More than rainbow merch

Pride Month may be over but the continued need for support of LGBTQI rights and equality remains In keeping with the sentiment dating app Tinder has introduced Queer Made in partnership with Little Black Book and Gaysi Family to provide a platform for queer entrepreneurs It is a space dedicated to celebrating supporting and amplifying businesses and products made owned andor run by members of the community Tinder will match sales generated by Queer Made over a 10week period and donate it to Born2Win a transgender personled organisation working toward the empowerment of members of the community through education and employmentAbhilasha SwaroopTaru Kapoor GMIndia Tinder and Match Group says the initiative is a way to extend allyship ldquoWe want to enable everyone to have access to a more diverse set of partners companions or life collaborators to engage with in any way they choose and Queer Made is a project that hopes to support that community to further representationrdquo Founder of Gaysi Family Sakshi Juneja adds that the initiative will provide a platform to those who have just begun their own businesses and need support ldquoWhether it is financial stability or finding lifersquos purpose in the work they do there is a growing need to examine closely the varied experiences of queer folks in the professional world and especially to make their stories reach audiences whose support is imperative to equalise the playing fieldrdquoHerersquos a curated list of businesses that you can supportCafe GuftaguCafe Guftagu is a quiet nojudgement space for anyone to work in and chill at The space has a quaint boho vibe and is located in Mira Bhayendar Entrepreneur Sumit Pawar recipient of Kutchina Krritika Fellowship launched it after he realised that therersquos a dire need for a safe environment for queer individuals ldquoAfter visiting some queerfriendly cafes across the country I understood the significance of such establishments in creating a safe space for queer individuals with a potential of bringing systemic change in the society To enable an lsquoinclusive dialogue cafersquo I started Cafe Guftagu that offers people from all walks of life a chance to interact with each other over varieties of affordable and lipsmacking finger foodrdquo Additionally through their crowdfunded initiative Each One Feed One they run a community kitchen to provide nutritious meals to wage earners sex workers transgenders marginalised women and children who are affected by the pandemic They have successfully distributed 5047 meals till now and are raising funds to distribute moreStrawyCubesSustainable lifestyle brand StrawyCubes offers lightweight and trendy handmade miniature food earrings Founder Abhilasha Swaroop believes consumers especially in the pandemic should be motivated to transform their purchasing attitudes ldquoIn an attempt to change that I create earrings made from environmentfriendly materials such as paper cardboard and homemade clay at affordable pricesrdquoMe Am MoreOutfits from Mishrarsquos collectionRemant Mishra is the force behind the genderbending fashion brand Me Am More ldquoThe idea was to create a brand that defies bodily barriers and is relatable to all After working in the fashion industry for nearly a decade Irsquove come to realise the power of the medium to enable societal shiftsrdquo he saysRemant MishraInclusive handmade local customised and comfortable Mishrarsquos apparel is centred around genderless and unisex fashion Think floral shirts chokers fullsleeved kimonos and bowties All their products are made to order to avoid surplus waste ldquoWe also make secondary products such as masks head bands and scrunchies with leftover fabricrdquoPush up DaisiesAn artwork for a story titled Plague Doctor by Re Ni FhloinnPush Up Daisies launched by writer and activist Saachi Gupta is an independent magazine and online platform that talks about death and beyond The platform features art photography and writing to destigmatise the morbid subject ldquoWe all talk about death in hushhush tones It always intrigued me that we find death so frightening and hard to accept in spite of it being inevitable Our magazine tackles the subject with a medley of art interviews photography writing and research aiming to make death an easier subject for people to talk about and eventually acceptrdquo She also started the podcast Bite The Dust which is a lighter take on deathWHAT Queer businessesWHERE lbbinmumbaiWHEN Till September 12