How These LGBTQ+ owned Companies Did Satisfaction on Social Media

The primary-ever Satisfaction parade – also referred to as the Christopher Road Liberation Day March – occurred in New York in June 1970 throughout the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. It was a method for the group to replicate and honor the bravery of the homosexual, lesbian, and transgender activists who risked their lives throughout the rebellion – an occasion that heralded the homosexual rights motion worldwide.

Whereas Satisfaction Month is a time for remembrance, it’s additionally about celebrating and championing the LGBTQ+ group as an entire. We’re proud to have nice LGBTQ+ illustration right here at Buffer, and we hope to proceed fostering a tradition the place each particular person feels comfy in their very own pores and skin.

To mark this yr’s Satisfaction, we needed to showcase six LGBTQ+-owned small companies and spotlight the methods they’ve celebrated Satisfaction Month on social media. We love how these manufacturers are utilizing their platform to amplify necessary conversations surrounding LGBTQ+ illustration this June. An added perk is that these companies additionally present superior merchandise, making supporting them a straightforward resolution in our ebook.

Deja Vu Magnificence

Based in 2021, Deja Vu Magnificence sells make-up with the tagline, “beauty for everyone,” – an necessary distinction for founder Julie Vu. Earlier than beginning the model, Julie was already recognized to many by her YouTube channel, Princessjoules. There, she speaks brazenly concerning the realities of transitioning and has offered viewers with updates on her journey since 2011.

As a proud and vocal transgendered girl, Julie has sadly been the sufferer of on-line hate and harassment, however she doesn’t let that detract her from her important aim – being a assist system for others going by comparable conditions. Creating an inclusive make-up model was one other method for her to provide hope to people who’ve felt excluded up to now.

For Satisfaction, Deja Vu Magnificence provided prospects a 15 % low cost site-wide throughout the complete month of June.

Julie has additionally been highlighting the significance of the month by her private social media. She partnered with the Canadian vogue model RW & CO and different LGBTQ+-owned small companies to have a round-table dialogue concerning the inequalities confronted throughout the group.

Julie has a transparent aim of talking up for the rights of transgendered individuals all over the place and infuses all that zeal into Deja Vu Magnificence.

Haute Butch

Haute Butch – a small enterprise based in 2012 –  creates clothes for individuals who establish as butch, androgynous straight ladies, and trans males – and so they had been one of many first U.S. manufacturers to take action. Co-founder Karen Roberts stated that certainly one of her targets when opening her personal firm was creating masculine clothes particularly tailor-made to ladies’s our bodies, one thing that may be fairly arduous to seek out in conventional clothes shops.

“Our fit and style preferences were not met in the mainstream retail arena and we weren’t necessarily welcome in the men’s department,” she stated. “I wanted clothes that I could relate to and feel confident in.” Nonetheless, the model markets itself as gender-neutral and presents fits, button-downs, and vests for all identities.

In honor of Satisfaction Month, the corporate shared a video on Instagram highlighting 10 different LGBTQ+-owned small companies. “We unite to show people that Pride should be celebrated every day,” the video caption reads, “while also showcasing some amazing LGBTQ+ brands that are changing the world.

The clip features the founders of each video holding up one of their products as they talk about the significance of this month and how they incorporate pride into their lives every single day.  The video wraps up with the various business owners together on a zoom call – displaying a real sense of solidarity between the group.

Ink Meets Paper

Ink Meets Paper, an LGBTQ+-owned greeting card, and stationery brand launched its Everyday Pride collection. The brand, in an Instagram post about the launch, shared that although the new collection is launching during Pride Month, it will be available year-round, “since celebrating community doesn’t end just because the month changes.”

The letterpress firm was based by Jamie and Allison Nadeau and has maintained its id as an LGBTQ+-owned model since its inception. As Jamie informed LovetoKnow, “Satisfaction is about residing courageously as who you’re. Whenever you make the selection to inform individuals who you’re whereas figuring out it’s possible you’ll lose individuals that you simply love, it is a huge deal We needed to take this assortment, embody our personal life experiences, and put a wonderful product out into the world.”

The model additionally performed two giveaways, one in partnership with different LGBTQ+ manufacturers, and one other in partnership with Penguin USA to, of their phrases, “honor the journeys of LGBTQ+ individuals and the larger movement of love, acceptance, and equality for all.”

We Are Fluide

For Satisfaction Month, We Are Fluide, an inclusive make-up and nail polish model, launched limited-edition make-up bins and partnered with the Transgender Authorized Protection & Schooling fund to donate a portion of gross sales to assist their work for transgender individuals.

Over the course of Satisfaction Month, the model additionally shared posts and movies to advertise the gathering and the trigger they’re supporting. They put the highlight on their prospects, showcasing buyer movies and content material all through.

@fluidebeauty

cannot recover from @delaneyssheehan utilizing our new Satisfaction Glitter Trio 😍🌈 #glitter #MakeASplash #queerbeauty #fluidefam

♬ authentic sound – We Are Fluide

As to what impressed their choices for Satisfaction Month, Laura Kraber the model’s co-founder shared with Refinery29, “We Are Fluide was created to showcase queer joy and the beauty and lifestyles of LGBTQ+ people who have been vastly under-represented in beauty. There are countless ways to celebrate Pride, and most importantly Pride is about advocacy and celebrating our trans ancestors who started the movement.”

Leota

Leota is a size-inclusive vogue label based by Sarah Carson. Sarah informed Refinery29 her imaginative and prescient for the model saying, “I needed to vary vogue for the higher. I may make a model that will encourage self-love and pleasure quite than diets and conformity. I may create a radically inclusive model that celebrates femininity as a supply of power it doesn’t matter what physique it exhibits up in.”

For Satisfaction Month, Leota applied a number of issues, beginning the month with their dedication to donate 5 % of their month-to-month gross sales to The LGBT Heart which is “advocating for the rights and wellness of Queer-identifying people.” They introduced their dedication with an Instagram Reel that includes the founder explaining the historical past and motivations behind their resolution.

The model additionally hosted a “pre-Pride” social gathering to “highlight the beauty of our community, to celebrate our identities and togetherness.” They spotlighted attendees, asking them questions like, “what is Pride to you” and “how do you express yourself”? and shared the ensuing video interviews all through Satisfaction Month.

Boy Smells

The LGBTQ+-owned perfume model Boy Smells kicked off Satisfaction Month with the discharge of their Forbidden Fruit assortment. By way of their marketing campaign, the model pledged to assist GLSEN and the group’s initiatives by donating 15 % of gross sales from merchandise within the assortment in June and July, with a minimal donation of $50,000. One of many extra elaborate campaigns on our checklist, Boy Smells created movies that includes queer actors Charlie Carver and Meg Stalter to showcase the merchandise.

The model can be together with stickers created by queer artist Rooney Simmonds with each buy from their new assortment.

A standard thread with the companies on our checklist immediately is that, other than being LGBTQ+-owned, they take motion. Whether or not that’s by partnering with different LGBTQ+-owned companies or donating to associated causes, they’ve all included a component of giving again with their campaigns for Satisfaction month.

LGBTQ+ individuals are nonetheless preventing to be seen and heard, and want assist. There are numerous organizations and methods to provide again all through Satisfaction Month and all year-round. Take a cue from the companies on this checklist and look into how one can assist the LGBTQ+ members of your group.