It's Pride Month! It's time to let your rainbow flags fly and celebrate your Pride in whatever way you want. It's always a good idea to wear your gender and sexuality as loudly and proudly as you want. However, some of the clothing and "Pride swag" you buy may not have the best intentions.

Big-name corporations constantly release rainbow-themed clothing and then try to persuade you to buy it. At the same time, beware, some are only doing it to make a profit. So, instead of worrying about where your money is going, why not give it directly to the community?

Read Also - Restaurants Ready To Welcome LGBTQ Customers! About Time, Right?

This is a list of some amazing businesses owned by members of the LGBTQIA+ community

Angelo

Angelo was founded to provide excellent vegan food to Bangalore's rising vegan population. It aims to reduce the need for dairy products, which are hazardous to the Earth and its inhabitants.

Aditya Angelo Fernandes was working as a graphic designer in Mumbai until 2019 when they moved back to Bangalore in order to be close to their family. They wanted to start their own venture in terms of work and planned to get back to their roots – art. Being a graphic designer was a bit too controlling for them and felt the need to express themself more freely.

In early 2020, Aditya was stuck in Bangalore without their art supplies. They had to let their creativity go wild somewhere and their love for food led them into the kitchen. They revisited a recipe for Vegan Mozzarella that they had tried five years ago. With a lot of experimentation, they were able to perfect their recipe, and India’s first vegan mozzarella was created! They got great responses from their family and friends and finally decided to sell it on social media. When they started Angelo they never believed that they were starting a business so its success felt quite surreal to them and took them by surprise.

The demand for it has been great in Bangalore and they are happy and grateful that they can help people eat better and cut down on dairy. While they currently only supply to Bangalore, they are looking into shipping to other cities domestically. According to them, “The business wouldn’t have happened if it weren’t for the pandemic.”

According to Aditya, the brand is just an extension of their personality, and being queer has certainly shaped it. Living a queer life has given them confidence and that comes through in the brand.

Yogam Pottery

Yogam Pottery arose from a desire to express and celebrate one's passion and uniqueness. Their philosophy is to live life on one's own terms, in pursuit of beauty, tranquillity, and uniqueness. They believe that striving is a reward in and of itself, and we believe that when one pursues a passion, the universe will be beautiful and abundant.

Balakrishna Vellepu, the founder of Yogam Pottery, lived in Germany for a decade, and was part of the corporate world for few years he was also a kindergarten teacher there. Eventually, he grew tired of that life and decided to quit his job. He came back to India and was looking for something for him to do as a profession. It was at this time that he did two yoga courses and got certified as a teacher.

He has always been fascinated by Indian handicrafts and architecture. Living away from India gave him a different perspective and made him realize his love for crafts. He tried his hand at a couple of different craft forms and luckily pottery was one of them. He went to Goa to learn pottery from one of his friends for a month which later turned out to be six.

Yogam Pottery offers various short workshops for you to learn at home as well as at birthdays and corporate events. They send the pottery wheel and other equipment that you might need to your doorstep to offer you an immersive and authentic experience. This is designed specifically for beginners, so no previous wheel experience is required. They send you a pottery wheel, clay, and necessary tools. They teach you how to make bowls for your kitchen or to give as gifts to your loved ones. This is done over the course of two weeks in their well-curated online classes.

According to him, being part of the LGBTQIA+ community has not impacted his business greatly. However, being part of Bangalore’s LGBTQIA+ community has definitely helped him make some contacts.

Bouclé

The label represents a way of life for modern ladies who prefer modest elegance to excessive embellishment. She created her sustainable label, Bouclé by Tania George, enriching circular fashion after leaving her lucrative position as a senior designer for 6 years. Her work exemplifies exceptional craftsmanship, with statements of raw and precise cutting.

Bouclé was founded with the goal of not only benefiting its customers but also the environment through the empowerment of zero waste. They strive to reuse and upcycle about 80% of the excess cloth that other brands would normally throw away. We strive to communicate to our employees the importance of maintaining an empty waste bin policy.

We're also delighted to mention that Bouclé by Tania George is one of the only LGBTQIA+friendly labels in South India, with a large number of loyal LGBTQIA+ customers. Drag queens can also go to them for custom-made performance outfits.

According to her new businesses face the problem of developing the vision and business idea, raising capital, assembling a business team, and many more things. Yet, for her, it’s worth being your own boss.

Third Eye Cafe

The Third Eye Cafe offers a fresh perspective on fine dining. The restaurant provides good value for money because it serves a variety of cuisines. Its staff, however, is what sets it apart. They are all transgender.

The cafe in Navi Mumbai is known for its delicious menu and employs mostly transgender people. The cafe is run by a group of transgender people who serve customers as well as work as chefs.

The cafe's current employees have come from various parts of Maharashtra. They want to work in order to live a life of solemnity. They are leaving behind their own personal stories of floundering and glumness to find new bliss in this cafe of hope.

Threads and Shirts

Threads & Shirts was Anisha Chaudhari's solution for custom-fitted business clothing when she founded it in 2015. Also, it is a cutting-edge made-to-measure shirt company that allows clients to reproduce a shirt down to the last detail. Threads & Shirts has a wide range of shirt styles, designs, and fabrics to choose from. Threads & Shirts is a cutting-edge made-to-measure concept that combines a delicate blend of fine fabrics with a rigorous fabrication method. Their skilled in-house artisans add a personal touch to even the tiniest aspects of the shirt-making process. Each client is as unique as each shirt, resulting in a “Freshly Tailored” experience.

Threads & Shirts is focused on finding the correct fit. After browsing their extensive fabric choices, customers can select from a classic relaxed fit a skinny thin fit or a body measurement fit.

Panda Rolling

Panda Rolling, created by Sanam Dembla and her brother Sharan Dembla in June 2020 and based in Bangalore, is an accessory brand that specializes in smoking and other lifestyle items that are delivered to your doorstep. With a low shipping charge, they aim to provide swift and efficient deliveries of the greatest smoking brands around Bangalore and India.

Panda Rolling's team is passionate about sustainability, which is why they strive to make the majority of their products eco-friendly and to bring in more hemp-based items. They manufacture attractive products with excellent finishing, a wide range of colors, and skilled craftsmanship, leaving clients happy with their purchases.

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