#MAGA: 10 Queer-Owned Businesses Helping To Make America Gay Again
To promote products made in the U.S., Donald Trump recently announced "Made in America" week. We're taking the president's idea one step further: Below, we share 10 LGBT-owned, American-made brands you can support in good conscience. Happy browsing—and lets #MAGA (Make America Gay Again)!
Play Out Underwear
Launched in 2011, this New York clothing brand sells tanks, tees, underwear (boxer briefs and trunk-cut shorts), swimsuits and more for all gender identities—and they're all manufactured on the East Coast.
"Re-shoring manufacturing brings jobs back to the U.S.A. and helps the economy," the owners say on the brand website.
W3ll People
Co-founded by out makeup artist Shirley Pinkson, W3ll People makes all-natural cheek and lip colors, foundation, concealer, and eye shadow in small batches, available at big chains like Target and Ulta Beauty. The makeup offers a natural, no-makeup sort of look, which is exactly what Pinkson had in mind.
W3ll People has a minimalistic approach to beauty, Pinkson told Curve.
“I’ve worked with a lot of lesbians who don’t want to wear makeup. But what they do want is, they all want to look good!" she says. "It’s not about making them different from who they already are. Your makeup should never precede you in the first place."
Isabella Rotman
Purchase buttons, pins and original prints from Chicago illustrator Rotman, who also publishes educational zines on topics like sexual pleasure, STD prevention, and body positivity. (Rotman also designs illustrations for queer-owned sex-ed site Scarleteen.)
Bluestockings Bookstore
Staffed 100% by volunteers, this feminist bookstore collective offers thousands of titles in gender studies, erotic fiction, queer theory, environmentalism, and more, plus zines, journals, stationery and even alternative menstrual products. The Lower East Side storefront doubles as an activist center and café offering vegan snacks and fair trade coffee.
Wondercide Natural Products
Wondercide sells nontoxic, fragrance-free personal care products for people and animals, including pet care and grooming products, a skincare line, soaps, insect repellents, and flea-and-tick control spray.
Founded in Austin 2010 by out entrepreneur Stephanie Boone, Wondercide was even featured on on an episode of ABC's Shark Tank.
Lagusta's Luscious
Satisfy your sweet tooth without the guilt: Vegan chef and chocolatier Lagusta Yearwood makes vegan, fair-trade chocolates and bonbons in small batches at the Lagusta's Luscious flagship store in New Paltz, New York.
Don't let the size fool you, though: Yearwood and her team make mammoth creations, as well, including a 1,500 chocolate skulls for Bones star Emily Deschanel.
Otherwild
With locations in L.A. and New York, this retailer sells t-shirts, pins, totes, onesies, towels and more that proudly proclaim its queer roots. The in-house brand, By Otherwild, is all made in the U.S.A.: We love the "Future is Female" t-shirt, adapted from the original 1975 version sold by Labryis Books, the first women's bookstore in New York.
Equator Coffees & Teas
Based in Mill Valley, California, this 22-year-old coffee roaster puts ethical sustainability at the forefront of its mission and has grown into a well-known California coffeehouse chain with locations in Mill Valley, San Francisco, and Larkspur.
Co-owners (and life partners) Brooke McDonnell and Helen Russell were even named "Small Business of the Year" last year by the U.S. Small Business Administration.
Kiss My Face
Founded by gay couple Bob Macleod and Steve Byckiewicz, this well-regarded skincare company makes cleansers, moisturizers, body wash, soaps, shampoo, conditioner, body lotion, and sunscreen.
The brand comes from humble beginnings: Back in the 1980s, Bob and Steve sold their handmade products at a market in Gardiner, New York. Now, Kiss My Face is sold at nationwide retailers like Whole Foods and Target.
Dottie's Delights
Offering burlesque and pinup-inspired lingerie fit for any femme, Dottie's Delights is based in Nashville, where all the garments are handmade by a small team of seamstresses. The brand sells ready-to-order hosiery, bras, garter belts, and loungewear under the creative direction of vintage aficionado Stephanie Kuhr.