The Student Room Group

How can we support LGBTQ+ independent/small businesses?


June is Pride month! :pride:


But we want to be able to support any independent business, including LGBTQ+ businesses all year round. So how are we best going about this?

*Please do not directly advertise/link any specific businesses/products in this thread* - see TSR's guidelines on advertising.

A few ideas that I have:

Try not to buy Pride merch or products in general from large chains, unless they are directly donating money from the purchase to (LGBTQ+) charities and organisations

Support small LGBTQ+ businesses through websites such as Etsy

Look into kick starters for LGBTQ+ businesses/products

See if you have any local businesses or any in places that you visit that you can support e.g. a cafe, book shop


So what are your tips for helping small and independent LGBTQ+ businesses?

Check out more Pride Threads in the Pride Hub Thread 2021 :biggrin:
I actively avoid buying items off big businesses that display the pride flag. I reject the monetization of LGBT civil rights.
Supporting genuine causes through your purchase

I love buying from The Pipsqueakery, they do a huge range of LGBT+ and disability inclusive stickers, pins and badges. All their proceeds go to running their small animal rescue centre :smile:
Original post by glassalice
I actively avoid buying items off big businesses that display the pride flag. I reject the monetization of LGBT civil rights.

And from someone of the LGBTQ+ community, I would also normally avoid buying (especially Pride themed) from big businesses who display it just for the sake of it/to profit from it - I would only buy from them if they actually donated some of the money to charities.

To be honest though, you not buying from them won't make that much of a difference to them :lol:
Original post by CoolCavy
Supporting genuine causes through your purchase

I love buying from The Pipsqueakery, they do a huge range of LGBT+ and disability inclusive stickers, pins and badges. All their proceeds go to running their small animal rescue centre :smile:

Oh my gosh those products are so cute :biggrin: :love:
I'm pretty sure Emily Gwen (who created the sunset lesbian flag) is going through some financial troubles rn, so if you're looking to buy lesbian pride stuff you can get it from her here, here, or here
Original post by BurstingBubbles
Oh my gosh those products are so cute :biggrin: :love:


I have a few on my laptop, my favourite is the pride hamster :biggrin: :pride:
20210618_211632.jpg
(edited 2 years ago)
Original post by BurstingBubbles
And from someone of the LGBTQ+ community, I would also normally avoid buying (especially Pride themed) from big businesses who display it just for the sake of it/to profit from it - I would only buy from them if they actually donated some of the money to charities.

To be honest though, you not buying from them won't make that much of a difference to them :lol:

No, it probably doesn't make a difference to them. I just think the whole thing is reprehensible.

I am too.

I am not sure if you can buy them in the UK, but there is a girl? on tiktoc who advertises some pretty cool pride themed-cookies.
Original post by CoolCavy
I have a few on my laptop, my favourite is the pride hamster :biggrin: :pride:
20210618_211632.jpg

So so cuteeee! I wonder if we could fit Sandy in a little pride jumper :mmm: (obviously would not do this to my hamster because that's cruel, but still a cute idea initially :lol: )
Original post by glassalice
No, it probably doesn't make a difference to them. I just think the whole thing is reprehensible.

I am too.

I am not sure if you can buy them in the UK, but there is a girl? on tiktoc who advertises some pretty cool pride themed-cookies.

Oh I see - I think I misunderstood and that you wouldn't buy from them because of the LGBTQ+ element in general :tongue: but yeah I agree!

Awesome! Did you see the story about the small bakery business called Confections in Texas? Where they posted a picture of the Pride flag on social media and then a homophobic customer cancelled a massive order with them (that they'd already made so would all go to waste and not get the money for), BUT then they got an outpouring of support and sold all their stock and have a much bigger following from it all now :lol: :love:
Original post by BurstingBubbles
Oh I see - I think I misunderstood and that you wouldn't buy from them because of the LGBTQ+ element in general :tongue: but yeah I agree!

Awesome! Did you see the story about the small bakery business called Confections in Texas? Where they posted a picture of the Pride flag on social media and then a homophobic customer cancelled a massive order with them (that they'd already made so would all go to waste and not get the money for), BUT then they got an outpouring of support and sold all their stock and have a much bigger following from it all now :lol: :love:


https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/jun/07/texas-bakery-pride-rainbow-cookies-backlash-then-support
This? That kind of backfired for the homophobes :laugh:. Good on the local community though. What a horrible thing to do to a small business.

Sorry if my post was initially confusing, I specifically object to big business monitising the pride flag. I have no problem with the pride flag in it's self.
Original post by glassalice
https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/jun/07/texas-bakery-pride-rainbow-cookies-backlash-then-support
This? That kind of backfired for the homophobes :laugh:. Good on the local community though. What a horrible thing to do to a small business.

Sorry if my post was initially confusing, I specifically object to big business monitising the pride flag. I have no problem with the pride flag in it's self.

Yes!! :biggrin: what a lovely story. I followed them on Facebook and the love and support that they've had is amazing! People wanting to order from outside of the US, which they've said they're not set up for yet :lol:

No worries, I misunderstood, clearly I'm so used to coming across homophobes online :grumble: although, I have noticed a gradual improvement over the last few years. Hopefully it will continue :yep:
One of my Facebook friends is an independent artist who sells a lot of Pride-themed art and goods, but recently has been the victim of copyright infringement and art theft - spam bots have been showing up on pretty much every big LGBTQ+ subreddit all June, posting links to pirate sites selling her designs. So one way to show support is to make sure you're buying from the original creator. :yes:
(edited 2 years ago)
Anyone in the West Mids should look up a jolly good bar in Stourbridge, on FB or Insta, it is a small gay run pub/bar and a good place to visit.
(edited 2 years ago)

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