About Us

I did not know of a single gay person while growing up. The Internet was not available to the general public until the year I graduated high-school. We didn't have social media, no chat rooms, and doing any kind of research on a topic meant pulling out an outdated encyclopedia, reading a newspaper, or summing up the courage to ask a librarian for resources. The drinking age was 21, our local gay bars were off limit to me. Not that I knew where they were anyway. All I did know was that the rainbow flag was a symbol of pride for the LGBTQ+ community.

​

I remember driving home from work and a car drove past me with a rainbow flag on its back window. It was so EXCITING that there was another person "like me" just a car length away. I wanted to wave to them and let them know I was also gay. It is difficult to describe the thrill I felt at that moment. I hit the gas and sped up, and nearly caused a car accident...just to get a look at the person driving the car. I wanted to know what someone "like me" looked like. And I was also very impressed that they were BOLD enough to have a Pride symbol on their car, I had put one on mine a few years prior and had to ditch into a restaurant to avoid being jumped by 5 guys who saw the rainbow flag and began shouldering all sorts of colorful words at me.

 

​​Today I can say I am very proud to be a part of the LGBTQ+ community. Things have gotten so much better than they were back then, but there are still people out there who do not believe we belong anywhere.

 

Pride Shirts allows me to contribute something more to the LGBTQ+ community. I hope people wear these shirts with Pride, and that they too become a "beacon of hope" for someone out there who feels they are broken, or there is something wrong with them because of their sexuality or gender identity. My team and I have worked hard designing this store and hope you will join our growing family of happy customers.