BUSINESS
12 Black Queer Brands to Support
Put these cutting-edge innovators on your radar
BY NICOLE AKOUKOU THOMPSON
We’ve reached a tipping point.
Barriers and inequities
uniquely experienced by Black
individuals in the US are televised,
streamed, and tweeted. Against a backdrop
of police brutality, systemic anti-Black
racism, a faltering age of cultural appropriation,
and Karen-related pettiness in the thick
of a global pandemic, there has been a riveting
social response. The reckoning has led to a burgeoning
demand for the visibility and economic
triumph of Black business owners, makers, and
creators, as well as those who exist at the intersection
of Black and LGBTQ communities.
The unmasking of untreated disparities is
not new. Reputable institutions have published
fi ndings on the matter for decades. In 2003,
Yale University issued a report that discussed
the dearth of Black-owned businesses, disadvantaged
family business backgrounds compared
to their white counterparts, and racial
differences in the startup capital, geographical
location, and education of business owners. In
August 2020, Fundera published fi ndings suggesting
racial gaps in banking relationships
and funding disparities are still pervasive.
According to an August 2020 report from the
Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Black founders
are less likely to have obtained banking fi -
nancing in the past fi ve years. Black business
owners frequently rely on personal savings and
acquaintances. Less than 20 percent of Black
business owners reported receiving assistance
from loan offi cers in completing applications,
compared to 59 percent of their white counterparts.
Consequently, Black fi rms entered the
crisis in a weakened position, and it shows.
Nearly half of all Black small businesses
were leveled by the pandemic by the end of
April 2020, the Federal Reserve report showed.
Black-owned businesses were disproportionately
affected by COVID-19 and were twice as
likely as their white counterparts to close their
doors.
Nationwide, data showed that Black-owned
fi rms were likely to be located in COVID-19
hotspots compared to white-owned fi rms,
which were least likely to be found in heavily
impacted areas.
When the report was published, Black businesses
experienced the most acute decline, with
a 41 percent drop.
There is a silver lining in that there have been
some shifts in favor of Black business owners.
As recently as 2012, Black-owned businesses
generated $150.2 billion in gross revenue. A
subset of data in the 2020 State of Small Business
FACEBOOK/A TRIBE CALLED QUEER
A Tribe Called Queer offers a T-shirt featuring letters colored with
the Asexual Flag, Rainbow Flag, Trans Flag, and Pansexual Flag.
Report indicated 70 percent of Blackowned
small business owners said they were
either “somewhat happy” or “very happy” with
their businesses.
A quintessential subsection of Black business
owners are Black LGBTQ+ folks, who contribute
radical joy and brighter, more inclusive ideas to
the greater economy every day. Black LGBTQ
business owners are reaching internally, asking
advocates in either community to endorse
and support them to stay afl oat. Mobilization
has been robust and multifold. Advocates are
buying in droves and offering infusions of cash
donations, social media support, volunteerism
and resource development.
Support the following cutting-edge Black LGBTQ+
businesses, brands, and creators, and
advance their economic empowerment.
Brooklyn, NY | Makoma the Brand
Makoma the Brand is a global fashion retailer
with African inspiration, hence the name
Makoma, of Akan origin, meaning “my heart.”
They serve high-quality, ethically-made African
prints paired with classic silhouettes.
Los Angeles, CA | A Tribe Called Queer
A Tribe Called Queer is a multidisciplinary
brand that features an inclusive clothing line,
virtual events, and more. The brand features
evocative designs that make bold statements.
Philadelphia, PA | Two Minds Press
Two Minds Press is a QWOC-run silk screen
press, producing original hand-printed apparel,
accessories, and prints around emotionality
themes, wordplay, social justice, and radical
joy.
Los Angeles, CA | Brownie Points for You
Brownie Points for You produces limited-run
products that focus on aesthetics and equal
rights. Owned and operated by multidisciplinary
artist and writer Rinny Perkins, her designs
hearken back to the ’70s ephemera.
Oakland & Berkeley, CA | Feelmoreadult
Feelmore Adult is a community space and
sex shop founded in 2011. The retail establishment
does more than sell tools for personal or
mutual gratifi cation; it offers an education that
helps visitors overcome stigmas associated with
sex and sex work.
New York, NY | Bye Gender
Bye Gender, formerly known as Werk Those
Pecs and Trans is Beautiful Apparel, was
founded in 2012. Bye Gender is a communitybased
organization missioned to help trans individuals
access funding for gender-affi rming
surgeries.
Santa Rosa, CA | HauteButch
HauteButch produces gender-neutral masculine
inspired androgynous clothing. The retailer
offers a dignifi ed customer journey, ultimately
empowering anyone who dares to look
dapper.
New York, NY | Coco & Breezy
Coco and Breezy Eyewear was founded in
2009 by twin designers Corianna and Brianna
Dotson. They’re responsible for the “thirdeye”
sunglasses worn by the late Prince, and
their designs can be found within the pages of
Vogue.
Los Angeles, CA | No Sesso
Prioritizing making nonconformity as beautiful
and inclusive as it can be, No Sesso is a Los
Angeles fashion house founded by Pierre Davis
in 2015. The collection features a wide range
of prints, fabrics, reconstructed materials, and
embroidery.
Washington, D.C. | Loyalty Bookstore
Loyalty Bookstore was founded by Hannah
Oliver Depp, a Black and queer bookseller aiming
to diversify the book industry and empower
communities of color and queerness. The inclusive,
welcoming environment is a safe haven for
diverse lovers of books.
New York, New NY | Nicole Zizi
Nicole Zizi Studio focuses on eco-consciousness,
sustainability, and innovation in gender-free premium
streetwear and accessories. The artist creates
ethically hand-made garments and ready-towear
clothing made from recycled content.
Baltimore, MD | Mack the Tailor
Mack the Tailor is a styler and a tailor using
only Nigerian tailor methods to construct
pieces. Among the many items, Mack markets
are bags, socks and beautifully shaped fedoras.
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