As a gay man, being able to celebrate Pride excites and inspires me because it was unheard of 52 years ago when patrons of the Stonewall Inn stood up to systemic injustice.

The Stonewall Riots served as a catalyst for the gay rights movement in the United States and around the world. Today, Pride Month is celebrated each year in June and the LGBTQ+ communities and allies come together to acknowledge and reflect on how far we've come. As a community, we have increased our visibility in movies and TV and can marry who we love. Personally, the change in laws and attitudes has allowed me to sing with the NYC Gay Men’s Chorus, volunteer at the SAGE Senior Center, walk in the NY AIDSWALK, and lead the Pride@Beam affinity group.

But the fight isn't over. We must not forget, there is still a lot of work to be done, locally, nationally, and globally. Pride is more than just Stonewall. It is a call to action to continue the fight for the queer community's goals of diversity, inclusion, justice, and equity. Pride continues to stand as a reservoir of activism and joy.

In celebration of Pride month, the Pride@Beam group compiled a list of some LGBTQ+ small businesses in NYC to support.  

 

SpaHa Soul

2294 2nd Ave., New York, NY

This LGBT-owned soul food restaurant in East Harlem has the cozy vibes of a home kitchen paired with fantastic food and stacks up with some of the area's more popular soul food destinations. During the pandemic, they livened up Second Avenue with live music and DJs on weekends.

 

Cubbyhole

281 W. 12th St., New York, NY

As one of just three lesbian bars left in NYC, Cubbyhole is a safe haven for the LGBTQ community and a rare gem in NYC. There is a real sense of family at the cozy yet eclectic bar, which serves up cheap happy hour drinks and playful jukebox tunes underneath an array of colorful tchotchkes.

 

Henrietta Hudson

438 Hudson St., New York, NY

On a quiet corner in the West Village sits the oldest lesbian bar in New York City. The iconic staple of NYC is ready to welcome all for a night of drinking, dancing, and community.

 

Camera Ready Kutz

73 Utica Ave., Brooklyn, NY

Run by entrepreneur Khane Kutzwell, Camera Ready Kutz is a barbershop geared towards, but not exclusive to, the LGBTQIA community. The black business owner opened the shop to create a queer-friendly atmosphere where people could have their hair styled without being afraid of discrimination.

 

LIVIN

Ji-Hae Byun, who identifies as a Queer Korean American woman, ditched the world of finance to found her own company, Livin Plant Design and Plant Care. This company is helping local businesses come back to life through plants and floral design. According to the Livin website, her team believes in the power of plants to help people heal and feel safe coming back together after a grueling 2020. 

 

The Phluid Project

The Phluid Project, founded by Rob Garett Smith, launched in March 2018 as the "world’s first gender-free" fashion and clothing store. The popular store aims to create a space where there would be no more fear about browsing in the “wrong” section. 

 

Bianca Designs

Queens-based artist Bianca Negron opened an independent online design shop in 2017, selling inclusive LGBTQ+ pride enamel pins, clothing, accessories, and gifts. The shop also includes thoughtful collaboration items like the "I Love You" ASL patch with Gregor Lopes, which features inclusive designs for the Deaf + Queer community. Shop her collection.

 

Dyke Beer

Loretta Andro Chung and Sarah Hallonquist are the brains behind Dyke Beer, both a product and a pop-up takeover series that honors and celebrates LGBTQIA+ spaces and history. For upcoming events and where to find their beer, check out the company's Instagram page @dykebeer.

 

Thank You For Coming Out

 This fabulously funny improv show celebrates LGBTQ+ coming out stories and features musical numbers, many laughs, and, sometimes, even a few tears. After taking a brief hiatus due to the pandemic, the show will be back in person starting June 27, 2021. Until then, Thank You For Coming Out founder Dubbs Weinblatt is keeping the community alive online with a podcast featuring lesbian, gay, trans, bi, non-binary, and other queer community members discussing their own coming out stories.