Wanna show your support for LGBTQ+ Owned Brands? It’s simple to do, and it benefits everyone. The LGBTQ+ community has long been a driving force for change, and with the current political climate, it is more essential than ever to back them. Buying goods from companies that are either owned or run by members of the LGBTQ+ community or that give back to LGBTQ+ organizations is a great way to do just that.

Not only does this help these businesses succeed, but it also sends a message to lawmakers and bigots alike that we will not be silenced. In this blog post, we will discuss some of the best LGBTQ+-owned brands to support right now.

We’ll also outline how you can make a difference in the lives of LGBTQ+ people everywhere just by shopping!

LGBTQ Owned Brands

What is LGBTQI+ Stand For?

LGBTQIA+ stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, Intersex, and Asexual/Ally. The plus sign at the end encompasses anyone who doesn’t identify with any of the aforementioned labels. The acronym has been around since the 1990s when it was coined by a group of activists fighting for queer rights.

LGBT communities are often known for their pride, diversity, individuality, and sexuality. LGBT community-building serves as a counterweight to heterosexism, homophobia, biphobia, transphobia, sexualism, and conformism in the broader culture.

The word “pride,” sometimes known as gay pride, expresses the LGBT community’s individuality and strength; pride parades serve both as an example of the term’s use and as a demonstration of its broad meaning. The LGBT community includes people from a variety of political backgrounds. Not all persons who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender consider themselves part of the LGBT community.

LGBTQI+ Demographics

Among American adults, 4.5 percent identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender. LGBT identification declines with age; 8.2% of Millennials (people born between 1980 and 1999) identify as LGBT, compared to 3.5% of Generation X people (those born between 1965 and 1979). Women are more likely to self-identify as LGBT than males (5.1 percent compared to 3.9 percent).

People of color are more likely than white people to identify as LGBT. For example, Hispanic adults (who may be of any race) are more than twice as likely as white adults to identify as LGBT (11 percent compared to only four percent).

About one-third (32 percent) of those who identify as transgender also consider themselves gay, lesbian, or bisexual.

There is no definitive answer to the question “how many people are lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender?” Different surveys produce different results because they use different definitions and ask different questions. What we do know is that the number of Americans who identify as LGBT has been rising over time.

Doing your part in supporting these brands not only benefits LGBTQ+ individuals but also helps break down the societal norms and barriers that have been put in place for far too long.

13 Brands To Buy From That Support the LGBTQ+ Community

Here are 30 LGBTQ+-owned brands to support right now and always:

1 Chromat

Chromat is a New York-based fashion brand. Becca McCharen-Tran launched the brand in 2010. Chromat, which draws on Becca McCharentran’s architectural and urban planning education, concerns itself with empowering clothing for all bodies.

They carried a huge collection of swimsuits, bodywear, sportswear, club wear, and more.

2 Wildfang

Wildfang is a womenswear brand based in Portland, Oregon, USA. It was founded in 2013 by Julia Parsley and Emma McIlroy. The company specializes in tomboy fashion, selling shirts, suits, outerwear, denim, and accessories. A portion of proceeds from every Wildfang purchase goes to LGBTQ youth organizations through their “Shero” program.

They offer free personal shopper services and they also have a brick-and-mortar store in Portland, Oregon, and Los Angeles.

3 Kirrin Finch

Kirrin Finch is an ethical clothing company based in Brooklyn, New York, that caters to the expanding demand for gender-defying fashion by developing menswear-inspired clothing to fit a variety of women and non-binary people.

The company was founded in 2013 by Laura Moffat and Kelly Sanders Moffat. Its mission is to create masculine-inspired clothing for women of all sizes that are ethically made. A portion of proceeds from every Kirrin Finch purchase goes to LGBTQ organizations through their “Partner with Pride” program.

4 Brandon Blackwood

Brandon Blackwood is a New York-based accessories brand that was established in 2015. The company’s founder, Brandon Blackwood, believes in “slow fashion” and creating high-quality products that will last for years to come.

Lupita N’yongo was once seen carrying one of his bags, but following the release of his “End Systemic Racism” tote in October 2020, which Kim Kardashian wore, he acquired a lot of attention.

A portion of proceeds from every Brandon Blackwood purchase goes to LGBTQ organizations through their “Partner with Pride” program.

5 Devious Designz

Devious Designz is an LGBTQ+ and POC-owned web design company based in Los Angeles. The company was founded by Duante’ Brown in 2014 with the mission to provide quality web design services to small businesses and entrepreneurs.

Devious Designz carried a comprehensive selection of designer t-shirts for men, women, and kids.

Duante’ Brown, better known across the community as Duante’ Balenciaga, comes from the Washington, DC metro area. Duante’ Brown, who graduated from Norfolk State University with a degree in Human Services, has worked in the field of HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention for over a decade. He focuses on working with underprivileged communities including the LGBTQIA+ community, people living with HIV/AIDS, women of color, homeless individuals, citizens returning to their homeland after being incarcerated, and more.

6 Dr Botanicals

Dr Botanicals is an indie beauty brand based in London, England. The company was founded in 2012 by Richard Walker. After working in the beauty industry for over 15 years, Richard decided to create his own line of products that would be free from harsh chemicals, sulfates, and other harmful ingredients.

Dr Botanicals makes purely vegan, natural formulations with sustainable packaging.

The company is committed to giving back, and for every product sold, one of its items becomes a family member of Dr Botanicals. They are proud to support BLM, Empowering Women, the LGBTQIA community, and Acceptance. What’s not to love?

7 Madison Reed

Madison Reed is a hair color company that started back in 2013. What makes this brand so special is that its hair colors are made without ammonia, parabens, resorcinol, PPD, phthalates, and gluten. They have also pledged to donate $25,000 to the Transgender Law Center.

Inclusivity is at the forefront of Madison Reed’s brand. They have an “Identity” tab on their website where they explain what the Madison Reed experience is like for people of different genders, races, and sexualities. You can find Madison Reed products at the beauty shop, ULTA.

8 TomBoyX

TomBoyX is a gender-neutral underwear company that was created “for everyone who rejects the notion that there are only two genders.” A portion of their proceeds goes to LGBTQ youth charities.

This brand carries everything from boxer briefs to lounge pants to jockstraps and more. They have an impressive size range as well, going all the way from XS to XXXL.

9 Smithers

It’s swimwear time! Men’s swimwear can be difficult to find, but we found a brand that makes it simple with its easy collections. Everything is made in Sydney, Australia by the brand Smithers. With a wide range of colors and patterns available, Smithers is the one-stop-shop for all your swimming needs! Quality

The collection consists of six designs, each with two colorways and two different styles of traditional underpants and bikinis. All of the patterns are named for a certain aspect that a guy embodies. The six design names are Integrity, Modest, Empathetic, Gratitude, Respectful, and Loyal. These designs have a lot of personalities and are perfect for the modern man. With a variety of colors and styles, there is sure to be a pair of Smithers that fits your personality perfectly!

10 Zenni

Zenni Optical is a one-stop-shop for glasses. There’s an infinite variety of eyeglasses to be found at Zenni. By looking through thousands of frames for men, women, and children, including optical, sun, and clip-on, you can truly benefit from the internet’s glasses shopping. Despite a large number of choices, it’s easy to find the perfect glasses for you with Zenni.

11 Stuzo Clothing

Stuzo is a gender-free apparel company based out of Los Angeles, CA. Their clothing is made for anyone and everyone, which makes them a perfect choice when looking for brands to support. Stuzo also donates a portion of its proceeds to LGBTQ+ organizations, so you can feel good about your purchase!

Their selection of snapback hats, tees, and hoodies helps you stay fashionable all year.

12 Sock it to Me

Sock it to Me is a fun and funky sock company based in Portland, Oregon. They have a wide variety of socks for men, women, and children – including some amazing Pride-themed socks!

A portion of the proceeds from their Pride collection go to support LGBTQ+ organizations, so you can show your Pride and support the community at the same time.

13 Fancy Sprinkles

Fancy Sprinkles is the brainchild of Lisa Stelly, based in Los Angeles, CA. Lisa is a self-proclaimed “sprinkle enthusiast” and it shows in her work!

Her line of gourmet sprinkles is perfect for any sweet treat – cupcakes, cookies, you name it.

And what’s even sweeter? A portion of the proceeds from every purchase goes to The Trevor Project, an organization that provides crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LGBTQ+ youth.

How Many Genders Are There?

The answer to this question is both simple and complicated. The simple answer is that there are as many genders as there are people. Each person experiences gender in a unique way. The more complicated answer is that our culture recognizes only two genders, which we call “male” and “female.” This binary (or two-category) system of gender ignores the many different ways that people experience gender. It also implies that there are only two ways to be a man or a woman, which is not true.

The term “LGBTQIA” stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, Intersex, and Asexual/Ally. This acronym represents the diversity of sexual orientations and gender identities within our community. The acronym is ever-changing as we continue to learn about and embrace new sexual orientations and gender identities.

What Does “Transgender” Mean?

Transgender is an umbrella term used to describe people whose gender identity or expression differs from the sex assigned to them at birth. For example, a transgender person may identify as a woman, but have the sex assigned to them at the birth of a male. transgender people may identify as straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual, or any other sexual orientation.

What Does “Cisgender” Mean?

Cisgender is a term used to describe people whose gender identity or expression matches the sex assigned to them at birth. For example, a cisgender woman is someone who was assigned female at birth and identifies as a woman. Cisgender people may identify as straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual, or any other sexual orientation.

What Does Non-Binary or “Genderqueer” Mean?

Non-binary or genderqueer people are persons who identify with a gender that is different from their assigned birth sex. Non-binary identities are outside of the gender binary, which refers to sexes being defined as male and female only. Because non-binary individuals typically identify with a gender that differs from their biological sex, they fall under the transgender umbrella.

Non-binary people can choose to identify as an intermediate or distinct third gender, feel with multiple genders, be non-gender (agender), or have a shifting gender identification (genderfluid). Gender identity is not connected to sexual or romantic orientation. Non-binary individuals have a wide range of sexual orientations, much like cisgender people.

Final Thoughts

Everyone has a sexual orientation and gender identity. Just like everyone has a race, religion, or nationality. Sexual orientation and gender identity are not choices.

These terms are just a few of the many words used to describe someone’s sexual orientation or gender identity. The most important thing is to let people identify themselves however they feel comfortable. What’s important is that you respect people’s identities and use the language they prefer.

If you’re ever unsure about what someone means or which pronoun to use, just ask them! Most people will be happy to explain their identity to you and correct you if you make a mistake. And if they don’t want to answer your question, that’s OK too! Just move on and respect their privacy.

You can do your part to support the LGBTQI+ community by buying from brands that are owned by LGBTQI+ members or contributing a portion of their proceeds to LGBTQI+ organizations.