Pride Month Recap
Pride Month has come and gone, but queer identity is forever!
We had the honour this past June to partner with some incredibly talented queer creatives to create a collection of limited edition t-shirts. For this year’s inspiration, we asked our artists to create a design around the theme “Pride is a Protest”. Pride first began as a response to police brutality against queer folks in the United States in 1969. At the time, same-sex relations and expression were illegal, and many gay bars and clubs were constantly harassed by police in attempt to control their identities. The following year, a march through Central Park in New York was organised and adopted the theme of “Pride” to counter the shameful attitude towards queer identities. Now, most Pride celebrations worldwide take place in June to mark the anniversary of the resistance of our queer elders.
Our 2022 Pride Collection raised over £1,043 for Queer charities, including: UK Black Pride, AKT, LGBT Foundation, Gendered Intelligence, Black Trans Alliance, Rainbow Families, SOS Homophobie, Human Dignity Trust, Stonewall, and Colours Youth Network. Each artist chose a charity that resonated with them, their communities and their design. It was incredible to partner with these artists and to hear and share their stories as we developed their campaigns.
We’ve caught up this month with a few of our creators about their designs, which charities their campaigns raised funds for, and what queerness means to them.
Alexander Kelly @sweetcowboyblues
“To me Pride and Queerness has been a bit of a lifelong battle, I struggled to find the pride in who I was and to even identify as queer for a long time. It’s only been in the last few years that I’ve stopped feeling inadequate for being trans and started to do the work to appreciate what being trans has done for me. I often think about who I would have been had I been born cis and I worry that I wouldn’t be anywhere near as compassionate or open minded as I am now. So to me, Pride is about the journey to finding peace with who you truly are - I must have been to over a decade of pride parades when all I really felt was shame, and I’m so happy I don’t feel that way anymore.
I chose Colours Youth Network because as hard as life has felt for me, I’m very aware of the privilege I have as a white cis passing person and how much harder life is for all queer people of colour in this world. I want to use my very small platform to advocate for them as much as possible. When I thought about ‘pride is a protest’ I immediately pictured a galloping cowboy on a horse going round rounding up all the transphobes so that’s what I went with!”
Beck Carlton @bear_patrol
“Pride and Queerness to me is something that I inherently embody all days of the year, it comes with highs and lows but I love being a proud trans man, I love that my friends are queer and I love that I wouldn't change my own personal journey into my identity for anything. I chose Gendered Intelligence as it's a charity that really does benefit the lives of trans people through education and progressive ideas to just makes trans people feel safe and accepted in general. Being trans myself I obviously relate strongly to the causes this charity strives for and for the society it's trying to educate/make better and safer.
When I was younger I loved day dreaming of what it would it would be like to be a man but there wasn't much media that I consumed that had trans men in it so I would kind of project myself onto characters in games, film and TV. I loved King from Tekken (and still do) and I thought it was a nice and cool play on words to make a Trans King tshirt, I like to think a lot of trans people can resonate with overarching theme.”
Lizzy Lehman @lizzy.lehman
“Pride means expressing my true self without shame. It means supporting and lifting up my LGBTQIA friends and family so that they feel seen, safe, and loved. Pride means fighting for the rights of ALL queer folks EVERYWHERE.
I chose Black Trans Alliance and Equality Texas. Both of these organizations fight for the rights and safety of the most vulnerable members of the queer community. There have been (and continue to be) an innumerable amount of horrific attacks on black trans folks and the trans community as a whole. We must keep up the work to fight for the safety, rights, and health of the trans community.
I have a little gender neutral bunny character that I like to draw, and I thought they would be a perfect choice for my design. I made them look like the Earth and used the Progress Pride flag because we need to rally together for LGBTQIA rights all around the world. We have to stick together!”
Mazahir Hussain @girthofvenus
“Pride and queerness means establishing connections based on sincerity, feeling and a mutual drive to change each facet of what’s considered ‘normal’. To challenge and love in equal measure, to uplift and to keep accountable with equal importance, and to hold value for where we’ve come from. I think it’s important to focus on younger generations and provide them with safe environments
Greek mythology holds a lot of rich queer contextual history. And I thought what better way to do a queer design than with three of my favourite deities.”
Sandra Muller @sandra___mu
“When I was a teenager my queerness was a gray area like so many bi kids, because people are expected we fit into a box, being straight or being lesbian. I am happy to participate in bi visibility with my art for pride, it is a way for me to remember that us who decide on our queerness; bisexuals are a full part of this community, whatever your partner or if you are single.
I choose SOS Homophobie, a French charity. They are so many ways to help our community, sometimes people don't know who found help. And it was important to me to talk to my french followers about a french charity.
Bons Baisers is a new version of an illustration I made a short time ago to talk about my work commitments. I have became freelance for a few years to prioritise projects with clients which share my engagements for ecology, inclusivity and feminism.”
