This Pride month, we invite you to meet the LGBTQIA+ content creators on our roster and learn more about them. We are proud to represent a diverse roster of creators and stress the importance of diversity and inclusion in the influencer marketing industry, not just during June but all year long.
To celebrate Pride, we asked some of the creators on our roster to share what Pride means to them and what brands can do to better support the LGBTQIA+ community. Scroll below to hear their stories and view all the LGBTQIA+ creators that The Digital Dept. represents.
What does Pride mean to you?
Pride is incredibly personal for me. As a child, I was afraid to be myself. I knew I was gay from a young age, but I remained silent because I was terrified of being rejected or judged. I finally came out to friends and some family members at 15. It was one of the scariest yet most liberating experiences of my life. I will always remember attending my first Pride festival after coming out. I was anxious about running into family members and worried about what they might say. It felt daunting to step into a space that was so openly supportive of being gay. However, once I arrived, everything changed. For the first time, I found a genuine community—people who weren’t judging me, but rather celebrating with me. It was transformative to finally feel a sense of belonging and to be seen for who I truly am. I didn’t realize how much I needed that until then. Pride Month granted me permission to accept and enjoy my queerness. Pride isn’t just a month; it serves as a reminder that being true to yourself is a victory within itself. It’s a movement to remind the world that we are here and will continue to fight for our rights while being unapologetically ourselves.
What can brand partners do to better support the LGBTQIA+ community?
In terms of brand support, it needs to go beyond surface-level actions. Brands can better assist the LGBTQIA+ community by investing in it year-round, not just during Pride Month. This means hiring LGBTQIA+ individuals for roles behind the scenes and in leadership positions, collaborating with queer creators, and donating to organizations that advocate for our rights every day. While representation is important, authenticity is even more crucial. Brands should engage closely with LGBTQIA+ people to share real, diverse stories and ensure they are compensated fairly for their work and innovation. Additionally, brands need to support policies that protect LGBTQIA+ individuals both at work and in the broader world. Being a true ally involves taking consistent action and making a commitment, not just celebrating when it’s easy.
What does Pride mean to you?
Pride is about feeling safe enough to be fully yourself and celebrating yourself or the people who made that possible. I think a lot about the younger version of myself, and how much she would’ve loved to see me living out loud, unapologetically. Pride is about visibility, chosen family, and community.
What can brand partners do to better support the LGBTQIA+ community?
It starts with listening. Not just during June, but all year. Support looks like hiring queer talent, paying us fairly, backing LGBTQIA+ organizations with real dollars, and not being scared of pushback when you stand by us. Visibility is powerful, but it has to be paired with action. If you’re going to profit off queer culture, you have to be in the trenches with us too. We notice who shows up when it’s quiet, not just when the parade is loud.
What does Pride mean to you?
Pride is about being yourself. It’s about celebrating what makes you special. It’s about not attaching shame or embarrassment to those little things that make you who you are. It’s also about reaching out a hand to those who need an extra push to love themselves.
What can brand partners do to better support the LGBTQIA+ community?
Show up for the community all year long, not just during a month that brings them profit. We’re living in scary times right now where businesses are turning their backs on the LGBTQIA+ community. We want brand partners to double down on their support for our community and make it clear that Pride is not just a slogan to be slapped on a shirt, but an ethos that permeates everyday life.
What does Pride mean to you?
To me, Pride is about celebrating the freedom I feel to live fully and authentically. Younger me never imagined I’d be where I am today — engaged to my wonderful fiancée, publicly out, and surrounded by an accepting family. So, during Pride month, especially, I take a moment to reflect and celebrate that I’m living a life that would make younger me proud.
What can brand partners do to better support the LGBTQIA+ community?
While I love seeing brands show up during Pride month, it means even more when that public support continues year-round! True allyship goes beyond marketing moments; it looks like hiring LGBTQIA+ creators and employees consistently, donating to organizations that support the community, and speaking up on issues that impact us all year long.
Meet The LGBTQIA+ Creators On The Digital Dept.'s Roster:
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