Shop

The holiday shopping season is officially here! Before you default to a mega-retailer, consider shopping a little more intentional and a lot more queer. Small Business Saturday is the perfect excuse to shop with purpose and put your dollars toward independent, queer-owned shops that bring culture and our community’s pride into everyday life. From thoughtful gifts to joyful little treats for yourself, this list of small queer-owned businesses makes holiday shopping feel meaningful and festive.

The Little Gay Shop

The Little Gay Shop is one of my favorite places to stop into when I’m home in Austin, TX. This unapologetically queer marketplace curates art, apparel, books, magazines, and gifts exclusively from LGBTQ+ artists and makers from around the world. Their brick and mortar spot is part retail space, part community hub, and fully committed to amplifying queer voices in the heart of Texas. Come for the merch, stay for the culture.

JZD

Founded in Brownsville, TX by queer Latina creators Jennifer Serrano and Veronica Vasquez, this lifestyle brand was built to celebrate Latinx identity, empowerment, and community. They’ve become well known for the iconic “Latina Power” tee, a cultural reset, honestly, but JZD’s apparel and accessories go far beyond merch. Each design sparks conversation and creates visibility where it’s long been missing. This shop is proof that fashion can be a love letter to your roots and a rallying cry.

Lockwood

Since 2013, Lockwood has been the type of shop you pop into “just to look” and end up leaving with the cutest collection of goodies. Their 6 shop locations are stocked with thoughtfully sourced home decor, stationery, apparel, kids’ gifts, and affordable little luxuries from local makers and emerging brands. Mackenzi Farquer founded the shop with the belief that great retail should feel like community, not commerce.

Very That

Very That is truly a love letter to Chicana culture, South Side San Antonio, and chingonas everywhere founded by Cristina Martinez. This shop is another one of my personal faves and I love stopping in when I visit San Antonio or at their Austin location. From iconic tees to pan dulce mugs and avocado AirPod cases, every piece feels playful and proudly rooted in TexMex culture. Beyond the merch, Cristina is a leader of San Antonio’s local creative community, showing up at art markets and organizing handmade events.

Culture Flock

Since 2013, Culture Flock has been serving coloful and inclusive apparel, gifts, and accessories for every shape, size, gender, and orientation. The shop is equal parts playful and purposeful, founded on the belief that caring deeply and having fun can coexist. Co-founders Summer and Brittany stock this shop with the kinds of things they wish had existed when they were younger. Their physical location in Springfield, Missouri is a great spot to find original designs alongside thoughtfully curated goods from artists they love.

Good Judy

A feel-good concept shop based in Vergennes, Vermont, Good Judy curates colorful and thoughtful finds from women, BIPOC, and LGBTQ+ artisans. Founded in 2021, the shop is built on the idea that shopping can be joyful and impactful. Every item is chosen for its sense of humor and “unexpected delight.” They even donate 10% of all profits to local Vermont and national nonprofits supporting LGBTQ+ communities, women’s empowerment, BIPOC causes, animal welfare, and people in need. It’s small-batch shopping with big good-judy energy, proving that spending your money can actually feel good.

Show & Tell

After years in corporate retail, Alyah Baker founded Show & Tell as a space to feature designers outside of the mainstream. This shop offers a carefully curated mix of original handmade pieces alongside ethical, sustainable goods from BIPOC- and LGBTQIA+-owned brands. Every piece champions self-expression, radical acceptance, and the belief that celebrating what makes us different is what connects us most.

Whether you’re checking off your holiday gift list or treating yourself to something cute, shopping queer-owned is an easy way to build real support for our community. These small businesses definitely deserve the love all year long, but the holidays are a perfect time to also gift with intention. Do you have a favorite queer-owned shop I should add to my list? Let me know and let’s keep spreading the gay shopping intel!

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Growing up in a pet household, I can barely remember a time where I wasn’t accompanied by a dog, cat, or even an armadillo (that’s a story for another day). Animals, especially dogs, have always been part of my family, and I believe they should be well cared for and very stylish.

I spent years with my Italian Greyhound, Tripp, which is the number one dog breed for gay men (I will not be taking questions), and now I’m looking forward to many adventures with my new pup Rider. To make sure he lives a happy and healthy life, I’m always on the hunt for products that are safe, high-quality, and built to last. And since I love shopping small and queer-owned whenever possible, here’s a roundup of LGBTQ+ owned pet brands that offer everything from chic collars to tasty treats.

Timberdog (affiliate link)

Founder Leena Chitnis loved adventuring with her pup, Kashi, but struggled to find travel gear for their outings. That’s when RuffRest (affiliate link) was born. It’s a clever all-in-one dog bed, luggage, and travel system with 14 must-have features. Through their nonprofit, Trees & Trails, Timberdog is carbon negative, planting two trees for every bed sold.

Fable Pets

Siblings Sophie Bakalar and Jeremy Canade started Fable Pets to solve a common NYC pet parent problem: limited apartment space. Their signature crate doubles as chic furniture, and all their products are designed with safety in mind. Because standard pet safety regulations do not exist, they created their own and rigorously test every product.

Cleo & Hooman

When Louie Marte struggled to find the right products for his dog Cleo’s skin sensitivities, he and co-founder Michael McLafferty set out to fill the gap with eco-friendly products to meet your pet’s wellness needs. Their collection of pet care essentials like hydrating creams, cleansers, and wipes are formulated by vets and dermatologists.

Lunge

Inspired by New York’s stylish dog-walking scene, Nicholas Schröder launched Lunge, a luxury pet brand offering apparel and jewelry for dogs. Their buttery-soft Napa leather leashes and collars are crafted in Brazil, reinforced for durability, and guaranteed to turn a sidewalk stroll into a runway moment.

Yummers

Even the pickiest pets cannot resist Yummers, a line of meal toppers and freeze-dried food created by Queer Eye stars Jonathan Van Ness and Antoni Porowski. Made with locally sourced ingredients and packed with nutrients, these meals keep pets healthy and happy with every bite.

Supporting queer pet brands is an easy way to celebrate our community while giving your pets the best. Did I miss any of your favorite LGBTQ+ owned pet brands? Let me know!

If you’re thinking about adopting a pet, you can also check out my guide to dog breeds for gay men to find your perfect companion.