Pride Shopping Guide
I am a straight, white, cis-gendered female. Most of the things I speak out about affect women directly and their bodies and health, but part of being a good feminist is including all groups of people who are marginalized. And since it is June (Pride month) all my blog posts this month will be Pride centered. I realize I am not the best authority to be writing about these topics since I am a straight person, but I would like to think of myself as an ally and I am always here to accept everyone; no matter what race, religion, or sexuality. I want to use this platform for as much good as possible, so this year that means the whole month of June will be taken over with rainbows and here for love, no matter who you love.
Pride apparel is a huge part of celebrating Pride, especially if you are attending a parade. It is also especially big this year since it is the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots (more on this next week) and most people are expecting this to be the biggest Pride celebration in a long time. I have crated a round up here (with the help of my sister) of some of the brands doing Pride apparel this year, and why for some of the brands that is a huge deal.
Converse- This one is a big deal this year becasue they came out with a specific shoe with the transgender Pride flag on them. This is not often included in Pride apparel by brands so this is great.
H&M- Laverne Cox is partnering with them this year to show off their Pride collection. Since they have had some issues in the past with not always being socially aware of how their clothes may be affecting certain groups of people (more on this later), it is awesome to see such an LGBTQ+ icon partnering with them.
Disney (partnered with GLSEN)- This one is especially wonderful: they are partnering with GLSEN and donating 10% of proceeds to them! This organization works to help get LGBTQ+ education in schools and also helps to create safe spaces and provide help to LGBTQ+ youth.
Morphe - Today at 10am, they are launching their Make Life Colorful pallet, which will include all colors of the rainbow to showcase inclusivity and love of makeup, no matter who you are.
Target - They always do a greta job with their Pride apparel and this year is no exception! They really came through with a huge line this year.
REI- This is a new one this year! REI is doing a “Outside is For All” line. They are all outdoor apparel and gear covered in rainbows, with 5% of sales going to various different LGBTQ+ organizations and non-profits.
Adidas - Adidas has done Pride apparel in the past, but this year they have two limited edition Pride sneakers as well as other apparel. This is one way to make sure you Pride in style.
Milk Makeup- This is one of my favorites; all the proceeds from the “Wear Your Pride” makeup set go to The Center which is a community center in NYC that caters to the biggest population of LGBTQ+ people in the country.
Sephora - While they are not putting out their own collection, they are partnering with more artists and brands doing Pride makeup than they ever have. They are creating videos to show all the different ways people use makeup, as well as donating a portion of all proceeds to various LGBTQ+ organizations all over the country.
Dr. Martens - From what I can tell, they are not donating to any organizations, but they have never done a Pride collection before and have also made the Pride items more affordable than their other items.
Hot Topic - They always do a great job, and this year is no exception. They are great option for little pieces to add in and also are highly affordable.
Spencers - They have everything you could ever want and more! Pride accessories, cups, gifts, flags, and so many other things. If you want something Pride related but super obscure, this is the place for you.
There are many other brands doing things for Pride, as well as some brands who haven’t created special products, but will be donating a portion of all proceeds to LGBTQ+ organizations (like Urban Decay). I know this is a shorter post than normal, but it is dead week over here at University of Oregon and I am in full blown study mode. Hope this helped to give you some ideas for your Pride looks and also showed that in the midst of all the terrible things happening in this country, some things are coming through and showing up for people in a big way.
Madey