Pride Month is a time to celebrate, reflect and show up for the LGBTQ+ community. One way to make a meaningful impact is by shopping from LGBTQ+ owned businesses. From bold fashion to inclusive beauty brands, shopping these products helps support and sustain queer entrepreneurs all year long.
BYOMA
Marc Elrick launched BYOMA in 2022 with a clear mission to make skincare both accessible and affordable. As a queer entrepreneur, Elrick wanted to challenge the harsh formulas that are common within the industry. Many popular skincare formulas strip the skin instead of supporting it. BYOMA focuses on strengthening the skin barrier, your body’s first line of defense against irritants, bacteria and stressors. BYOMA took off fast, gaining popularity through social media marketing. Today, the company continues to grow, offering products designed to strengthen your skin barrier without breaking the bank.
Kirrin Finch
Kirrin Finch started because finding menswear that fit non-masculine body types was nearly impossible. Brooklyn couple Laura Moffat and Kelly Saunders Moffat were tired of choosing between style and comfort, so they set out to change the game. Inspired by classic menswear, they created a line of custom suits made specifically for women, trans and nonbinary people.
Couplet Coffee
Couplet Coffee is a queer woman-owned coffee company that is all about making great coffee accessible and enjoyable to everyone. Founder Gefen Skolnick has always loved coffee, but she always felt that other coffee brands were too prestigious and intimidating. From here, Couplet Coffee was born. Couplet Coffee has an online shop and one retail location in Los Angeles. It offers tasty blends and fun accessories without the fuss.
ONE/SIZE Beauty
ONE/SIZE Beauty was created by influencer and makeup artist Patrick Starrr. Growing up as a gay man who loved makeup, he struggled to find beauty brands that felt truly inclusive. Many beauty brands only advertise thin, white, conventionally attractive women, and they fail to represent diversity within the industry. After getting his esthetician license, Starrr launched One Size Beauty to make beauty products that work for every skin type. The brand is all about redefining what beauty looks like and making an inclusive space for all makeup lovers.
tomboyx
tomboyX is a queer and women-owned brand founded by Fran Dunaway and Naomi Gonzalez in 2013. What started as a search for women’s boxer briefs quickly turned into a movement to redefine underwear. Frustrated by the gendered norms that dictated how underwear should look and who it was for, the duo created gender-neutral styles that actually feel good to wear. From underwear to bras and swimwear, tomboyX creates pieces that are made for everyone.
BIOGLITZ
Friends Saba Gray and Rebecca Richards launched Bioglitz in 2015 after learning about the harmful effects of traditional glitter on the environment. With scientists calling for bans on microplastics, they saw an opportunity to make something better. Using eucalyptus cellulose, they created a biodegradable, skin-safe glitter. It’s just as fun, but there is no environmental guilt.
West & Willow
Ben Lebowitz started West and Willow in 2019 after searching for pet portraits that matched his modern aesthetic. Lebowitz launched a brand for fellow pet lovers who wanted custom artwork and accessories that fit their style. Today, West and Willow offer products from personalized portraits to mugs, jewelry and more.
Boy Smells
Boy Smells was founded in 2016 with the simple idea that fragrance shouldn’t be confined to gender. Partners Matthew Herman and David Kien set out to challenge traditional brands by creating candles and perfumes that ditched the norms. They want consumers to focus on what makes them happy, rather than traditional gendered packaging and advertising. Since then, Boy Smells has grown tremendously by carefully creating scents with an inclusive approach.
Interested in meeting more LGBTQ+ founders? Read our list of nine inspiring trans founders to guide your journey!
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