Supporting the LGBTQ+ community shouldn’t be limited to a single month on the calendar. Black LGBTQIA-owned businesses deserve consistent, meaningful support every day of the year, not just when allyship is on full display during Pride Month.
As the community continues to face discrimination across nearly every aspect of life, choosing to spend money intentionally with these businesses can help LGBTQ+ youth, adults, and families build the financial stability and security they deserve.
Here are seven Black-owned, LGBTQIA+-founded businesses worth supporting all year long.
Hella Thrifty
If you love thrifting but don’t want to sift through hundreds of racks of clothes, then California-native Dannie Cherie has the perfect platform for you. Hella Thrifty is a queer-owned online e-commerce store born from Cherie’s drive to survive on student loans while in medical school. What started as an Etsy side hustle of reselling some of her favorite finds turned into a larger movement among her tribe: people who love bold and nostalgic wear with an appetite for not blending in.
Cherie combined her passions for 80s/90s fashion with her love for finding hidden thrift gems. Now, she has her own vibrant collections of vintage-inspired clothing that pairs well with sneakers and glimmering jewelry.
Feelmore Adult
The founder of Feelmore Adult, Nenna Joiner, established the Bay Area’s only Black-AFAB-owned adult sex store. Both stores in Oakland and Berkley have since closed, but Feelmore Adult is still available online.
The online shop offers an array of sex toys, apparel, and inclusive novelty items, delivered discreetly to the comforts of your doorstep.
Harvest & Revel
Harvest & Revel is the brainchild of Brooklyn-based caterer Sara Elise. The women-led full-service catering company operates in New York City, providing services for modern and luxury private events. Over the past decade, Harvest & Revel has become the go-to caterer for adventurous and thoughtful eaters, event producers, and party planners who care about taste and well-being.
Elise considers her catering service the alternative catering company that offers well-sourced and creatively cooked food with style and ethics. The mission of her catering business is to highlight how large dinners can be eco-friendly and to educate people about healthier food options. Elise and her team also help their community through a series of mentorship programs, such as the “Harvest Justice” project, which prepares teenagers to live healthy lives and gives them their first work experience.
Detour Coffee Bar
This Charlotte-based Black-male-owned mobile coffee truck brings smiles to all those who support it. Owner Mike Hargett quietly opened the caffeinated mobile truck in 2019 and has been rolling on a detour since. He offers an assortment of coffee drinks, tea, craft sodas, and baked goods.
BLK MKT Vintage
BLK MKT Vintage is a Brooklyn, NY-based antique and vintage concept shop that specializes in collectibles and curiosities that represent the richness of Black history and our lived experience. Founders Jannah and Kiyanna Handy have over twenty years of combined collecting and picking experience. The curated collection includes found items like vintage literature, vinyl records, clothing, art, housewares, decor, and furniture.
Show & Tell Concept Shop
Founded by Alyah Baker in 2011, Show & Tell Concept Shop is a platform for unique, vibrant, inclusive design that promotes unapologetic style and joyful living. Baker’s carefully curated assortment features her own handmade Show & Tell Collection alongside an evolving selection of ethical and sustainable goods from like-minded brands.
Baker believes in celebrating people of color, the LGBTQIA+ community, women, and other marginalized groups, and her brand reflects that. You can find goodies in her store, including loungewear, home goods, books, and statement accessories.
CTOAN Co.
CTOAN Co is the culmination of Jodyann Morgan’s kitchen experimentation. Today, Morgan is recognized for the brand’s hand-poured body candles that celebrate the beauty of the human body.
Candles are carefully designed from a gender-neutral viewpoint, allowing customers to connect with the art regardless of gender. It’s a reminder that your body is perfect just the way it is. Along with soy-based candles, Morgan also offers home goods such as planters, lighter holders, magnets, and coloring pages.
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