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The primary-ever Satisfaction parade – also called the Christopher Avenue Liberation Day March – occurred in New York in June 1970 through the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. It was a means for the neighborhood to replicate and honor the bravery of the homosexual, lesbian, and transgender activists who risked their lives through the rebellion – an occasion that heralded the homosexual rights motion worldwide.
Whereas Satisfaction Month is a time for remembrance, it’s additionally about celebrating and championing the LGBTQ+ neighborhood as a complete. We’re proud to have nice LGBTQ+ illustration right here at Buffer, and we hope to proceed fostering a tradition the place each particular person feels comfy in their very own pores and skin.
To mark this yr’s Satisfaction, we wished to showcase six LGBTQ+-owned small companies and spotlight the methods they’ve celebrated Satisfaction Month on social media. We love how these manufacturers are utilizing their platform to amplify essential conversations surrounding LGBTQ+ illustration this June. An added perk is that these companies additionally present superior merchandise, making supporting them a simple determination in our ebook.
Deja Vu Magnificence
Based in 2021, Deja Vu Magnificence sells make-up with the tagline, “magnificence for everybody,” – an essential distinction for founder Julie Vu. Earlier than beginning the model, Julie was already identified to many by way of her YouTube channel, Princessjoules. There, she speaks brazenly concerning the realities of transitioning and has supplied viewers with updates on her journey since 2011.
As a proud and vocal transgendered lady, Julie has sadly been the sufferer of on-line hate and harassment, however she doesn’t let that detract her from her principal aim – being a help system for others going by way of related conditions. Creating an inclusive make-up model was one other means for her to present hope to people who’ve felt excluded previously.
For Satisfaction, Deja Vu Magnificence supplied prospects a 15 p.c low cost site-wide throughout all the month of June.
Julie has additionally been highlighting the significance of the month by way of her private social media. She partnered with the Canadian trend model RW & CO and different LGBTQ+-owned small companies to have a round-table dialogue concerning the inequalities confronted throughout the neighborhood.
Julie has a transparent aim of talking up for the rights of transgendered individuals in every single place and infuses all that keenness into Deja Vu Magnificence.
Haute Butch
Haute Butch – a small enterprise based in 2012 – creates clothes for individuals who determine as butch, androgynous straight ladies, and trans males – and so they have been one of many first U.S. manufacturers to take action. Co-founder Karen Roberts mentioned that one among her targets when opening her personal firm was creating masculine clothes particularly tailor-made to ladies’s our bodies, one thing that may be fairly arduous to search out in conventional clothes shops.
“Our match and magnificence preferences weren’t met within the mainstream retail enviornment and we weren’t essentially welcome within the males’s division,” she mentioned. “I wished garments that I may relate to and really feel assured in.” Nonetheless, the model markets itself as gender-neutral and gives fits, button-downs, and vests for all identities.
In honor of Satisfaction Month, the corporate shared a video on Instagram highlighting 10 different LGBTQ+-owned small companies. “We unite to indicate folks that Satisfaction needs to be celebrated each day,” the video caption reads, “whereas additionally showcasing some wonderful LGBTQ+ manufacturers which can be altering the world.
The clip options the founders of every video holding up one among their merchandise as they discuss concerning the significance of this month and the way they incorporate satisfaction into their lives each single day. The video wraps up with the varied enterprise house owners collectively on a zoom name – displaying an actual sense of solidarity between the group.
Ink Meets Paper
Ink Meets Paper, an LGBTQ+-owned greeting card, and stationery model launched its On a regular basis Satisfaction assortment. The model, in an Instagram publish concerning the launch, shared that though the brand new assortment is launching throughout Satisfaction Month, will probably be obtainable year-round, “since celebrating neighborhood doesn’t finish simply because the month modifications.”
The letterpress firm was based by Jamie and Allison Nadeau and has maintained its id as an LGBTQ+-owned model since its inception. As Jamie advised LovetoKnow, “Satisfaction is about dwelling courageously as who you’re. While you make the selection to inform individuals who you’re whereas understanding you might lose individuals that you simply love, it is a huge deal We wished to take this assortment, embody our personal life experiences, and put a fantastic product out into the world.”
The model additionally carried out two giveaways, one in partnership with different LGBTQ+ manufacturers, and one other in partnership with Penguin USA to, of their phrases, “honor the journeys of LGBTQ+ people and the bigger motion of affection, acceptance, and equality for all.”
We Are Fluide
For Satisfaction Month, We Are Fluide, an inclusive make-up and nail polish model, launched limited-edition make-up bins and partnered with the Transgender Authorized Protection & Schooling fund to donate a portion of gross sales to help their work for transgender individuals.
Over the course of Satisfaction Month, the model additionally shared posts and movies to advertise the gathering and the trigger they’re supporting. They put the highlight on their prospects, showcasing buyer movies and content material all through.
@fluidebeauty cannot recover from @delaneyssheehan utilizing our new Satisfaction Glitter Trio 😍🌈 #glitter #MakeASplash #queerbeauty #fluidefam
As to what impressed their selections for Satisfaction Month, Laura Kraber the model’s co-founder shared with Refinery29, “We Are Fluide was created to showcase queer pleasure and the wonder and life of LGBTQ+ individuals who have been vastly under-represented in magnificence. There are numerous methods to have fun Satisfaction, and most significantly Satisfaction is about advocacy and celebrating our trans ancestors who began the motion.”
Leota
Leota is a size-inclusive trend label based by Sarah Carson. Sarah advised Refinery29 her imaginative and prescient for the model saying, “I wished to alter trend for the higher. I may make a model that might encourage self-love and pleasure reasonably than diets and conformity. I may create a radically inclusive model that celebrates femininity as a supply of power it doesn’t matter what physique it reveals up in.”
For Satisfaction Month, Leota applied a number of issues, beginning the month with their dedication to donate 5 p.c of their month-to-month gross sales to The LGBT Heart which is “advocating for the rights and wellness of Queer-identifying individuals.” They introduced their dedication with an Instagram Reel that includes the founder explaining the historical past and motivations behind their determination.
The model additionally hosted a “pre-Satisfaction” get together to “spotlight the great thing about our neighborhood, to have fun our identities and togetherness.” They spotlighted attendees, asking them questions like, “what’s Satisfaction to you” and “how do you categorical your self”? and shared the ensuing video interviews all through Satisfaction Month.
Boy Smells
The LGBTQ+-owned perfume model Boy Smells kicked off Satisfaction Month with the discharge of their Forbidden Fruit assortment. Via their marketing campaign, the model pledged to help GLSEN and the group’s initiatives by donating 15 p.c of gross sales from merchandise within the assortment in June and July, with a minimal donation of $50,000. One of many extra elaborate campaigns on our record, Boy Smells created movies that includes queer actors Charlie Carver and Meg Stalter to showcase the merchandise.
The model can be together with stickers created by queer artist Rooney Simmonds with each buy from their new assortment.
A typical thread with the companies on our record right now is that, other than being LGBTQ+-owned, they take motion. Whether or not that’s by partnering with different LGBTQ+-owned companies or donating to associated causes, they’ve all included a component of giving again with their campaigns for Satisfaction month.
LGBTQ+ individuals are nonetheless combating to be seen and heard, and want help. There are lots of organizations and methods to present again all through Satisfaction Month and all year-round. Take a cue from the companies on this record and look into how you can help the LGBTQ+ members of your neighborhood.
