Jingle bells/ Abbott smells/ The Earth is getting hotter/ The holidays are on their way/ and gift giving’s getting harder. Okay, not my best work. Lemme do what I’m a little better at: pointing y’all toward great gifts for the gays in your life. Here are local queer-created picks that are sure to please.
Extragrams “Iconic” Hat
Drag entertainment company Extragrams has always served iconic energy by delivering drag to bachelorette parties, weddings, company engagements, and even in the form of holiday drag queen telegrams. Now they’ve released limited edition apparel to match. This casual chic dad hat comes in three colorways – lavender, black, and white – with hearts & sparkles embroidered around a bright pink “iconic.” Nab yours for $20 at extragramsatx.com/shop/p/iconic-hat.
Emsbrynart “No One Is ‘Illegal’ on Stolen Land” Canvas Tote
Queer Mexican artist Emily Bryn works in both fine art and fabric to create pieces that resonate on many levels. Her myriad offerings emblazoned with pro-immigrant slogans provide a stylish way to show support to a community often abused in the U.S. On the mind now more than ever are issues of occupation and displacement, so Bryn’s simple line of “No One Is ‘Illegal’ on Stolen Land” hits particularly hard. The $25 price tag on the reusable tote bag bearing the slogan offers another plus: 10% of the purchase is donated to grassroots orgs committed to providing important resources to immigrants. Grab the bag and other apparel by Bryn at her website, emsbrynart.com or at an upcoming holiday pop-up market.
FLAVNT Streetwear “Pretty Boy” T-shirt
Austin-based, FLAVNT Streetwear isn’t just queer-owned – it’s family-owned. Brother and sister team Chris and Courtney run FLAVNT with an eye toward creating clothes for everyone across the rainbow to feel comfortable and confident in. And who wouldn’t strut their stuff in a shirt declaring for all the world that this here? This here’s a Pretty Boy. For $27.99 on flavnt.com, this unisex cotton shirt gives gender-neutral swag while remaining a chill option for the lowkey LGBTQ. Got a giftee whose allegiance to the alphabet mafia is a little louder? FLAVNT spins several shirts with queer-friendly slogans – “Protect Trans People,” “Be As Queer As You Want,” “Champagne of Queers” – to cover them all Pride month long.
Happy Hooker Rainbow Pillow
Crochet, you stay: This is what RuPaul might say if he saw Happy Hooker’s fabulous yarn creations. Offered in-person at both the Little Gay Shop and the Austin Gift Company, Micayla McMurray’s crochet work utilizes hippie-approved warm tones – perfect for your crunchier crew. Give your friend who just fought through FB Marketplace one of Happy Hooker’s big plush crocheted rainbows to accent their coveted IKEA POÄNG chair. Coming in multiple muted colorways, this pillow’s a subtle but sweet beacon for all the right people’s gaydar. Of course, you could also give ‘em a disco ball suspended in hand-dyed macramé. Subtlety’s for squares, anyway.
Book ‘Em Boys
Here are books that skew LGBTQ with local author connections. They can be snatched up at either BookWoman or Reverie Books – and probably at all those other independent bookstores our paper’s propped up previously.
Freedom House by KB Brookins
Written by previous Qmmunity interviewee KB, this collection of poetry structures Brookins’ personal journey as a queer Black trans person in Texas as a tour through multiple poetic “rooms.” Pick up for friends who enjoy chewing on what they’ve read long after they shut the book.
The Spells We Cast by Jason June
Two-name first-name owner Jason June casts a powerful charm in his new young adult novel of teen magician rivals-to-lovers whose romance threatens to cost them everything. Great gift for fantasy-focused teen relatives to whom you want to be considered “the cool cousin.”
Leg: The Story of a Limb and the Boy Who Grew From It by Greg Marshall
Austin-based author Greg Marshall puts to paper his experiences as a gay man whose late discovery of a hidden cerebral palsy diagnosis turns his world both upside down and right side up. A good choice for folks who like a witty memoir and digging into the topic of queer disability.
This article appears in December 1 • 2023.
