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In Food & Drink/ Shop

Wake Up with Pride: Queer-Owned Coffee Brands You’ll Love

To better support the LGBTQ+ community, I’m on a mission to spend more of my money at LGBTQ+ owned businesses. Coffee is a huge part of my life and one of my favorite daily rituals is brewing coffee in the morning. I love starting the day slowly with a cup of coffee and I’ve been interested in supporting more queer owned coffee brands. If you’re a coffee drinker and looking to do the same, here’s a list of LGBTQ+ owned coffee brands bringing more diversity to the coffee industry.

2 Queens

Charles Wilkin and Martin Higgins are the queer royals behind 2 Queens, a shop in Narrowsburg, New York that offers coffee, tea, and honey. The venture is an opportunity to unite Martin’s 25 years of coffee roasting expertise and Charles’ devotion to honeybees. All their coffee is hand roasted to perfection by Martin. While their tea is carefully curated to be all-natural and support honeybees and other pollinators. To celebrate pride every morning, they even offer a special Queer Coffee blend in gorgeous packaging that’ll look great on your kitchen counter. You can visit their Catskills cafe in person or shop their online store.

Equator Coffees

Brooke McDonnell and Helen Russell founded Equator Coffees in 1995 in a Marin County garage. They set out to build a coffee company focused on quality, sustainability, and social responsibility. In 2016, Equator Coffees won National Small Business of the Year by the Small Business Administration, the first LGBTQ+ owned brand to earn this award. Today you can shop their coffee online or visit their cafes in the Bay Area and Southern California.

Queer Wave Coffee

Cheyenne Xochítl Love is the founder of Queer Wave Coffee, a coffee brand with a mission to disrupt the colonial supply chain. All their caffeinated coffee comes from Catracha Coffee Co. in La Paz, Honduras, a social enterprise which allows small coffee farmers to access and profit from the specialty coffee market. Through coffee, Cheyenne, an Indigenous, two-spirit, non-binary trans woman, is committed to dismantling patriarchy, white supremacy, and other oppressions. Every bag of Queer Wave Coffee proudly displays “1312” in the bottom corner.

Uncommon Coffee Roasters

In 1994, Guy Darienzo and Stephen Keye founded Uncommon Coffee Roasters in Saugatuck, Michigan, where their cafe Uncommon Ground quickly became known as, “the local gay coffee shop.” The company takes pride in celebrating diversity, giving back and sustainability, striving to work with companies that share their values. If you’re looking for more novelty products, they do offer a Pride Blend and a Love Wins blend.

To continue supporting the LGBTQ+ community, Uncommon Coffee Roasters donates to the Uncommonly Fabulous Fund, which offers financial support to LGBTQ+ youth and adults in need in the Southwest Michigan area. Visit their cafe in Saugatuck, Michigan or shop their coffee online.

FiNCA To FiLTER

Inspired by her work with coffee producers for Habitat para la Humanidad Guatemala, Kayla Bellman started FiNCA To FiLTER to combine her passions for coffee and social justice. This queer woman-owned business has a commitment to radical transparency, sharing the amount paid to growers, and fostering a sense of kinship and safety for their community, even partnering with ARC-Southeast to serve as a Plan-B outpost.

You can visit one of their cafes in Atlanta, Georgia, or purchase their coffee online.

Queer Coffee

Sourcing high-quality, organic, and fair trade coffee beans, Queer Coffee is a novelty coffee brand that supports LGBTQ+ causes. $2 from every bag sold goes to support the Campaign for Southern Equality, which works to promote full legal and lived LGBTQ+ equality in the south. If you’re looking for pride-themed coffee products, the brand’s logo features fun rainbow colored coffee beans to bring some joy to your morning cup.

I’m always on the lookout for more LGBTQ+ businesses to support and would love to know your favorite queer-owned coffee brands. Not only that, but queer friendly spaces have been so important to my life over the years, what are your favorite LGBTQ+ inclusive coffee shops? Let’s talk about them!

September 30, 2024

In Shop/ Style

Slacktivists of the World: Support the Cause, Add to Cart!

These days it may seem like there’s more work to do than ever to solidify LGBTQ+ rights and equality. You might be feeling overwhelmed at the thought of supporting so many causes, but luckily there’s an easy way to make your voice heard. By shopping! It’s like the easiest thing to do and you get all new stuff!

GLSEN – Rise Up Bracelet

GLSEN is a nonprofit that works to promote LGBTQ+ advocacy and inclusion in education. In response to recent legislation that threatens the livelihoods of LGBTQ+ youth, GLSEN is asking supporters to take the Rise Up pledge.

Show your support for the children with a very trendy Rise Up Bracelet, preferably in the bold fluorescent rainbow thread. If you’re gonna show support, show it loud.

ACT UP – Iconic “Silence = Death” T-Shirt

Aside from a rainbow flag, no symbol is more iconic of queerness than the pink triangle. In 1987, gay activists in New York plastered the city with posters featuring this message in an effort to protest injustice and governmental indifference during the AIDS crisis. Today, ACT UP fights to end the HIV/AIDS epidemic. You can support the cause and look damn cool by shopping this iconic tee.

HRC – Seed Bead Stretch Wristband

Ask the kids, beaded bracelets are very in right now. Grab one in every color to create a rainbow stack to show your pride and support HRC’s fight for LGBTQ equality.

100% of your purchase goes toward HRC’s fight for LGBTQ equality, and it’ll make you an active member of the organization.

Matthew Shepard Foundation – Erase Hate Clack Fan

When you’re in the club, yeah be clackin’ that. With an Erase Hate fan, you’ll keep cool while supporting the Matthew Shepard Foundation’s online and offline programming. The organization works to amplify the story of Matthew Shepard, raise awareness of anti-violence, and promote the dignity and equality of all people.

PFLAG – Pet Bandana

Let your pup show off their support in style! Through their network of local chapters, PFLAG works to support, educate, and advocate for the LGBTQ+ community and those who love them.

Shop for the cause, my friends. Is there an LGBTQ+ organization that you’re proud to support? Let’s chat about it!

August 29, 2024

In Entertainment/ Shop

Books I’m Reading This Year

Gays & Confused is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Oh look, a new year’s resolution post on someone’s blog. How novel. Speaking of novels, one of my goals this year is to read more books. I’m not going to set myself up for failure by attempting to tackle a book a month. I’m guilty of taking a full year to finish one book, so 12 would be just too impossible. I’m kicking off the year with the goal of reading 5 books. And don’t worry, I’m definitely already having an anxiety attack about it. And no, I didn’t forget that this is a queer focused blog, each book is written by an LGBTQ or female author.

Her Body and Other Parties

I’ve read so much about this book and when I heard one of the stories being retold in a podcast, I couldn’t resist. I’ve already begun reading it and can’t put it down.

In Cold Blood

Truman Capote is an author whose work I’ve always wanted to explore. Over the holidays, my brother was telling me how much he loved reading this book and couldn’t recommend it more. He gifted me a copy and I can’t wait to read it.

Before Night Falls

Whenever I’m browsing books online, I frequently see Reinaldo Arenas’ memoir recommended to me. Clearly the internet gods know something about me. When I stumbled upon it at a bookstore sale, I knew I had to take it. TBH, it’s been sitting on my bookshelf for over a year now. 2020, we’ll finally make it happen.

Trick Mirror: Reflections on Self-Delusion

Earlier this summer, I read Jia Tolentino’s “Losing Religion And Finding Ecstasy In Houston” in the New Yorker and I absolutely loved it. Her writing is incredible and I immediately forwarded it on to many of my friends. I’m officially a Jia stan and can’t wait to read more of her stories in this book. Plus, she’s a fellow Texan.

Imperial Bedrooms

While I’ve never read a Bret Easton Ellis novel, I’ve been a fan of the film adaptations of his books. That WASPy east coast 80s culture is a whole mood I love to immerse myself in. A few months ago, I found it at a bookstore’s sidewalk sale and picked it up. As a sequel to Less Than Zero, it’s possible I’ll be lost and end up revising my list to include that title.

Interested in knowing how well I stick to this goal? Follow me on Twitter or Instagram, and I’ll keep you posted throughout the year and I’d be more than happy to chat about them!

January 1, 2020

In Life/ Shop

8 Ways To Spend Big At Small Queer Shops

The holiday season is upon us once again. Before you hit up Amazon for your one stop shopping, consider shopping smaller and queerer. I’m a huge believer in spending my money as wisely as possible to support the causes and communities I care most about. So here’s a list of places you can shop to support queer businesses.

Erdos + Ko

If you’re thinking of shopping a little bigger, Erdos + Ko Home offers beautiful home furnishings and decor at an approachable price point. With the belief that styling your home should be fun, John Erdos and Louis Koay offer pieces that they’d actually put in their own home. Erdos + Ko designs reflect their style using organic materials mixed with modern elements. You’ll also find curated vintage and one-of-a-kind pieces.

Double Scorpio VHS Cleaner

TBH, you can’t really kick off the holidays without digging out VHS copies of your favorite holiday films to relive your childhood memories. In an HD world, you’re gonna need some VHS cleaner to make the most of the lo-fi vibes. Their holiday blend can also double as a festive room deodorizer. If you tossed the VCR decades ago, you’ll still appreciate their line of gear with edgy tees and cheeky jock straps.

Pansy Ass Ceramics

Have you ever wondered what family heirlooms would look like in a Tom of Finland theme? For the playful provocateur, Pansy Ass Ceramics offers plenty of erotic artwork and ceramic pieces to spice up your home decor. From penis shaped flower vases to BDSM themed Christmas ornaments, you’ll find tongue-in-cheek tchotchkes for your china cabinet.

Wildfang

Founded in 2013, Wildfang was created with the belief that women have the right to wear whatever they want. Their collections feature trendy graphic tees, the Empower Suit, durable workwear, and button ups for all with a portion of proceeds going to charity. In 2018, Wildfang raised over $400k for charities that support reproductive, immigrant, and women’s/human rights.

Otherwild

Otherwild is dedicated to showcasing goods made with care by individuals. You’ll find a huge variety of apparel, housewares, and more. Their line Otherwild General offers non-disposable, lo/zero-waste and upcycled product options like reuseable straws and refillable home, body, and bath products.

MINNA

Founded by a queer woman, MINNA offers a collection of beautiful, ethically made products created in collaboration with with master artisans in Central and South America. The patterns, colors, and textures found in their products are meant to be mixed, matched, and layered for today’s modern home.

Autostraddle

The online publication and community for queer women is not only a great place to find feminist think pieces but you can also find clever tees and caps. Additionally, buying merch from Autostraddle helps support the stories they feature on their site.

HOMOCO

No doubt you’ve discovered HOMOCO on your social feeds with their colorful collection of versatile tops and power bottoms. The queer swim brand makes their trunks out of recycled plastic while their camp shirts come from sustainably harvested Tencel. A portion of sales goes to ocean conservation and organizations that champion queer rights.

What queer businesses do you love shopping at? Share them with me!

November 29, 2019

In Shop/ Style

Slacktivism: How to Save the LGBT World by Shopping

In the current political climate, it’s more important than ever to participate in politics. But what if making protest signs and calling your congressman isn’t your thing? First of all, shame on you. But have no fear, you can still make your voice heard and contribute to causes that benefit the LGBTQ community. By shopping! It’s like the easiest thing to do and you get all new stuff!

Pink Triangle Project enamel pin – Matthew Dean Stewart

Aside from a rainbow flag, no symbol is more iconic of queerness than the pink triangle. And if you’re as obsessed with enamel pins as me, you’ll definitely want to adorn your favorite jacket/coat/bag/tank-top with one of these. Not only will you look very chic but $3.00 of every pin sold is donated to “The Trevor Project.” (Seen in photo above.)

Otherwild x Herstory Collection

A statement tee is perfect for putting queerness front and center. Inspired by a homemade t-shirt seen in a Larry Butler photo from a 1979 March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights, the image is still muy escandaloso today. As part of an Otherwild and Herstory collaboration, 10% of the sale proceeds go to the Lesbian Herstory Archives in Park Slope, Brooklyn. (Seen in photo above.)

Make America Gay Again hat – Human Rights Campaign

Take red caps (and America) back from the MAGA crowd with the HRC’s slogan hat. You’ll also become a member with your purchase.

100% Human tank – Everlane

Sometimes the best messages are the most obvious. Maybe Trump’s America just needs a reminder that yes, queer people are 100% human…at least the tank is cute AF. On top of that, Everlane will donate $5 to the HRC for every tank sold.

You’ve Got This enamel pin – Gay Pin Guys

Just accept your new obsession with enamel pins. It’s a thing. Remind yourself daily that you’re going to be a success, you’ve got this. Proceeds from this pin support the True Colors Fund, which works to end LGBTQ youth homelessness.

Food 4 Thot + GreenBoxShop T-shirts

Are you listening to the Food 4 Thot podcast as much as I am? You’re probably just as excited that they’ve released a line of t-shirts with GreenBoxShop that supports the Trans Law Center. The entire collection is full of wit and difficult to choose. Just remind our fellow Americans that this revolution with be cute as hell.

Rudy’s 1-2-3 Bundle

One cannot live on threads alone. Stay stylishly clean with Rudy’s 1-2-3 Bundle of shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. Every purchase supports homeless LGBTQ youth.

Shop for the cause, my friends.

June 27, 2018

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