stylist menswear has been featured in Vogue, GQ, Forbes, The Financial Times and photographed on celebrities from Stephan James, Alan Cumming, and Zach Woods to Liam Hemsworth, Joaquin Phoenix, and Elliot Knight.
Curate with these stylish pieces to show your authentic self. Be you!
