15 Places to Shop for Ethically Made Pride Merch

As you may be aware, June is Pride Month! Pride Month provides us with the space to celebrate and reflect on the importance of the LGBTQ+ community.

Traffickers frequently target members of the LBGTQ+ community, recognizing and exploiting their need for a safe place to live, an income, and loving community. When a community rejects LGBTQ+ people, it leaves them vulnerable to trafficking. It’s estimated that about 7% of youth in the United States are LGBTQ, while 40% of youth experiencing homelessness are LGBTQ.

LGBTQ+ adults are twice as likely than the general population to have experienced homelessness in their lifetime.

As members of this society, we have the power to encourage self-love and build community acceptance to help keep them safe. Embracing the LGBTQ+ community is fighting human trafficking.

Pride Month honors the progress the LGBTQ+ community has made and amplifies underrepresented voices while recognizing how far we still need to go. It is filled with parties, parades, and celebrations. If you’re planning on attending a Pride event or if you simply want to support the community, think about getting Pride merchandise from small, ethical businesses!

1. Space Montrose

Space Montrose’s mission is to bring handcrafted goods from around the United States to Houston in an accessible manner. About 70% of their featured entrepreneurs are Texas–based. Space Montrose sells apparel, jewelry, stationery, and much much more!

2. Hyphen Boutique

Hyphen is a contemporary gender and size–inclusive Houston-based boutique. They curate their clothing for bodies of all shapes, sizes, colors, and ages. They aim to be “you inclusive”!

3. Bye Gender

Bye Gender is a community-based organization focused on helping trans individuals access necessary funding to survive. Each purchase of a Bye Gender shirt, pin, sticker, or tattoo directly supports a trans individual.

4. Beefcake Swimwear

Beefcake Swimwear produces one-piece androgynous swimsuits. All swimsuits are made with eco-friendly, ethical practices in the United States. Beefcake Swimwear also offers sizes from XS – 5X!

5. We Are Fluide

We Are Fluide is a small, Brooklyn-based brand beauty brand. Their mission is to create vegan, cruelty-free, and paraben-free beauty for all skin shades and gender expressions.

6. MeUndies

MeUndies believes that by creating the best basics they can help fuel authentic self-expression and create a more thoughtful and accepting world! Each purchase at MeUndies helps fight conformity and fosters acceptance through MeUndies partnership with organizations focused on lifting systemic barriers. Shop their 2021 Pride Collection!

7. PrideFlagSD

PrideFlagSD is a queer-owned brand that ethically makes Pride flags! All flags use American Sourced materials and are made in-house.

8. Femme Forte

Femme Forte is a small, ethical fashion business. Their goal is to be gentle on the planet while providing inclusive pieces. Each Femme Forte collection raises money for a different cause. You can check each products’ page to see where your money will go!

9. Otherwild

Otherwild is a queer woman–owned store, design studio, and event space based in Los Angeles.

Founded in 2012, Otherwild prioritizes ethics and showcasing individuals. You can find products, apparel, and refillable bulk home cleaning and personal care products on Otherwild’s website!

10. Shapeshifters

Starting in 2014, Shapeshifters has been a leader for fashionable, size-inclusive, gender–affirming clothing. They offer one of the largest ranges for skin tones, sizes, and styles of binders!

11. FLAVNT Streetwear

FLAVNT is an LGBTQ+ streetwear Austin-based independent clothing brand. Their products are for everyone within and anyone who supports the LGBTQ+ community. FLAVNT wants customers to be comfortable and confident in themselves while flaunting that to the world!