Here at SPACES we strongly believe the LGBTQ+ community deserves social media platforms created BY us, FOR us. And as we find ourselves deep in the holiday season, that same sentiment applies to gift giving: Let’s all support LGBTQ-owned businesses and invest money back into our community! That’s the criteria for inclusion in our 2022 LGBTQ Gift Guide, in addition to just being a gift that any queer person would love to unwrap.
Our LGBTQ Gift Guide features 10 products by 10 LGBTQ-owned businesses. Some of these businesses are large, some are small, and all of them are deserving of our heard-earned queer dollars this holiday season! Whether the person you’re shopping for falls along the queer spectrum or not, these are some great gifts for the 2022 holiday season.
Check out our SPACES LGBTQ Gift Guide 2022:
For members of the Spaces “Virtual Coffee Shop” or “Coffee Talk”
Radical Lovers Forever Mug by Otherwild, $18
Otherwild is a queer-identified, woman-owned store and design studio in the super-hip Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles, and it’s dedicated to showcasing “goods made with care by individuals” — with an emphasis on ethical sourcing and reusability — which includes its own line of apparel and home goods. Perfect for the queer coffee-drinker in your life, 100% of this “Radical Lovers Forever” ceramic mug’s proceeds go towards the Anotherwild Fund, an annual grant for QTPOC makers.
For members of the Spaces “Food Envy” or “Japanese Learners and Lovers”
The Bokksu Snack Box Subscription, $45.99/month (for 3 months)
Here’s the story behind Bokksu: After living in Japan, Dany Taing fell in love with all the local snacks he’d discovered, and realized his friends and family did too … if only they could find them here in the States. Bokksu’s Snack Box Subscription lets you “experience Japan from home,” with a monthly box featuring snacks, candies and teas sourced from family-run businesses. The first box includes 22 (!) items, with a 24-page guide to the snacks’ origins.
For members of the Spaces “Gay Books” and “Rainbow Connection Book Collection”
The Holiday Box by ShopQueer.co, $55
ShopQueer.co is an indie bookshop looking to upend the legacy of authors only getting 10% of their book’s sales; when you buy a book from business partners and boyfriends Dr. Eric Cervini and Adam Powell, the queer author makes more than double what they’d get elsewhere. This holiday season the shop is selling six different curated book boxes, one of which is guaranteed to be perfect for your giftee, whether they’re lesbian, gay, bi, trans/GNC, or an ally. (The sixth option, a “Mystery Box,” features three of the shop’s current LGBTQ+ faves.)
For members of the Spaces “Gayish” or “Non Binary”
Genderful Exploratory Set by Boy Smells, $34
Gifting someone a scent can be tricky, but there’s no need for guesswork with this bestselling set from one of our favorite queer fragrance/apparel brands. Their Genderful Fine Fragrances Collection was created with the understanding that no one is strictly masculine or feminine, so enough the fragrance hang-ups. Coolest of all: this set of six 1.5ml sample vials comes with a $34 credit voucher towards a larger fragrance, so your giftee can choose something great after their “scent speed dating.”
For members of the Spaces “Fruitbowl’s Kinky Queers” or “Interior Gaycor”
XXXMas Tree Ornament & Incense Burner by Pansy Ass Ceramics, $96
Always our one-stop shop for subversively queer gifts, Pansy Ass Ceramics hand-builds and hand-paints all of its wares in their Toronto studio. More than just another ornament for the tree, this guy — painted with 22kt gold — can also be used as an incense burner year-round. We love a multi-purpose gift!
For members of the Spaces “Black LGBTQ+” or “Femme Fashion”
Woven Patches by BLK MKT Vintage, $12 each
Dubbed “the best new store in Brooklyn for its focus on Black ephemera you won’t find anywhere else” by NY Mag’s The Strategist, Blk Mkt Vintage sells its own line of merch in addition to vintage and antique pieces. We’re partial to these vintage-inspired, iron-on patches, perfect for a jacket, tee or bag.
For members of the Spaces “Beauty Industry Creatives” and “Beyond Gender”
EmpowerMintt Eyeshadow Palette by Mintty Makeup, $29.99
Founded by Brooklyn-based drag artist, activist and entrepreneur Junior Mintt, Mintty Makeup is all about Black, Trans and Queer empowerment, and we love to see it. Every face deserves to be fab, and here’s a palette that goes for a real pop of drama. This is cruelty-free makeup, of course, “infused with kindness” and perfect for all skin tones.
For members of the Spaces “LGBT(V)” or “Queer Horror Lovers”
Monster Mash Onesie by TomboyX, $53.99
Fran and Naomi founded TomboyX as an answer to the question “How hard can it be to make good underwear?” with an emphasis on comfortability for everyone, meaning people that fall anywhere on the size or gender spectrum. And even if underwear is a bit too personal for your giftee, everyone needs something comfy to wear for their impending streamer series binges, right? We’re in love with this “Monster Mash” print, which — bonus — also glows in the dark. It’s available in sizes from XS to 4X, too.
For members of the Spaces “Tabletop Gaymers” or “Fruitbowl”
“Eden” 500-piece puzzle by Peach, $34
Aiming to inject some sexiness into puzzle time, Peach founder Tyler McCabe has come up with an entirely new way for people to interact with queer art. His company pays queer artists for their work upfront (like this amazing piece by brilliant artist Zach Grear), puts the art on a puzzle and hands the artist a share of the profits for each one sold. Peach does limited drops throughout the year, with three different designs for sale now.
For all SPACES users
“The Future Is Queer” tee by Huntees, $29.95
An L.A.-based brand that specializes in super queer apparel and home goods (everything from shirts and hoodies to pins, face masks, coasters and tote bags), Huntees is also a platform for many queer artists to sell their designs. In fact, SPACES is so in love with Huntees, we partnered with them on our own collection, including this tee (available in black or white), a tote bag and coffee mug.
SPACES is now available for download in the iOS App Store and the Google Play Store.
