Small business spotlight: 5 LGBTQ businesses to buy from this Pride Month and beyond

It’s June, which means we’re celebrating Pride while commemorating the 1969 Stonewall Uprising, the gay liberation movement, and all the activists who have stood up for LGTBQ rights before and since. Many businesses misinterpret the June agenda, however, and partake in what’s called “rainbow washing” — a practice in which brands display over-exaggerated support for the LGBTQ community starting June 1, but seemingly forget its existence come July. Pride month (and every month) is a great time to support businesses that are actually founded by LGBTQ individuals.

We’ve rounded up five of these businesses to shop from in June and every other month on the calendar. Get queer-inspired pillows for your home, uplifting greeting cards, a phone accessory featured on Shark Tank, pet care supplies, and empowerment candles from our faves below:

CTOAN

CTOAN is a candle company started by Jodyann Morgan — a Black and queer entrepreneur — who wanted to see more plus-size, queer, Black, transgender, and other bodies glorified in art. “When I started CTOAN, I was only able to offer candles whose molds I was able to purchase,” Morgan told Mashable. “Since then, CTOAN has launched eight original designs, featuring bodies that were impossible to find before we made them. We like folks to be able to determine for themselves which candles they feel best represent them.” Morgan’s current creations (which she hand-pours in her own basement!) feature body parts like vulvas, bellies with stretch marks, butts, and boobs. For Pride, Morgan has brought back her signature rainbow-layered candle design and also one that has hand-painted pink and white flowers on a blue background (to center and celebrate the transgender community). For every Pride candle sold, CTOAN will donate $2 to Point of Pride — an organization that funds hormone replacement therapy (HRT), gender-affirming surgeries, and other essential procedures for trans folks in need.

Flipstik

Flipstik’s founder, Akeem Shannon, got Snoop Dogg’s vote of confidence, signed a deal on Shark Tank, and started mass distribution in retail stores — working to get his product into as many hands as possible. The premise is simple: Flipstik is a phone kickstand with a NASA-tested adhesive, which allows you to mount your phone on any flat surface. You can get it in MagStik (for MagSafe-compatible iPhones), 2.0 (the OG design), and more. Shannon proudly infuses his identity as a gay, Black man into his company, and Flipstik gives back to organizations like the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce and Big Brothers Big Sisters of America (where Shannon is a mentor). For the entire month of June, the company is donating 25 percent of profits to Minority Health STL — a St. Louis-based agency that seeks to address health disparities while promoting health equity for marginalized communities. Shannon has a philosophy that he tries to pass on to his customers. “You gotta choose to live for yourself and not for other people,” Shannon told Mashable. “And when you do that, you can live your fullest life.”

kin+kind

If you’re looking to treat your pooch to natural grooming and wellness products, kin+kind may be the pet care brand for you. From ear cleanser to flea and tick solutions to supplements that ensure Fido has regular bowel movements, kin+kind provides the alternative to traditional pet products with oftentimes unwanted ingredients. In fact, kin+kind has intentionally minimal and transparent ingredient lists (its ear cleanser, for example, consists of only witch hazel, soapbark, tea tree oil, and aloe vera). The company was started by a brother-sister duo and is now run by co-founder Thomas Ling. “What’s important for us and what distinguishes us is that we’re sulfate-free,” Ling told Mashable. “We also lab test on pests, not on pets.”

Ash + Chess

Stationery, shirts, books, and stickers from Ash + Chess are about as perfect for Pride as anything can get. I mean, where else would you find a children’s picture book (co-authored by the brand’s founders) called ABC-Deconstructing Gender? Or apparel with phrases like “trans people belong here!” and “queer liberation is for everyone” overlaid on groovy patterns and colors? Ash + Chess is the manifested vision of queer/trans couple Ashley Molesso and Chess Needham, who are using their art to uplift the LGBTQ+ community and add joy to people’s lives. You can show your support for queer-owned businesses by buying an Ash + Chess bumper sticker that literally says “I brake for queer-owned businesses” or signature items like their queer tarot deck, MAGA print (which stands for “Make America Gay Again,” duh), and more. Molesso and Needham are quick to clarify that they don’t make queer art because it’s trendy to do so but because they’re genuine about wanting to offer the community tangible goods that reflect their identities.

Suay Sew Shop

Suay Sew Shop is an LA-based company dedicated to eliminating the destructive waste generated by the fashion industry — by creating products made from post-consumer waste, leftover fabrics, and organic fibers. Besides promoting textile recycling, Suay also supports garment workers and Indigenous communities through food distribution programs and other initiatives. Spearheading these efforts is Suay’s CEO and lead designer Lindsay Rose Medoff, who was named one of Time Out’s Women of the Year in 2021. Medoff believes in reversing the industry standard of cutting down labor costs at the expense of laborers — while consistently committing to zero-waste policies. Spice up your home with Suay’s reused linen tea towel set, a special Pride linen pillow that holds its shape and is soft to the touch, or even a bread bag made of 100 percent organic waxed hemp cotton. Suay creations also include aprons, jackets made of towels, bucket hats, tote bags, and so much more. Something included with every Suay purchase? Peace of mind about where exactly your products are coming from and their effects on the environment.