Queer Latinx Businesses To Support
You’ve got investing, crypto and saving plans covered and now you’re thinking about investing back into your community but you aren’t sure where to start or what’s even open now. Avanza! We’re here to help! We all need oxygen from our plants. We all need nourishment—for your body and also your mind. So look no further and visit these shops to feel good about where you spend your hard earned dollars. And make your Mamá proud for keeping it homebred.
Breathe easier with a curated collection of tropical houseplants, stylish planters, and hand crafted goods from this Mexican queer owned plant shop in Long Beach. A side hustle from a freelance makeup artist and ASL interpreting service founder that quickly grew out of the pots of their garage, Plantitas aims to boost inclusivity and safety in a space where they are not ashamed to be brown. They even have a subscription that will give you access to free workshops, discounts, and early access to sales. They also believe in giving back with their Plantiitas Values program while also offering pop ups to connect small businesses to new clients. Find your comunidad and get your mama tuna plantita to show your appreciation for everything. 🪴
Multi-disciplinary artist Sabine Maxine Lopez is a queer Black Indigena femme from LA. She welcomes you to make a statement without saying a word by wearing your queer and Black pride with their gender neutral and size inclusive clothing line products. Featuring affordable and fashionable shirts, pins, beanies, bucket hats, phone cases, etc., you can voice your support with Jef@ phrases like “Women of Color Are the Backbone of America.” which is sure to elicit a high five de tu abuelita.
A portion of all proceeds are donated to organizations such as Black Lives Matter and ProjectQ, a nonprofit organization that provides free gender-affirming haircuts, workshops, clothing, job placement, mentorship and so much more, to LGBTQ and homeless youth. ATCQ also produces a podcast, zine, virtual events, and a blog to keep you connected to resources and community. 🙌
Suhaly Bautista-Carolina is “an AfroDominican herbalist, artist, educator, and community organizer.” This Brooklyn based operation not only sells plant-based medicines, Bautista-Carolina also provides virtual consultations, herbalism lessons and hosts and guides plant medicine-making workshops. But what’s even more dope is her devotion to activism through her healing modalities, by producing and distributing herbal medicines for “BIPOC protestors, activists, and community members mobilizing for justice and directly affected by police violence.” Who wouldn’t want to march with that beat of the drum? Todos juntos! 🪧
Through the Ori Gallery, duo Maya Vivas and Leila Haile seek to uplift trans and queer persons of color through community organizing and mobilizing via the arts. Ori, the Yoruba word for head, represents one’s spiritual intuition and destiny. It also refers to the meditative facial decorative practice that fuels the work of both Vivas and Haile. This Portland based gallery feature rotating exhibitions and also offers free or inexpensive classes and workshops such as PoC figure drawing, Grant Writing for the People, Arts for Direct Action and meet-ups for Queer and Trans creatives of color. Sounds like just what your head needs as we return to a new version of normalcy. 🧘
Food trucks that offer a taste of heaven are all the rave these days. And Phoenix Coqui is something to write home about! Founded by Head Cook Juan Alberto Ayala de Toa Alta, Puerto Rico and Alexis Carbajal, Phoenix-born to parents from Chihuahua, Mexico, this duo lovingly brings the “sazón” of Puerto Rico to all their offerings.
In 2013 after traveling on vacation to the island for the first time, Alexis fell in love with the island and his partner, Juan and thus moved to Puerto Rico. Before long, they made plans to combine forces to establish Phoenix Coquí. They began working towards making their dream of bringing the “sazón” and “diversión” of Puerto Rico to the valley and launched their first food truck in summer of 2017.
Phoenix Coqui offers event catering so you can shower all your invitados with riqueza de la isla. The truck is also frequently set up outside of The Rock bar, in the heart of the Melrose community, Phoenix’s open and inclusive gay district. Rock on y alza la bandera! 🇵🇷
This Austin, Texas based queer Latin@ owned micro-business is run by M (they/them) and they offer mouth watering homemade tamales and empanadas for pickup or delivery! You can’t go wrong with the tamales selection with roasted chile verde con queso, chile rojo con pork and a spicy sweet potato-walnut tamale tamale for all our vegan cousins!
For the spiced fruit filled empanadas, you can choose between, apple, piña or pumpkin to savor your sweet tooth. La Cocina Queer recently teamed up to crowdfund with queer organizers Embrace Austin and Thee Gay Agenda to support trans folks. So you can happily put your money where you mouth is and support and feed your familia! 🫔 🥟
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