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36 Queer-Owned Businesses Selling LGBT T-Shirts To Support This Pride Season


If you wanna give your money to actual LGBTQ people this Pride season, have I got the thing for you: it’s called THE INTERNET, and it’s chock-full of queer-owned businesses who have designed and produced their very own t-shirts that you could potentially purchase for yourself and wear to a Pride celebration or really anywhere t-shirts are worn. Plus, these indies have also been known to produce social justice and LGBTQ+ apparel that goes beyond straight-up rainbows! Imagine that.

If you are a writer using this list as a reference tool to write your own list of queer-owned businesses for a website that makes more money than we do, we would very much appreciate it if you could include our store or credit us!

This post was originally written in 2017 and has been updated for 2023.


Autostraddle: Our #1 Most Favorite Queer-Owned Business

Up top is our #1 most favorite queer-owned business store on the entire internet. There is no other store in the world that will make you as happy as the Autostraddle store. The people who you support by shopping at the Autostraddle Store are some of the best people to have ever existed in the world! Wow, where do I begin? All these shirts look great on a body that contains a head that contains a face that is pretty bummed about Wells Fargo sponsoring Pride.

Many of the slogans that are now common on queer tees, like the “Gal Pal” t-shirt, were pioneered right here on Autostraddle!

I could go on and on because there are so many shirts from Autostraddle that will pop at Pride, but you can make your own choices!


Flavnt

the word "Pride" repeated numerous times in a rainbow gradient with "riot" being written in.

FLAVNT Streetwear is an independent clothing brand based in Austin, Texas created with “the goal of creating clothes that promote confidence and pride.” They sell binders, stickers and sweats and run fundraisers for organizations like Black Lives Matter as well as individual trans people who need money for surgery.

Flavnt’s LGBTQ+ relevant t-shirt selection is pretty vast, ranging from a “Gender Roles are Dead” tie-dye to the Pride/Riot rainbow crop top right there on the left.


A Tribe Called Queer

"Black Femme Power" T-Shirt

Created by Black, Indigenous hard femme Sabine Maxine Lopez; a Tribe Called Queer is a multidisciplinary brand featuring gender-netural and size-inclusive clothing as well as a podcast, zine, virtual events and a blog.

The brand’s extensive selection of t-shirts tout slogans like “Hella Queer Hella Proud,” “The First Pride was a Riot,” and “Radical Queer.”


Style is Freedom

This “Tomboi Lifestlye Brand” from designer Toni Branson sells snapbacks, beanies, sweatshirts, tees, wallets, slides and more.


dfrntpigeon

retro-vibe baby-soft ringer tee that says "the first pride was a riot."

dfrntpigeon is a social enterprise apparel and lifestyle brand run by marginalized youth in Portland, helping them to develop their creative abilities into a potential career path. This year’s #CreatePride collection focuses on queerness and pride history, created in collaboration with wieden + kennedy, swift, laundry service and eROI.


Two Minds Press

Lovers tee: lavender t-shirt with a red drawing on the breast of two bodies embracing in the shape of a heart.

Based in Philadelphia, Two Minds Press is a QWOC-run silkscreen press that aims to create “original hand-printed apparel, accessories, and prints around themes of emotionality, wordplay, social justice, and radical joy.”


Kirrin Finch

black t-shirt with globe logo in a rainbow gradient, the words "Kirrin Finch United By Love" looped around it

Androgynous menswear designer Kirrin Finch celebrated World Pride with this United By Love T-shirt.


Lockwood51

FUCK DRAG BANS black shirt with a female body with chainmail bikini

Shirts, socks and bags from this queer-owned Los Angeles shop with a mission to “empower queer youth” tout the benefits of staying queer as fuck, queer anarchy and destroying homophobia / racism / transphobia / sexism.

Their Dyke Day LA t-shirts and Read Banned Queer Books are especially hot and sadly sold out!


Sabor a Libertad

woman in a black tank top that reads "Radical Joy" with blue pants

Sabor a Libertad is the project of a graphic artist in San Juan, Puerto Rico, aiming to make clothes that represent them and other queer, trans and/or non-binary people in Puerto Rico. They sell a ton of cute original graphic tees in bright, fun colors in both Spanish and English like Mariconx Caribenx Muscle Tank, Suck by Spiritual D*ck and a Disrupt Rebuild Oversized Tee. (h/t to Vico via whom I found this shop!)


FRE Collaborative

This queer-owned business’ apparel includes the Handsome Classic collection and a Black Lives Matter Collection with shirts that come adorned in rainbows or the trans flag for whatever floats your boat.

FRE Collaborative is an LGBTQ+ owned-company that aims to “translate personal and universal messages that convey a sense of pride, FREdom and social awareness.”


Many Many Moons Ago on Etsy

Model in a white t-shirt with a NASA-style logo of blue space with a red accent but instead of "NASA" it says "ACE"

Based in Austin, Texas, ManyManyMoonsAgo’s shirts sport slogans and illustrations relevant to topics including astrology, tarot, feminism and being QUEER. Great for anybody looking to hex the patriarchy or promote the concept that queerness is infinite.


Wildfang

Model in a black tee that reads "Come As You Are"

These self-described “modern-day, female Robin Hoods raiding men’s closets and maniacally dispensing blazers, cardigans, wingtips and bowlers” launched their dapper-tomboy brand in early 2013. The WILD FEMINIST tees remain a staple.


MegemikoArt on Etsy

The artist hugging a model wearing a "Plants Against Gender Norms" t-shirt that has pictures of house-potted plants above and below the slogan.

This Asian-American non binary artist’s wares implore you to protest trans kids, feel valid, stop Asian hate, believe in trans happiness and push back against gender norms.


Tomboy X

Black tee with TomboyX written in flowers

Tomboys Fran and Naomi invented TomboyX to create “men’s style” underwear that fit women’s bodies, and their success encouraged them to create a whole range of apparel, including these oversized ‘Anywhere Tees” that come in very Pride-appropriate patterns.

Alternately, just embrace the melt and wear a bra as a top!


Mi Vida

model in a rich purple tee with "Feelin Feliz" in retro font across the chest

Noelle Reyes founded her LA-based store in 2008 “with the purpose of providing the surrounding the surrounding community a shopping experience that compliments their lifestyle, incorporating cultural elements into fashion and functional art.” The tees aren’t gay-specific, but they definitely have Pride-appropriate attitude.


Rebirth Garments

Rebirth Garments is a gender non-conforming wearables line centering non-binary, trans, disabled and mad queers of all sizes and ages. You can shop all their signature designs including their Star Queercrip tees and all-over-prints on fanny packs and tees.


The Phluid Project

In 2018, The Phluid Project launched in NYC and online to make gender-free apparel and accessories available worldwide and to improve humanity through not just fashion, but also through the Phluid Foundation’s community outreach, activism and education.

There’s plenty available in the 2023 Pride collection, and the Phluid Project also supports an impressive variety of other queer, trans, women, Black and Latinx owned brands.


Ash & Chess

yellow t-shirt that says QUEER LIBERATION IS FOR EVERYONE

Ash & Chess is a joyful, eye-popping stationary shop run by a queer and trans couple in Richmond, VA. They “create greeting cards and art prints that are bold, retro color palettes and they often use their artwork to make a political statement and to uplift the queer community.”

Their t-shirt selection encourages all to support trans kids and reminds people that all bodies are good bodies and boys do cry


Queerly Designs on Etsy

Model in jeans on a busy city street, the t-shirt is white and says KISS MORE GIRLS over and over like on the shopping bags that have the red print that say the same thing over and over

The self-described “lesbian Anthony Robbins” sells tees with just about every slogan under the sun, from “Be Gay Take Nap” to “Hot Gay Summer” and beyond.


Tegan & Sara Foundation

100% of the proceeds from these tees go to the Tegan & Sara foundation, which “fights for economic justice, health and representation for LGBTQ girls and women.”


Official Rebrand

Official Rebrand specializes in breathing new life into discarding clothing through painting and other alterations. This process “celebrates the fluidity of identity, dissociating garments from gendered categories, reintroducing them without arbitrary social constraints.”


Sparkletown Studios on Etsy

Boston-based maker Femme Brulée is a burlesque performer “known for her over-the-top costumes and props,” and as the founder and coreographer of the Glitter Bombs, Boston’s Premier Strip Hop Troupe. Her glittery store offers pasties and earrings as well as t-shirts.


Thugz Maison

Black t-shirt with the stacked words in Helvetica-esque font: Audre & Gloria & Angela & bell.

“The Goddesses” t-shirt celebrates queer icons Audre Lorde, Gloria Anzaldúa and Angela Davis as well as our other fave bell hooks. You may as well pick up a “Butch Please” hat while you’re over there!


Jen Zeano Designs

Girl smiling in glasses with red pants and a t-shirt that says BIEN GAY in rainbow lettering

Wife-and-wife team Jen and Vero started Jen Zeano Designs in 2014, the same year they got married, launching the store with a Pink Latina Power Tee. The brand celebrates Latina community & culture through tees, sweats, accessories, bags, stationary, drinkware and kids stuff, including their limited edition Bien Gay Pride Tees.


Demian Diné Yazhi’ on Etsy

No Pride W/Out Revolt tee

Demian Diné Yazhi’ is a Portland-based artist and transdisciplinary warrior whose work is “an archivalization & exploration of memory formation, landscape representation, HIV/AIDS-related art & activism, gender / sexuality, & indigenous survivance.” Demian is also the founder of R.I.S.E.: Radical Indigenous Survivance & Empowerment, an Indigenous artist/activist collective.


Haute Butch

A black t-shirt with the words "Together we Rise" in a rainbow gradient block letters. A little rainbow bird is atop the letters

Selling “fierce dapper stud style” and “tomboy-style clothes,” Haute Butch features suits, vests, watches, belts, footwear, briefs and so much more at their online store. Karen Roberts opened her store in April 2012 with a focus on becoming“a clothing, footwear and lifestyle destination for butch women, studs, bois and transmen who prefer ‘menswear’ inspired finishes.”


Queer Gear

“Queer Gearmakes must-have pieces that are perfect for Pride parades, date night with your partner, political events, awkward holiday dinners with the family, or anywhere else you want to be uniquely, proudly, and unapologetically you.”


Stuzo Clothing

Owned by QPOC couple Stoney Michelli and Uzo Ejikeme, DapperQ describes Stuzo as “a line of androgynous, athleisure, and Cali-casual-cool style.”

They sell hats, button-downs, blazers, faux fur masks (!!!), candles, harnesses and more, all made in Los Angeles.


Transfigure Print Co

protect trans kids tie-dye

The Transfigure Print Co. is a small screen-printing store based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, “surrounded by a unique, nation-wide community of individuals who want to make—and wear—a statement.”

Since 2017, this trans-and-queer owned store has partnered with myriad like-minded small businesses to raise over $70k for LGBTQ+ related causes.


Kiernan Dunn on Etsy

Model wearing a mustard yellow t-shirt that says "wish you were queer" on it with a picture of a palm tree on an island and a wave in maroon and light blue.

Kiernan Dunn is a printmaker and zinemaker based in New Orleans.


Gbee Studios on Etsy

In a field chock-full of repetitive and re-appropriated graphics and slogans, Gbee Studios presents fun, original designs with real character. Aside from our own store of course, this is my favorite shop on the list from a t-shirt design angle! Creator Gabriela Borjas created Gbee Studios “to bring more graphic options to the lgbtqia community.”

Tees include The Future is Crystal Queer, I Prefer Women, Queer Cutie, Gay: It Literally Means Happy, and so much more!


Bad Real Bad

white t-shirt with a cartoon on it of a queer person wearing an "eat ass 24/7" muscle tank and saying in big letters WHAT A TIME TO BE GAY AND ALIVE

Autostraddle Cartoonist Archie Bongiovanni, a “genderqueer mesh-wearing, french fry luver, leather-daddy-in-training, “Satan is an ok dude”, drunk cartoonist trash living in MPLS,” sells tees and tanks on their threadless shop.


Decolonizing FitnessSaveSave

Model wearing red muscle tee that says "Decolonizing Fitness" on it in black lettering

Decolonizing Fitness is a social justice platform that provides affirming fitness services, community education and apparel in support of body diversity. It’s owned by Black non-binary trans masculine person Illya, a physical therapist assistant and ACE Medical Exercise Specialist.

100% of Shirt sales on the Decolonize Fitness website — t-shirts that suggest concepts like “down with the binary” and “Fitness is for All Bodies” will be donated to help support Black Trans and Gender Diverse folks who are currently experiencing houselessness.

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One DNA Apparel

Model wearing pink t-shirt that says "Women Are Powerful" in the breast

Headquartered in my beloved Ypsilanti, Michigan, this Black and queer-owned business sells gender-neutral apparel. Their super-wearable and very cozy premium tees and sweats are made from organic and recycled fabrics.


Surpride on Etsy

white t-shirt that says 'Gay Liberation Front" on it in a circular logo with red print

Surpride’s mission is to create apparel that LGBTQIA+ people can relate to, by sharing their thoughts and purposes and being a part of the community themselves as a queer-owned business.

Many of their designs are inspired by Gay Activism shirts designed in the 70s, 80s and 90s, like their Gay Liberation Day line.


South Street Art Mart

Gay Degrassi t-shirt with kids from degrassi saying

This queer-women-owned South Street Art Market in Philadelphia sells goods from 130+ indie artists in their store and online, embracing whims from kitschy nostalgia to nerdy indulgences to the dark arts. And now, an important quote from the description for this gay bat t-shirt:

“Bats are gay icons. Always have been. In Finnish, bat islepakko, which is the same word used by some to refer to lesbians! Also, the common vampire bat is known to engage in homosexual behavior. The heroes we deserve!”


Just another friendly reminder that the Autostraddle Store on Hello Merch is full of great goods for you + yours! HM also sells merch for queer artists like Angel Olsen, Japanese Breakfast, the Buffering podcast, Queer Kid Stuff, Jenny Owen Youngs, Julia Nunes and The Ally Coalition if you want to make a bulk buy.

Anyways, Happy Pride

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Riese

Riese is the 41-year-old Co-Founder of Autostraddle.com as well as an award-winning writer, video-maker, LGBTQ+ Marketing consultant and aspiring cyber-performance artist who grew up in Michigan, lost her mind in New York and now lives in Los Angeles. Her work has appeared in nine books, magazines including Marie Claire and Curve, and all over the web including Nylon, Queerty, Nerve, Bitch, Emily Books and Jezebel. She had a very popular personal blog once upon a time, and then she recapped The L Word, and then she had the idea to make this place, and now here we all are! In 2016, she was nominated for a GLAAD Award for Outstanding Digital Journalism. She's Jewish and has a cute dog named Carol. Follow her on twitter and instagram.

Riese has written 3159 articles for us.

86 Comments

  1. This is rude. I already own enough Autostraddle/Everyone is Gay merch to outfit myself forever, I surely didn’t need more. BUT NOW I /NEED/ MORE. So THANKS A LOT. (But no really, thanks.)

    • the first place i saw that shirt was linked from an article on like, mashable maybe? or refinery29? and i copied the names from their description and didn’t double-check them when i went to the actual store in question and was like, hm, gloria steinem is a weird choice. THIS MAKES A LOT MORE SENSE.

  2. Is there a back story to the demon lizard shirt, because for years I’ve seen that term used in Antisemitic manner from racists and writers who claim they aren’t racist/antisemitic, but then proceed say stuff that is offensive. Even had to explain to a friend who is not straight what she’s seen on the internet is way out there false, and racist against Jews and poc.

    • yeah, it’s a reference to a demon lizard who lived in the basement of a fraternity in an episode of buffy the vampire slayer, and the lizard was basically the patriarchy in that episode

          • Yes, I saw that. Then got to the wiki page of a author, forget her name atm, who said similar things. Still, kind of jumpy as I’ve seen in recent times white (usually)men quote authors like Icke to attack queer and feminist Jewish women.

    • It must be a rough life seeing racism, bigotry, seismic etc in literally everything. Good thing this dumb country is about to fail to people that haven’t fallen to this stupid ideology THE RUSSIAN AND CHINESE. YOUR KIND IS TOAST. THEY WILL KILL YOU BY WIPING THEIR ASSES WITH YOU OFF THE MAP.

  3. AHHH! Thank you so much for this! I’ve been desperate for menswear cut for AFAB bodies. The only place I knew was Wildfang and they are usually way out of my budget. Also trying to buy more from independent merchants just generally so this is a win-win.

  4. You know, I’m a femme, but I’m not a hard one. And because I’m a femme, I don’t want to wear unisex T-shirts. Where are the pretty, women-cut, femme t-shirts?

    • The Lavender Menace shirt comes in a women’s cut, and AS has some others that do too, although they keep peskily selling out…check out the store, they normally have a scissoring one, a lazy femme one, can’t remember what else?

  5. i really, really wish i had the guts to wear the vag sign shirt but i don’t know if i could just sit in class with that emblazoned across my chest.
    also it’s not queer-owned but my “america needs lesbian farmers” shirt from raygun just came in the mail and i’m absurdly excited about it.

  6. GOT THE LAVENDER MENACE T SHIRT LAST WEEK!! Came in yesterday and I love it. SO soft!! Ah I wish this was posted a bit earlier so I could have seen some of these before pride. This compilation is incredible.

  7. The Autostraddle store is better than ever but half the shirt styles only go up to a 2XL?? I love you guys but you need to find a better vendor, because that’s not fair to your fat readership. K thanks byeeeee

  8. /selfpromotion now that it’s pride time again

    Check out my awesome queer art on Redbubble!
    https://www.redbubble.com/people/sgranger

    Get $10 off your purchase if you’re a new customer on Redbubble!
    https://www.talkable.com/x/xX3AJh

    Check out this new design I just put on my page! I would be thrilled to see someone wearing this at pride!
    https://www.redbubble.com/people/sgranger/works/39112051-rainbow-roses?p=pencil-skirt&ref=available_products

  9. Besides the point, but just want to take a moment to appreciate how ridiculously soft literally everything autostraddle makes is. I don’t know how y’all do it but it is incredible. Can confirm that it is helping me live my best/coziest/softest life.

  10. I love this post but also hate it at the same time. See, I’m buying a new car in July so I told myself not to spend too much money in June. Then this post comes along to just laugh in my face.

  11. Before I click on all these links and then get disappointed, it would be super helpful to know which, if any, are size inclusive. It’s really hard to find ethically-made, cute Pride clothes in plus sizes.

  12. Okay, I know this post is about t-shirts (and I will be buying some) but what I *really* want is some kind of necklace with a sizable transgender pendant a la a 70’s style astrology necklace. Surely this must exist.

  13. I LOVE this list! But you left one off!
    TheSameInside.com

    Pronounced “same,” this logo was designed by a lesbian for all LGBTQ+ individuals and those who support them. We are all the same inside, regardless of who you are. We all just want to be happy and get the most out of life. The more that things change and evolve socially in our world, the more it will be realized we really are all the same. Thanks for pushing the movement forward Autostraddle. Sorry for the guerrilla style post but it seemed appropriate for the topic.

  14. Have a nice day.
    We are a fashion brand website:https://www.museslove.com
    We are very interested in your page and hope to cooperate with your page.We have a lot of popular products of women fashion clothing,shoes,Accessories and so on .
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  15. Umoja Threads Apparel Company™ is gender expansive fashion brand with the LGBTQ+ BIPOC communities in mind, and streetwear/athleisure designed for all bodies.

    Founded by Black queer couple, Tara Marshall-Hill and Mo Hill, Umoja Threads™ is the answer to their frustration at being unable to find apparel that celebrated our Blackness *and* celebrated our identities as a cis female lesbian and non-binary person. The Black pride apparel companies ignore us, and we found it difficult to find apparel that fit our style at stores that carried mostly LGBTQ+ apparel.

    * We are vehemently inclusive! ALL sizes are the SAME price, and we carry up to 5X in most styles.* We also have an incredible number of designs for every style and every identity.

    We’re having a ton of flash sales throughout Pride month and would love to see you all come through!!!

  16. Trying to raise some money selling some unique designs on etsy at my Pride Blossoms shop to pay for recent cancer treatment. Been made to feel bad because I am a accused of exploiting the community. Not sure how. I am a designer. Most of these are my copyrighted and unique designs (except for the flag teeshirts of course).

  17. I design tshirts & hats that reference queer history / the queer archive! ie. classified ads from the fall 1986 edition of On Our Backs magazine, pretty hot <3 feeling-space.com/shop/tops/classifieds ~ everything is made in LA!

  18. love this list, thank you! I especially love the Lockwood51 and Gbee Studios designs, yum.

    thought I’d share a few of my personal favourite queer t-shirt makers that I didn’t see featured here:

    Mars Wright – https://marswright.com/collections/shirts-1

    the Gender Reveal Podcast (usually I find merch pretty boring, but they have some fun designs) – https://gender-reveal.creator-spring.com/unisex-men-s-t-shirts

    BothAnd – they make mostly plain t-shirts but hey, what better way to celebrate pride than to wear a t-shirt that fits you really really really well

  19. Just opened so many tabs. Gonna find me a tee. Thank you

    also I’d recommend “THERE Skateboards”.
    Its a really talented, sweet group queer of skateboarders. They have really great hand drawn art on tehir clothes and boards.

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