Photo from HuffPost Canada.
By Tayvie Van Eeuwen
@happy.lil.feminist
Support local this Pride month with seven queer-owned Vancouver businesses. 🏳️🌈
Little Sister’s Book and Art Emporium
This Davie Street staple is an integral part of Vancouver’s rich queer history. As referenced on their website, the store has survived over three decades of challenges—from government harassment to anti-gay terrorist bombings. Currently, the shop is owned by LGBTQ+ community member Don Wilson who maintains the book store’s original vision.
Product: Queer reads, pride gear, sex toys, and more!
Where: 1238 Davie Street, Vancouver.
Your Open Closet
Say hello to Vancouver’s trans and non-binary affirming clothing store! In 1995 they opened Womyns ‘Ware, a sex-positive sex toy shop for all genders and orientations. However, after customers requested a body positive shopping experience, Your Open Closet was created. Now, customers can purchase gender affirming undergarments to help them feel their best.
Product: Binders, quality underwear that accommodate packers, lingerie for all body types, of all varieties.
Where: 902 Commercial Drive, Vancouver.
Brandy Mars Designs
The perfect place to find unique and LGBTQ+ friendly gifts. Brandy Mars creates original designs in their studio located here in Vancouver.
Product: A wide variety of mugs, tote bags, apparel, greeting cards, and more.
Where: Online Etsy shop.
Cicely Blain Consulting
“Cicely Blain Consulting is a diversity and inclusion consulting firm that cares about you and your clients. We are committed to making your organization more inclusive, more diverse and more equal; that’s what the modern generation looks for in a business. [Cicely’s] work is informed by their professional and academic background at the University of British Columbia and their lived experience as a Black, queer artist, a community builder, an intersectional feminist and a Black liberation activist.”
Service: Diversity and inclusion consulting, workshops, and facilitation.
Where: Get in touch here.
Level Up
Meet Vancouver’s only monthly queer rap and hip hop dance party, featuring BIPOC DJs and performers. Stay up to date with their latest offerings to find out when you can join the next [digital] party.
Service: Dance parties with queer entertainers.
Where: Find them on Instagram at @level_up.yvr or follow their founder @softieshan.
Eventide Birth
“Affirming, full spectrum, evidence-based doula care and prenatal classes” offered by queer birth workers. Their work is “founded on a framework of social justice anti-oppression, anti-racism and affirming the LGBTQ2S communities.”
Service: Doula birth work.
Where: Serving families in North and West Vancouver, Richmond, New Westminster, and Burnaby. Find them here.
Eagle Wellness
“We are collective-minded, queer-identified, trans allies who have a keen desire to support healing for people of all backgrounds, circumstances, orientations and especially the LGBTQ communities. At Eagle Wellness you will find practitioners well versed in modalities of counselling, psychotherapy, arts based approaches, yoga, mindfulness, and meditation.”
Service: Psychotherapy and counselling
Where: 609-402 West Pender Street, Vancouver.
Tayvie is a Métis/Anihšināpē and Irish/Scottish student and writer. Her circle is small, but her joy is large. She splits her time between over-thinking and visiting Disneyland. Read her articles to take a peek inside the world of mental illness and happy news, because it’s all about balance, right?
