For years, LGBTQ+ people have been told to “vote with their dollars.” But that only works when you actually know where those dollars are going.
That’s part of what inspired LGBTQ Outpost, a curated marketplace created by the team behind LGBTQ Nation, Queerty, GayCities, Outsports, and INTO. Instead of overwhelming shoppers with endless options, it focuses on brands with a clear point of view—most of them LGBTQ+ owned, others deeply aligned with the community through their values, partnerships, and impact.
Some are small businesses built from the ground up. Others are growing brands challenging industries that haven’t always made space for us. Together, they reflect the economic and cultural power of LGBTQ+ creators and entrepreneurs.
Here are some of the brands helping shape that future.
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Ash + Chess: Bold, joyful design from queer and trans artists
Artists Ashley Molesso and Chess Needham have built Ash + Chess into a globally recognized brand rooted in queer creativity. You may remember their name from when the majority of their products were removed from Target stores in May 2023 during “customer backlash.”
Their work—spanning greeting cards, prints, and everyday goods—uses humor, bold typography, and retro-inspired design to celebrate LGBTQ+ life. It’s art that’s meant to be seen, shared, and lived with.
Browse the Ash + Chess collection
Sightseer Coffee Roasters: Investing in equity across the supply chain
Founded by Sara and Kimberly, Sightseer Coffee Roasters centers equity at every stage of production.
The queer- and women-owned brand pays more-than-Fair-Trade prices and frequently sources from women producers—helping address longstanding disparities within the coffee industry.
Browse the Sightseer Coffee Roasters collection
Undefined Beauty: Making skincare more accessible and inclusive
Beauty executive Dorian Morris created Undefined Beauty to push back on an industry that often feels exclusive and overpriced.
The brand’s “clean-ical” approach blends plant-based ingredients with performance-driven formulations, while its supply chain intentionally supports female-founded, BIPOC, and LGBTQ+-owned businesses. The result is skincare that prioritizes both results and access.
Browse the Undefined Beauty collection
Carter Wear: Expanding what skin-toned really means
Founded by Derek Ford Jr., Carter Wear was built to address a gap that’s been ignored for too long: the lack of truly inclusive skin-toned underwear.
By designing shades specifically for Black and Brown skin tones, the brand challenges default assumptions about who products are made for—and who gets to be seen. What started as a focused idea has grown into a global brand worn in more than 120 countries.
Browse the Carter Wear collection
NOTO Botanics: Beauty that moves beyond gender
Founded by queer makeup artist Gloria Noto, NOTO Botanics rethinks who beauty is for.
The brand focuses on multi-use products designed for face, body, and hair—removing unnecessary complexity while remaining gender-inclusive and adaptable. It’s a model that reflects how people actually use products, not how the industry says they should.
Browse the NOTO Botanics collection
cantiqLA: Lingerie designed for real bodies
Designer Chelsea Hughes launched cantiqLA to challenge the narrow standards that have long defined lingerie.
With inclusive sizing and genderfluid fits, the brand creates pieces that prioritize comfort, individuality, and self-expression. Every design is handcrafted in Los Angeles with the belief that people deserve to feel represented in what they wear.
Browse the cantiqLA collection
Junebug & Darlin: Modern craft with a queer perspective
Portland-based maker Zoe Frost created Junebug & Darlin after struggling to find cross-stitch patterns that felt current or inclusive.
The result is a line of DIY kits that combine contemporary design with queer identity and a sense of humor. It’s a reminder that even traditional crafts can evolve—and reflect who we are now.
Browse the Junebug & Darlin collection
Queen On The Scene: Small accessories with big visibility
Founded in 2017, Queen On The Scene creates enamel pins designed to signal identity and belonging in everyday spaces.
Each piece offers a small but meaningful way to express community—whether worn on a jacket, bag, or anywhere else people choose to show up as themselves.
Browse the Queen On The Scene collection
Flags For Good: Turning symbols into action
Flags For Good connects every design to a cause, with a portion of each purchase supporting organizations focused on LGBTQ+ rights, racial justice, climate action, and more.
By embedding giving directly into its business model, the brand turns symbolic expression into tangible impact.
Browse the Flags For Good collection
Mouthy Broad: Activism, art, and accountability
Mouthy Broad has built a following for its unapologetic, intersectional approach to design.
Through bold messaging and irreverent humor, the brand tackles issues like feminism, LGBTQ+ rights, and mental health—while backing it up with donations to nonprofits doing the work.
Browse the Mouthy Broad collection
Happy Bear Coffee: Everyday purchases with built-in impact
Happy Bear Coffee combines small-batch roasting with a simple idea: giving back should be easy.
Each purchase includes a customer-powered donation to a rotating list of organizations, allowing people to support causes without changing their daily routines.
Browse the Happy Bear Coffee collection
Edgewater Candles: Small-batch craftsmanship from Chicago
Founded by Mark Towns and Stephen Pearlman, Edgewater Candles has become a neighborhood staple in Chicago’s Bryn Mawr District.
Each candle is hand-poured using Midwest soy wax and clean fragrance blends, reflecting a practical approach to sustainability and local production.
Browse the Edgewater Candles collection
Cat and Raven Designs: Pride visibility through everyday essentials
Cat and Raven Designs brings LGBTQ+ representation into daily routines through handmade soap.
Produced in small batches, the brand’s Pride-inspired designs combine traditional techniques with a clear commitment to visibility and community support.
&ndy: Activewear created with queer athletes in mind
Founded by a former college athlete, Andrew Hall, looking to increase LGBTQ+ representation in athletic spaces, &ndy creates performance-driven apparel designed for real movement.
The brand blends technical construction with subtle identity signaling—offering gear that supports both physical activity and a sense of belonging.
MAPA: Travel-inspired swimwear from queer founders
MAPA was founded in New York City by Mauricio and Patrick, who set out to create swimwear that feels both elevated and wearable.
Inspired by global travel and culture, the brand focuses on clean design, quality construction, and pieces that move easily between destinations.
Gay Pride Apparel: Visibility rooted in Latinx identity
Founded in New York City by first-generation Mexican-American creators, Gay Pride Apparel brings an important perspective to LGBTQ+ merchandise—one rooted in both queer and Latinx identity.
The brand was built on the idea that Pride shouldn’t be limited to a single month or aesthetic. Instead, it focuses on everyday wear that keeps identity visible year-round, reflecting the lived experiences of communities that have often been underrepresented in both fashion and media.
Browse the Gay Pride Apparel collection
YEAHBUZZY: Bold design with a community-first mindset
Atlanta-based YEAHBUZZY approaches apparel with a clear point of view—graphic-forward, expressive, and intentionally produced in small batches.
As an LGBTQ+-owned brand, it balances design with community impact through its “Live Bold” initiative, supporting local organizations and hosting events that bring people together offline and reminds us that clothing can be both personal expression and a way to stay connected to something larger.
Browse the YEAHBUZZY collection
Mo-Beauty Shop: Drag artistry shaping everyday beauty
Mo-Beauty Shop was created by drag performer and television personality Mo Heart, whose career has been built on transformation, performance, and showing up fully.
That perspective carries through in the brand’s approach to beauty—products designed to work across skin tones, styles, and routines, whether on stage or in everyday life. It’s beauty shaped by lived experience, not just trends.
Browse the Mo-Beauty Shop collection
Solawave: LGBTQ+ founders bringing innovation to skincare
Founded by Andrew Silberstein and Eli Bailey, Solawave sits at the intersection of technology and accessibility in skincare.
The brand focuses on red-light therapy tools and streamlined routines designed to deliver results without the complexity or cost often associated with high-end skincare. As an LGBTQ+ founded company, it also reflects a broader shift to queer entrepreneurs building brands that compete on innovation, not just identity.
Browse the Solawave collection
Brick Road Coffee: Building queer community in a red state
In Tempe, Arizona, Brick Road Coffee is doing something that goes beyond coffee. Even in states where protections and visibility can feel uncertain, community can still be built intentionally. Since opening in 2021, Brick Road has become more than a café. It’s a gathering place for LGBTQ+ people, sober community members, allies, and neighbors.
Founded by husbands Gabe and Jesse, the shop was created as a response to something they knew well—what it feels like to not always be welcomed or seen. After growing up in rural Midwest communities and later building a life together, they set out to create a space where people could show up exactly as they are and feel like they belong.
Browse the Brick Road Coffee collection
Forged Rose Fragrances: Scent as ritual, identity, and self-expression
Founded by Dr. Brittney Denson, Forged Rose Fragrances brings a deeply intentional approach to scent—one rooted in research, ritual, and lived experience.
As a BIPOC- and queer-centered fragrance house, the brand moves beyond traditional perfume into something more expansive. Its oils are designed to be worn, layered, and experienced—whether as personal fragrance, aromatherapy, or part of a daily grounding ritual.
Browse the Forged Rose Fragrances collection
Piece of Mynd: Small-batch skincare rooted in healing and imagination
Piece of Mynd is the work of Jackie, a queer single mom in Alaska who turned a personal healing journey into a small-batch skincare brand.
Inspired by the Old Norse word for “imagination,” the brand creates natural, holistic products designed for sensitive skin and everyday care. Each item is handcrafted with sustainability and intention in mind—reflecting both the environment it comes from and the lived experience behind it.
It’s skincare that feels personal, because it is.
Browse the Piece of Mynd collection
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A marketplace built on visibility, access, and impact
What connects these brands is that they’re all contributing to a broader shift in who gets to build businesses—and who those businesses are built for.
LGBTQ Outpost is one way of making that shift more visible. It’s a place to discover brands that prioritize representation, community, and impact, while supporting the people behind them.
To celebrate the launch, we’re giving one reader a $50 credit to shop at LGBTQ Outpost. You can enter by doing a few simple things, like following LGBTQ Outpost on social media or visiting the site. Use this link or the ones below to join. The giveaway ends on March 31, so make sure to enter soon.
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