8 Plant-Based LGBTQ+ Brands to Support Now and All Year Long. Happy Pride!
This Pride Month, show your support for LGBTQ+-owned and run plant-based brands making breakthrough products in food, beauty, fashion, and lifestyle areas. From decadent dairy-free treats to high fashion, sustainable menswear, these queer businesses are pioneers in the plant-based industry.
Whether you're eating plant-based or looking for vegan beauty, fashion, or home goods, here are 8 companies to support to show some pride this June.
1. NOTO Botanics
Noto Botanics is a gender-neutral cosmetics line that caters to all consumers. The beauty company started by Gloria Noto aims to produce sustainable vegan products that match its competitor's taste and quality. The queer-owned business works to amplify the voices of the LGBTQ+ community, ensuring that its profits go towards supporting those facing discrimination. One of the brand’s bestsellers is Agender Oil, described as a “gender-free vegan oil” that uses hemp seed oil, lavender, and vetiver to soften and protect the skin. A portion of the sales of NOTO Botanics will be donated to Black Lives Matter, The Okra Project, and Planned Parenthood.
You can buy NOTO Botanics on the company's website.
2. Yeah Dawg
June also marks the beginning of summer cookouts and BBQ season. Non-binary vegan chef Marino Benedetto makes one of the best vegan hot dogs we've found. The delicious veggie dog allows plant-based eaters to fully enjoy a vegan grilled dog without animal products. Benedetto spent five years working with homeless youth, introducing teens to nourishing, cheap, yet healthy foods, which led to the rethinking of the classic American hotdog, and other meat-centric meals. Benedetto has since developed recipes for vegan burgers, mac & cheese, cornbread, and this Yeah Dawg.
Shop Yeah Dawg's vegan products on the brand's website.
3. BeetXBeet
The woman- and LGBTQ+-owned lifestyle brand offers a wide selection of apparel including T-shirts, art, stickers, pins, and keychains, in order to spread the message about the benefits of going vegan or meat-free. The company champions animal rights alongside LGBTQ+ advocacy. Founded by Jacky Wasserman, BeetXBeet hopes to create fashionable merchandise that gives voices to those who don't have one. Wasserman went vegan in 2012 and since then, her passion for this way of eating, animal rights, and sustainability led her to launch BeetXBeet to mix her favorite causes with her love for food, music, and fashion.
Shop BeetXBeet here on the brand's website.
4. Brave GentleMan
In 2015, PETA named Brave GentleMan owner Joshua Katcher the year’s Most Influential Designer after he launched his company dedicated to high fashion from ethical materials. The LGBTQ+-owned brand makes ethically sourced clothing and shoes made from fully recyclable materials. The fashion line is completely vegan, making it a prime pick for any plant-based consumer who also has an eye for the finer things. From their designer coats to faux-leather boots, Brave GentleMan stands at the forefront of vegan men's fashion.
Shop Brave Gentleman apparel on the company's website.
5. W3LL PEOPLE
Founded by Shirley Pinkson, W3ll People is dedicated to encouraging equality and stopping animal cruelty. The cosmetics brand offers cruelty-free, vegan makeup and skincare products, that urge consumers to practice equality, inclusion, and anti-discrimination. The make-up brand is LGBTQ+-owned and promotes activism, and gives a voice in an industry where discriminatory practices often get overlooked compared to other industries.
W3ll People products can be purchased on the brand's website.
6. Sauce and Destroy
Sauce and Destroy come from Alana Reali who felt frustrated after years of struggling to find a quality, vegan sauce. Wanting to expand the marinara offerings Reali decided to create a new marinara that was based on her own family recipes. With no added sugar, minimal ingredients, and a perfect array of spices and seasonings, Sauce and Destroy's marinara enhances the taste of just about anything you want to flavor, crafted in small batches to ensure taste and quality.
Shop Sauce and Destroy on the company's website.
7. Lagusta’s Luscious
Lagusta Yearwood launched her gourmet chocolate brand with the central idea that her business would prioritize cruelty-free, ethical production practices. Founded in 2003, Lagusta Luscious is committed to environmentalism, plant-based eating, and social justice. Every year, the artisanal chocolate company donates a share of its profits to organizations that help members of the LGBTQ+ community overcome hardship, such as Gender Justice LA, Transgender Law Center, Support + Feed, and others.
Shop Lagusta's Luscious at the brand's New Paltz, NY storefront or online.
8. Nicole Zizi Studio
Nicole Zizi's brand is dedicated to gender-free streetwear made of sustainable materials such as organic cotton and recycled polyester. Her streetwear staples are manufactured in small batches, which ensures fair-trade standards. The fashion brand recently released a cross-body bag made of cactus leather. Focused on sustainability and gender-free styles, Zizi is considered a leader in the fast-changing fashion industry.
Shop Nicole Zizi Studio's sustainable offerings here.