LGBTQIA+ Business
Shops. Coffee. Food. Bars/Nightlife. Tradeworks. Consultation. Real Estate.
Shops
Little Chair Printing
Hope, They/Them. Owner.
Little Chair Printing is a Queer owned and operated screen printing shop based in Portland, screenprinting for the people with a strong focus on social justice! “Helping the community and trying to change the world one T-shirt at a time.”
Plant Office
John, He/Him. Owner.
“It's strange to be running a business when you're not sure capitalism is a great idea. So in order to stomach the whole thing I try to use my visibility as a business-owner and artist to promote social justice issues. Helping create a safer space for all sorts of people is a major goal for Plant Office. It brings me so much joy to share this special place with everyone."
Lucky Fox Bookshop
Ash, She/Her. Owner.
“The Lucky Fox Bookshop is a safe place for everyone—the voracious readers and the casual browsers, the canonical literature lovers and the high-fantasy dragon slayers, those with their heads in the clouds and those with their feet planted firmly on the ground. No matter who you are, you’ll find much more than just your next read at The Lucky Fox. You’ll find community, education, and inspiration. And if you look closely between stacks and sentences, you just might find yourself.
.
“I started this pop-up and online bookshop in 2021 with the firm belief that books are connective tools that nurture empathy, imagination, and curiosity. Starting this shop was also a declaration to myself that walking the paths your passions lay for you is always worth it.
When I’m not popping up around Maine, I’m working as an editor, roller skating around town, rock climbing, or hanging out with family: my wonderful wife, our energetic pup Roland the Gunslinger, and our grumpy cat (and Lucky Fox mascot) Captain Fantastic.”
Artemis Plus Size Resale
Chelsea, She/Her. Owner, on the left.
“I believe in taking risks, and that you can reinvent the path of your life- even though it’s scary to do it. My wife and I fell in love over 10 years ago- which made us change the paths we were on to create our new happy life! This spring I overcame my fears and created a plus size consignment boutique. I launched @artemisplussize, a resale shop/co-op where you can sell and buy affordable plus size thrift. The shop is going strong with diverse styles and celebrates all plus sized bodies! I’m really excited to grow on this new creative path!”
Raven & Crow Co., LLC
Raven & Crow Co LLC is a Queer owned and operated metaphysical shop and espresso bar in Brunswick, ME. Raven & Crow Co. was founded on the principle of providing a space where members of pagan religious groups, magickal practitioners, and creatives could gather and be surrounded by likeminded, welcoming individuals. Founded by an LGBT team, Raven & Crow Co. is more than a metaphysical shop: it's a place where new and old alike can come to learn, grow, and bring new life to the Southern Maine magical community.
Underdog Candles
Lauren, She/Her. Owner.
“I joke that I had to come out twice: first as queer, then as an artist. I was entering college as my family was losing my childhood home in the midst of the last recession, and I felt the pressure of needing to provide for myself without any safety net. So I majored in business analytics and got a typical corporate job — I spent 5 years in the management consulting world, but had a creative energy inside me that was bursting at the seams. Coming out showed me that the world isn’t black and white. One of my favorite parts of being queer is that you can “choose your own adventure” — the typical societal expectations and timelines seem far less important. That helped me gain the confidence to quit my corporate job and pursue a more artistic life. First came @spacetothrivedesign, my interior decorating business. The silver lining of losing my family home was learning how to make any space feel like home. The outside world doesn’t always feel like a safe place as a queer person, so having a home where you feel safe & where you can fully express yourself is super important. Then came @underdogcandles, which started as a few Pride-themed candles that I sold to raise money for the LGBTQ+ Freedom Fund, but has now turned into a line of 20+ candles and reed diffusers! Whether it’s coming out or pursuing a new career, life feels so much more authentic when you’re following your own intuition and living for yourself, not just what others want for you. It’s been a difficult, up-and-down journey, but coming out has really helped me come home to myself.”
Nubble Light Candle
Greg, He/Him. Owner.
“I was born and raised on the coast of Belfast. After stints in Boston and Manhattan, I’ve been lucky enough to now call Kittery my home. I've always been a bit of an outsider as it relates to my identity. I was one of only two out gay people in my high school, one of only a dozen or so in college, usually the "only gay guy" at work, and now one of the very few queer business owners in Maine, and definitely the only queer male owner of a candle company in Maine (that I know of - if you're reading this and you fit this description, reach out, let's collab!). I started my own company, Nubble Light Candle, in 2018. I’ve developed my craft of candle-making over years of trial and error in an effort to create the best Maine-made candle. We are now Maine's largest queer-owned candle company! I find inspiration from the natural world, unique Maine experiences, and the culture and traditions of Maine and New England. You can support my queer-owned business by going to nubblelightcandle.com.
Pink Robin Shop
“It’s beautiful out today or maybe they just how I walk through this world. My authentic code comes from my childlike curiosity. I obsess over ans gravitate toward things that bring me joy and comfort. My curiosity makes me want to experience all of the things, travel, good food, warm waters, 360 views. Maybe it’s because I am searching for my passion, or maybe my passion is just doing all the things. I was scared, fearful a lot growing up. I build a coping strategy to optimize my life to get to that comfort zone. I prepare for everything, every second of every day. Turning 40 I’ve realized this comfort has taken me out of the moment. Maybe now I’m trying to be a little less prepared, a little less predictable. I live in Dayton with my wife, Kristin, and our teenager 50% of the time. Traveling, exploring, and experiences are important to us. Beyond family and work, my friend and co-founder are close to launching a marketplace connecting consumers to queer brand and services. We want to make it easier to find and buy from our queer family. It’s time to lift each other up.”
Coffee
Higher Grounds
Mark, He/Him
“It's no secret that the cannabis industry is dominated by cis white male culture, a lot of it pretty toxic. Coming into the Higher Grounds of Maine project six years ago as a queer- and woman-owned effort I had two options: play by the rules of the industry (a path I've tread too often), or build something authentic to who I was and hope that in Portland our community would find us and resonate with it. I wanted to fight for space and provide jobs for queer and trans people who would otherwise face a lot of obstacles entering it as well. I knew it would be tough...cannabis is also a hyper-political industry and frankly to succeed one needs to be in front of politicians. That's also a very conservative and straight male space. I certainly have my own share of privilege and that helped me opt for kicking the door down, growing my hair out long and unabashedly queer, and putting together a completely different kind of cannabis concept, nothing like I've ever seen and have yet to discover anywhere else in the industry. It's been a huge help connecting with other queer business owners, LQBTQIA+ workers and customers here in Portland and sharing that struggle. It's a work in progress. But being true to this project has helped me be true to myself and own the queerness that I put away to fit in at a young age. I feel like I've grown immensely as a queer person over the last six years and a lot of that's due to this community, for which I am truly grateful."
Food
The Pink Waffle
Roux, He/Him
“My philosophy on business is to be serious about what you do but have fun doing it. Let it live in the part of you that you love, that you look forward to seeing every day. That’s where you will find creativity, inspiration, and motivation to keep doing what you do best.”
Lady Shuckers
Libby, She/Her
“Stay grateful and stay willing. A life better than we could even imagine is right around the corner. Be kind to yourself first, find something you’re passionate about, don’t be afraid to ask for help and keep showing up as your authentic self. We are worthy of our most expansive & magnetic life. This is our story - hit ‘em with a plot twist whenever we want.” CEO @ladyshuckers.
Bars / Nightlife
Cocktail Mary
Isaac, He/They, Owner.
“I’ve been out of the closet for about 25 years and lived in many different communities. None have been nearly as cohesive and diverse as the queer community here. I am joyful and grateful everyday for that. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my life it is the importance of showing up and Portland Queers certainly show up.”
Blackstones
“Without its patrons, Blackstones is nothing but four walls and a sketchy bathroom. It’s our vibrant community that makes it the lively, familial watering hole that it is. We’ve all made due with phones, social media, and small gatherings for the past 4+ months. But at a time we need our chosen families most, our staff, performers, and patrons are longing for that true togetherness once again. Hang in there, Queer Portland! We love you!”
Tradeswork
People’s Inclusive Welding
Jo, They/Them. Founder.
“I spent the majority of my industrial welding career as a boilermaker. There I found all the excitement, travel, adrenaline, accolades and money I had ever wanted. However, in the Spring of 2020 a veil was lifted, and I had to remove myself from the toxic environment I had so deeply embraced and adapted to. The racism, sexism and homophobia was rampant, and I suddenly realized how complacent I had become. I had taken on a mask of toxic masculinity as a survival mechanism, and not only that but I had subconsciously become a raging capitalist. When I left, I took time to heal. I began working on identifying how I had allowed myself to fall so deeply into this harmful culture. As I began studying my own racist and sexist tendencies, I was suddenly awakened to the fact that I had been able to blend in so easily because I myself identified as one of the boys, one of the straight white males who coasted through life with all the privilege in the world. And this was in fact how I discovered my transness. Eventually I came to the realization that the only way to make the trades a safe place would be to dilute the current demographic. People's Inclusive Welding was established with the hope of creating a new wave of tradespeople, one that does not participate in the gatekeeping and toxic behavior of the current skilled trades industry. I am so lucky to have found an amazing team to support me and my dream of creating an inclusive welding school in which ALL demographics of folks can feel safe. PIW is the program I wish I had had as a queer person. It's my reparation for the complacency I adopted, and it's my version of mutual aid to folks who want a leg up into a new career. It's a dream come true to see it come to fruition, and I can't wait to see where we go from here.”
Frog & Fern Tattoo Studio
Sam, They/Them & Airynn, She/Her. Owners.
“‘We are two hearts but with one beat. Two brains but with one thought. Two souls but with one… shoe.’ - Alfalfa”
Red Planet Ink
Katie, They/Them
.
“If there is one thing to know about me, it’s that if there’s something I want to learn, I will find a way to learn it inside and out. This year I taught myself how to tattoo, how to accept help, how to destroy the gender binaries within myself in order to embrace the tumultuous and unending fluctuations of my gender experience, how to make a macrame plant hanger. I’m a good learner, I think that’s why I’ve always been called an artist despite never resonating with the word. I kept learning different outputs of the craft in hopes that the creativity would follow, but it never would.
Then, as if beckoned by the relief of finally being done with my twenties, the answer reveled itself. Turns out all I had to do was completely free myself from expectations - I spent this year becoming confusing, ambiguous, even at times disorienting. I changed my name twice and then doubled back to the birth certificate. I dabbled in extroversion only to banish the extroverts. I self-isolated in order to lament about my loneliness. I acted spiky at times when I had felt soft. I cried in front of my friends for the first time. Somewhere, in all of the chaos, the creativity came, and the title of “artist” began to feel a little less weird.
If you want to see how all of that translates in images, follow my art page @red.planet.ink.”
Primal Blossoms Landcrafting
Hedda, She/Her. Owner.
Hedda is the person behind Primal Blossoms landcrafting & plantcare based in Southern Maine. In her work she strives to take an integrative approach to blend the needs of local flora and fauna with site specific preferences, giving outdoor spaces freedom to thrive long term.
G-Procustoms: Mechanic
Gaby, She/Her
“I’m Gaby, and I’m a car girl.” Though officially retired, Gaby is an experienced car mechanic in Lisbon Falls, ME. offering repairs to LGBTQ+ folks through her shop. Keeping car costs affordable for the community and mentoring LGBTQ+ folks looking to enter a historically cisgender heterosexual male dominated field, she hopes to create a space where LGBTQ+ can feel empowered in their craft, and welcome.
Maine Photoworks - Printing
Regan, She/They
“I came to accept that I am pansexual fairly late in life and in a heterosexual relationship. It was a rocky road at first grappling with what exactly it means for me to be "out" in a straight, monogamous partnership. Imposter syndrome galore. Straight privilege guilt galore. Thanks to a lot of therapy and a supportive partner, though, I feel like I finally understand and accept myself in my heart and not just in my head. It's an absolutely radical feeling that I wish upon every single human being on this earth. Please just love yourselves!”
Consultation / Support Services
EID Visions - Business Consultation
Priscilla, She/Her
“A few things. I am a proud pansexual, a 1st generation Cuban-American, a fat woman, and a small business owner. I have anxiety, depression, PCOS, HS, hypothyroidism, and Hashimotos. I take pride in putting myself out there in the hope that someone will feel seen. My ultimate goal is to help folks understand others' experiences and different point of views, in turn, making it a better world for all of us! I also want to take this chance to let folks know that I co-own a marketing and business consulting company, EID Visions (@eidvisions_), with my partner, Orlando. It doesn’t matter whether you are a small business, a budding entrepreneur, working on your startup, or anything in between; at EID Visions, we will put in the work as if you were the largest company in the world. At EID Visions, we don’t just have clients, we have family!"
West End Witch
Em, She/They
“My magical practice is rooted in the alchemy of queerness, the ability to shape shift on a whim and thrive in a world that is often hostile to many aspects of my identity. I feel like "outing" myself as a witch has been similar to coming out as a queer femme, it's always been a core part of my soul, but I felt afraid to embrace it because of the violence and misogyny associated with witchcraft. I prioritize authenticity above all, and use my learned and intrinsic power as a healer to help clients reclaim themselves as sovereign beings. I use esoteric tools like tarot and energy work to gain clarity on what would serve their needs best. I believe that healing magic should be accessible to all, and would love to help support folks on their journeys! Feel free to reach out if my work resonates."
Blackbird Guide Services
Ari, She/Her
“My name is Ari Leach and I am a second generation registered Maine Guide. I grew up on the coast of Maine in Blue Hill and attended Unity College for both my undergrad and graduate degrees. I hold a BS in Wildlife Biology with a minor in Botany, and an MPS in Sustainable Natural Resource Management, completing my thesis on the softshell clam and marine bait worm conflict dynamic here in Maine. I have been deeply connected to the outdoors and nature since childhood and have continued to seek out ways to engage with my surroundings and share my passions with others. When I'm not working as a marine biologist for the state of Maine or wearing my Maine Guide hat, you can find me with my eyes glued to the skies in search of birds, on my mountain bike trying out new trails, or on the water wetting a line in hopes of a wild fish fight. I love any activity that gets me outside and closer to nature. I am also passionate about wilderness survival and ancestral skills, maintaining a wilderness first responder certification for over a decade. My hope is that I can impart a bit of knowledge, curiosity, and sense of adventure to those who join me in the wild, creating space to explore and ask questions in a safe and encouraging setting. Nature is for all, and we are all of nature.”
Beka Barski: Interior Designer
Beka, She/Her
“I’m a quintessential Libra sun, lover of all things pink, devoted Swiftie, interior designer who’s bored by your white kitchen, cat mom, aspiring roller-skater, and lifetime Acadia hiker. I’ve been many different versions of myself. It took me 24 years, a decision to finally live for me, and the most wonderful friends I’ve ever known to find this version: the one I love the most, the one that feels the truest. I’m immensely proud to finally know that I’m a lesbian, and to be a part of this gorgeous LGBTQ+ community! To anyone still figuring themselves out: take your time exploring the identity and/or sexuality that feels like “home” to you. And don’t forget that there’s a whole bunch of us waiting for you on the other end with open arms, whenever you’re ready."
Nick LaCourse: Health Admin / Consultant
Nick, He/Him
“Maine is my happy place. Our sense of community, and our unqualified capacity to care for one other, are all some of the many things that make Maine special for me. I've spent my entire life here, and I can confidently say that whether you're a new Mainer or your roots trace back generations, Mainers have a special knack for embracing you effortlessly. Being queer and the son of first-generation immigrants has taught me the unabashed joy that can come with living authentically. Despite the coldness of our winters, I'm consistently awestruck by the warmth that permeates this state. I hope that sense of awe never goes away.
Real Estate
Jess Gray Realtor
Jess, She/Her
“I’ve been doing a lot of learning and unlearning about myself and who I want to be in the world. In the last year or so, I’ve gotten myself quite comfy with the fact that I am queer, polyamorous, and definitely still a work in progress.. which is totally okay, because I get to make my own timeline in life. I have an adorable polycule and I feel immensely lucky to surround myself with so many lovely people. I took time during quarantine to get certified as a realtor, and I’m excited to be in a “professional” career where I can still have purple hair and swear a lot in front of clients (hit me up on @jessgrayrealtor if you need a sassy queer pro who will work exceptionally hard for you). I’m just trying every day to be authentic and loving, to others AND to myself. And I’m also doing things like baking all the time, questing for tiny Miller High Life bottles, and trying to force my dog to snuggle with me. TL;DR Life is a lot but it can be pretty lovely sometimes.”
Mat Robedee: Realtor
Mat, He/Him
“I’ve always been a very curious person, motivated by the feeling of awe. Not just thrill seeking but rather the connection between myself and the world around me, a connection that intensifies every time I lose myself in wonder. So, I suppose that’s how I like to live my life, in search of wonder and awe – whether that be in people, places, experiences or more often than not, the natural world. Someone recently described me as an experience collector, and that resonated with me greatly. Since a young age I’ve recognized the danger in sacrificing experiences and what our soul needs now, by banking on the idea we could get to it later. It seldom seemed to work out for anyone, as the future is wildly unpredictable. I understood who I wanted to be and how I wanted to live by observing so many adults I never wanted to become. I hope that doesn’t sound cold but it’s true. As a people we’ve become horribly disconnected from the natural world and forced into a system often designed to dim our light – and I’ve never wanted anything to do with that. So I try my best to live intentionally, kindly and with passion. I have travelled the world, embarked on unbelievable adventures, and met the most beautiful people along the way. It’s not been easy and at times its been incredibly messy, but I’m happy. Not that I want to leave this world tomorrow – but if I did, I am content. Seriously. Everything past this moment just seems like a bonus round. And who knows, perhaps when it’s my turn to be an old man, a young queer kid will look at me and say – hell, that’s someone I’d like to be someday.