At The Mom Project, we celebrate diversity in all of its forms, and we’re proud to be an inclusive workplace that celebrates our LGBTQ+ team members and their families as well as the community as a whole. In honor of #PrideMonth, we’re sharing content throughout June with the guidance and support of PRISM, our LGBTQ+ employee resource group (ERG).
Pride Month is a time of celebration, support and recognition of the LGBTQ+ community. This year feels especially important to offer support and allyship in the light of recent discrimination, and attacks on our LGBTQ+ community. While there are many ways the greater community can show support, one of the best ways to demonstrate allyship is to shop at LGBTQ+ owned businesses, not only during Pride Month, but all year long.
Here are five LGBTQ+ owned businesses to check out and shop for something you love.
Ghost Democracy
At Ghost Democracy, accessibility and inclusivity is at the heart of their mission. Started with the belief that quality, clean skin care products should be accessible to everyone, Ghost Democracy aimed to bring change to the skin care world.
And change the skin care game, they did. Founder Rex Chou provides direct-to-consumer products to cut out the middleman and offer lower prices. Ghost Democracy has grown rapidly thanks to a strong social media presence and buzz, but don’t assume it’s all hype. Chock full of natural, powerful ingredients, their products are consistently high-rated and well-loved.
Diaspora Co.
Founder Sana Javeri Kadri is proud to call Diaspora Co. an openly queer business. For her and her team, they celebrate being rooted in “equity, empathy and transparency,” and they are on a mission to share this vision with the world. Seeing a disconnect between farmers who grow spices and consumers who use them, Sana sought to bridge this gap by changing what she calls “a broken system into an equal exchange.”
Now, six years later, Diaspora Co. has expanded their spice offerings and are often sold out of their most popular varieties and blends. Consumers rave about the quality of their spices, sourced from farm partners who are paid an average of 6x as much as the commodity rate.
Nicole Zizi Studio
Zizi by Nicole Zizi Studio is changing the face of streetwear with their gender-neutral brand. Founder and Haitian-American Nicole Zizi sees clothing as a way for people to express themselves while also being functioning, and she eschews traditional media that dictates what people should look like. The company’s clothing caters to all genders and non-binary people as well as petite and plus-sized customers with bodies of all shapes and sizes. The brand focuses on sustainability and using innovative materials that are safe for the planet.
As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, Nicole feels that being seen is vitally important. She creates collections that advocate for inclusion and raise awareness, including a capsule collection in 2021 to push back against anti-trans legislation.
Flavnt Streetwear
Identical twins and founders Chris and Courtney started Flavnt Streetwear to create clothing that promotes confidence, pride and being comfortable with who you are. They don’t believe in women’s or men’s clothing; they simply make clothes that allow people to flaunt what makes them amazing.
Chris and Courtney also believe in giving back to the community through inclusive actions, donations, supportive business practices and more. They are proud to feature models gay, straight, queer and trans models to help underrepresented communities feel seen, with products that allow customers to proudly be their authentic selves.
Equator Coffees
Equator Coffees started in a garage in 1995. Since then, it has grown to be a bustling business that features multiple types of sustainably sourced coffee and products. For founders Brooke McDonnell and Helen Russell, coffee is not just a drink; it is a beverage that builds community and brings people together. In 2016, Equator Coffees became the first LGBTQ+ owned company to win National Small Business of the Year.
Equator is also the first California coffee company to receive B Corp certification. They are proud supporters of woman-produced coffee and stay focused on their mission of sustainability, social responsibility and empowerment of women and the LGBTQ+ community.