BUFFALO, N.Y. — The summer months are full of color and celebration of different communities — among them are LGBTQ+ businesses.
“Pride was canceled and people just needed something,” said Queer Handmade Rochester owner Jules Mack.
In 2020, it was the beginning of a Pride staple in Western New York.
“I was being cheeky when I called it the first annual Queer Handmade Yard sale because it was in my yard and yard sales were allowed, and I didn’t ever imagine we’d be in our fifth year now,” said Mack.
Mack’s Queer Handmade Rochester Art Sale is a growing festival for vendors that’s attracted more than a few friends along the way, including Aidan Alexander-Deis.
“I didn’t have a lot of money. I didn’t have a lot of connections. And just trying to find different events that were even worth going to is very difficult and learning is very hard for somebody who is starting out trying to be a vendor in the area,” said Alexander-Deis. “I was just starting to get into doing painting professionally and so I reached out to Jules and I asked her if I could be a part of it.”
Alexander-Deis and Mack are preparing for the fifth installment, remembering why they’re putting in all the work.
“One of the things to bring like the whole community, not just the queer community together, is the art piece because there are so many people that can get behind art,” said Mack. “I like to garden. I think of it as planting seeds.”
Of course, not all art is crafts and prints.
“It’s hard to go online and say, ‘Hey, this smells really good. You know, buy it.’ Whereas you can go to a festival and be like, ‘Look at all this fabulous nonsense I have,’ ” said Rainbow Cammo owner Malcolm Keim.
He founded the soap-making company and has been part of growing festivals like Mack’s for more than just the return on investment.
“Well, when I first started doing it, it wasn’t even a business idea. It was just, hey, you know, this might be cool to try. And I just never stopped,” he said. “But because if I was just doing this for me, like it’d make great Christmas gifts for family and I’d be done, there wouldn’t be like a warehouse of reagent behind me.”
He’s also in full swing having added more shows and markets to the calendar this year, some having proceeds support local causes.
“The biggest driver for me, especially going into Pride, is that I’ve been able to use it to support community organizations,” said Keim.
Back at the dining room table where art sale flyers were cut and readied for distribution with Queer Handmade, you understand why these businesses and causes are so important.
“Being a part of a community has really saved my life. It’s made me so much different, so much more than what I used to be,” said Alexander-Deis.
The upcoming event is getting attention from further away.
“We’ve started to get applicants from a few hours away and that is amazing,” said Mack. “So yeah, growth, having more new artists, more new art in the mix.”
It’s seen as a chance for vendors from all walks of life and backgrounds to come and share their wares and experiences.
“You know, growing up, we didn’t have words for what I was feeling, what I was trying to identify as. I now know those words, and I want to make sure that young people understand that they can be who they want to be also,” said Alexander-Deis.
“It’s important because there are children somewhere or there are people or families that believe their loved ones might be better off dead than gay, and we have to show them that their communities can do better,” Keim added.
These businesses may slay in the summer for representation, but you can find them in all seasons.
“We don’t disappear once the summer is over. We’re still here all year round,” said Alexander-Deis.
