Homosexual Satisfaction Attire is a NYC-based LGBTQ+ attire & equipment retailer based in 2019 by two first-generation Mexican-Individuals, Jesus Gutierrez and Sergio Aragon.
The mission of Homosexual Satisfaction Attire is to empower and have a good time the LGBTQ+ neighborhood with high-quality clothes and niknaks. Their presence on social media, together with their merchandise champion authenticity, empowerment, and satisfaction for everybody, all over the place, daily.
Hailing from the low-income and minority neighborhood of Maryvale in Phoenix, Arizona, Jesus and Sergio turned finest buddies in sixth. They went off on their very own after commencement and later reunited, fell in love and moved to New York Metropolis to chase their desires.
Homosexual Satisfaction Attire started with a easy but profound second throughout Satisfaction 2018 in New York Metropolis. Watched satisfaction actually being washed away from the sidewalks on July 1st left a long-lasting impression on them and so they realized the necessity for an area the place folks may embrace their satisfaction daily of the 12 months.
In January 2019, fueled by ardour and dedication, they formally introduced Homosexual Satisfaction Attire to life. What began as a small endeavor with a monumental mission has surpassed their wildest expectations. With shirts, blankets and equipment for each single member of the LGBTQIA+ neighborhood emblazoned with colourful, usually intelligent and impactful designs, the model has empowered the neighborhood not solely with its wares however with a powerful on-line neighborhood. GPA has over 100,000 followers oh Instagram.
At this time, Jesus and Sergio stand proudly, understanding that their little store has develop into a beacon of empowerment and celebration for the LGBTQ+ neighborhood worldwide. And it’s all due to the unwavering assist of unbelievable people across the globe.
We had the prospect to speak to Jesus and Sergio about Homosexual Satisfaction Attire and their new Queer Protest assortment, their inspiration and the impression of the gathering on the neighborhood and on themselves in our unique interview.
I’ve learn rather a lot about you and I’ve performed a number of analysis and I don’t wish to should make you undergo the entire story about the way you began the enterprise. What I wish to know is what are the professionals and cons of working together with your accomplice?
Jesus: The factor is, I believe for us is that it’s not a “conventional” working together with your accomplice state of affairs that I believe some folks assume it’s. We met actually younger. We’ve been finest buddies since we had been in sixth grade. I believe we had this established basis of belief and communication as buddies. Then we turned companions – which was one other entire stage of communication, belief and transparency and simply being reliable to one another.
After which we turned enterprise companions and the one factor that we at all times speak about is that we’ve got our distinct roles in our enterprise and what we do – and we attempt to maintain it that manner however it’s enjoyable. We work from 9 to 5 and we at all times say it’s actually refreshing for us to work with one another in comparison with the large companies the place we was at the place it takes seven years to get one factor performed. And right here it’s like, hey, what do you consider this? That’s nice. Let’s do it.
Sergio: The professionals that will be that it’s straightforward to speak with each other. I might be like, “Hey, I don’t like that. Can you alter that?” And he’s like, “High-quality, let me change that.” That’s one of many largest execs, like simply having the ability to simply be very free with each other.
However then for cons, if I’m having a nasty day or he’s having a nasty day, it’s annoying as a result of now we’ve got to speak and work out this reply for an answer for this query that this buyer is having. That might be one of many little cons, I’d say, it’s like, ugh, I don’t wish to speak to you. I don’t really feel like speaking however we’ve got to speak.
One other con, honestly, is that we’ve got to make it some extent to be at dinner and be like, okay, we’re not going to speak about something that has to do with GPA. We’re going to debate our week exterior of the work that we’ve performed. It’s such as you’re relationship your co-worker or your small business accomplice, you’re simply attempting to maintain these completely different roles separate. However yeah, there are cons however the execs are so significantly better.
Okay, now I do know you each have backgrounds in e-commerce and style, how did that profit you as you began GPA?
Jesus: I come from e-com and digital advertising and marketing, that was my background. I labored at Tiffany & Co. on their e-commerce web site. Previous to that, I did social media advertising and marketing. I type of had that facet, and I’ve at all times been just a little bit, I believe, extra adventurous and inventive and I had the concept of doing this.
Sergio: I did product improvement at corporations like Coach and Cole Haan after which, proper after that, I labored on e-comm at Uniqlo.com. They employed me due to Homosexual Satisfaction Attire. So simply having the ability to convey that info from learn how to get a very good margin on a product or understanding how the client’s going to react to it. That gave us a special sense of if we’re going to start out our personal firm, we will’t similar to put a random value. We now have to guarantee that we’re truly being profitable, ensuring that the product is sweet, ensuring that it’s elevated, however we are also hitting our product margins.
After which for e-comm, I realized a lot from Uniqlo from the clicking by way of fee and the ROAS, the return on commercial and ensuring that what’s doing rather well is pushed to the highest of the location and ensuring that we’re actually analytical about it. I used to be like I’m studying from you and I’m bringing extra info from me to you as nicely. So, it’s like a win/win.
Jesus: With out Sergio, I’d have by no means had any product data. I name him inventive director as a result of he’s very inventive however he’s additionally extra analytical than I’m. I’m similar to, let’s make this and put it on the web site. He’s like, nicely, let’s talk about what the purpose is. I believe that’s how we bounce off one another. However that additionally comes from our skilled backgrounds the place I used to be working extra within the inventive world and also you had been working extra on product.
Who comes up with the designs on your collections?
Sergio: So, it’s all [Jesus]. He reveals me…it’s not even a primary draft…and he’s asks, “Hey, that is what I’m considering of. What are you considering?” I’m like, alright, I believe we will tweak this just a little bit extra, strive two or three extra completely different fonts, after which I’ll begin inserting it in numerous merchandise to see which one actually resonates with me after which we’ll go from there. However it’s all him.
Jesus: I’ll say, “I simply considered this actually cool shirt”, and he’s like, “Can we please go to mattress?”
I realized about you from the Queer Protest Assortment. How did that come about?
Jesus: In truth, it got here out of a number of frustration. And actually, I used to be feeling very burnt out by the information cycle. The election occurred in November and, a minimum of for us, we didn’t anticipate that outcome. I believe perhaps I simply fully blacked out the remainder of these months afterwards as a result of I don’t bear in mind December and even fascinated with the election after it occurred.
The minute the election occurred what we did discover is a rise in hate – nearly prefer it was unleashed. Trump received and our Fb account particularly turned simply this gross place of individuals coming after us, telling us to go die, very, very jarring issues. So when that began taking place, we began snowballing in January. And on the nineteenth we had been like, what are we going to do tomorrow? We will’t simply ignore it. We simply can’t. I imply, we will’t simply sit right here and be like, ah, how’s everybody doing? Like, no rainbows and butterflies right here and there.
We truly had been planning on this actually large launch proper earlier than that, which was a Zodiac Assortment launch so, we type of had been ignoring it ourselves. However on that day, we had been like, what are we doing? We must always make a submit tomorrow.
Lots of our designs that you just see on attire and that you just see folks carrying actually simply begin off as us making a submit on Instagram and social media attempting to be supportive. We’re attempting to make an announcement of some kind. So, we got here up with, I believe it was like 15 designs that evening earlier than the inauguration. And we had been actually simply channeling all that frustration that we felt from ignoring what had occurred to that day the place it’s like, oh, it’s turning into a actuality tomorrow. We needed to be supportive, however we additionally needed to be very upfront and vocal. We’re not going to simply again down and let issues simply occur.
I believe the explanation why the back and front shirts took place – we actually don’t do them usually – was as a result of we needed folks to have one thing they’ll put on which you can present somebody behind you. You don’t should be eye-to-eye with somebody and present assist. You possibly can simply stroll by somebody and so they learn your again of your shirt it’s empowering. So yeah, I believe it simply got here from frustration and rage and eager to create extra neighborhood on-line. The Homosexual Satisfaction Attire Instagram household has been wonderful for the previous six years. So, we actually needed to make supportive posts for them. We at all times joke that we will’t make a submit anymore as a result of the primary remark is at all times, “Put this on a shirt!”
One of many issues that I admire about your line is that you just actually signify all people within the LGBTQIA+ neighborhood. How necessary was that for you while you began GPA?
Jesus: Once we began GPA….to be clear, I believe we had a really closed-minded view of being queer – we in all probability wouldn’t have mentioned queer again then, . We had been two homosexual, cis males from Phoenix, Arizona who grew up in conservative Catholic properties.
And so, once we began, honestly, we had been like, oh, simply rainbows, , everybody’s simply homosexual. After which, as we began rising, we began studying extra concerning the full acronym. We had no concept it was LGBTQIA+.
Sergio: There was intersex, genderqueer, pansexual, non-binary…all these completely different identities that we had no concept about and our prospects had been like, hey, I really like the rainbows, however I simply got here out as pansexual. I’d like to see extra objects for pansexual folks.
Jesus: I used to be like, what’s a pansexual flag? And I regarded it up and I used to be like, Oh my, there’s different flags on the market.
Sergio: I believe it’s a extremely necessary pillar of our model to have all these identities, simply because it’s not simply being homosexual, lesbian, bi, trans, like, rainbows, . There are far more identities that embody this entire neighborhood, which is actually necessary to focus on, which different folks don’t do in any respect.
Do you’ve a favourite out of the entire issues that you just’ve produced?
Jesus: Proper now, I used to be fascinated with the Queer Protest Assortment. I believe the White Home design – “You may need the White Home, however we’ve got the fucking streets.” That design, it feels so aggressive, however once I was making it, I opened up Illustrator and I simply have my artboards and I bear in mind Sergio asking, how did you provide you with that? I used to be like, I don’t know, I simply began typing. I imply, on the finish of the day, I believe it’s a historic factor, too. Folks had been type of upset about it, saying issues like “you’re selling violence,” however I’m like nicely, no, as a result of that’s why we’re right here – due to the streets, as a result of our ancestors at Stonewall protested for days after the raid. So, I believe that’s my present favourite.
Sergio: For me, it will be “variety hurts nobody”. Why are you so damage over being completely different? You possibly can’t be higher for those who don’t enterprise out and study completely different cultures, study various things. So, “variety hurts nobody” after which particularly “you silly orange…”. You realize, it’s so silly that It’s comical at some extent. That must be my favourite.
Jesus: Oh, I additionally do love humorous stuff and humorous stuff does nicely. “Why are you scared of colours, bro?” was a reactionary submit to Marco Rubio banning satisfaction flags. I simply assume it’s like, why are you scared of colours? Why are you so frightened of a satisfaction flag? I believe I like all of them, but additionally “Depart Queer Folks Alone”, I believe I really like that one too.
Sergio: They’re all nice. They’re all actually good.
In your web site, you speak about your give again initiative. What are a few of the organizations that you just supporting?
Jesus: What we’ve been doing currently is sponsoring different nonprofits’ occasions. So, for instance, final 12 months, we sponsored an occasion by the Stonewall Neighborhood Basis. And all meaning is that we gave X sum of money and bought listed as a sponsor, however the way in which that the sponsorships work is that every one that cash bought pooled collectively to supply different nonprofits grants.
That was how we realized to make a greater impression. So, we work with completely different nonprofits that do this kind of stuff, just like the Stonewall Neighborhood Basis, we’ve helped the Trevor Mission, Feed the Queens, which is a nonprofit to assist feed hungry drag queens throughout the pandemic. So, it actually relies upon.
One factor that we used to do rather a lot however haven’t performed just lately, however we’re going to get again into is we used to do particular campaigns. So, for instance, , if we launch a brand new learn banned books marketing campaign, we’ll donate part of the earnings to a selected nonprofit that does that type of work. In the course of the reversal of Roe versus Wade we did this shirt that had all of the people who voted to repeal Roe versus Wade and we donated all that cash to NARAL. I believe the give again initiative is ongoing and fluid.
Sergio: And never similar to that. We get emails on a regular basis and so they’re like, hey we’ll be internet hosting our first ever promenade evening for LGBTQ youth that by no means bought to go to promenade and we might like to have like a blanket or a present card or something which you can ship us for a donation we might love. So, we ship present playing cards and so they do a raffle and the particular person will get to win a present card from us. We do actually small issues like that, however then we additionally do actually issues that we sponsor like X quantity for like an evening out at a gala and stuff like that. So, it simply ranges.
Your social media presence could be very dynamic. How necessary was it so that you can have such a neighborhood constructed on social media?
Jesus: It’s the whole lot. It was the one cause I believe we saved going throughout the first two years once we type of weren’t being profitable – the primary couple of years while you’re simply attempting to construct this model. And for us, Instagram is our largest platform. Our first 12 months we gained 10,000 followers on Instagram. We’re like, oh, I believe there’s one thing right here and these days it’s our complete neighborhood and our social media neighborhood is the whole lot. And, like I mentioned, most of our t-shirt designs begin by us attempting to make them really feel one thing optimistic or empowered or simply ship supportive messaging. So, I believe they’re actually the spine of many of the collections.
Sergio: We now have like a query the place we’re like, which of them ought to we do? Ought to we do that or that? Or do you guys have any suggestions? What various things do you guys wish to see from us? And that’s what we, they’re the whole lot for us.
How has GPA impacted you personally?
Sergio: It’s rather a lot. We get emails from grandmas, from mothers, from dads, from households that they’re like, hey, my son simply got here out as non-binary and I regarded up non-binary blankets and I discovered your web site and I really like the whole lot that you’ve got and it introduced us nearer collectively. And now we’ve got a particular bond over this blanket. And it’s like, I inform Jesus, wow, we made a blanket and now we’re getting households collectively, ? And it’s like, we thought it was a foolish design and we thought it was a foolish factor that we had been doing, however we’re bridging households collectively and it’s so necessary to try this and we would not see it each single day. And that’s what pushes me to do extra.
Jesus: I imply, GPA is our lives, it’s fairly actually our child. It’s the whole lot to me. I believe like Sergio mentioned, it’s actually bizarre to consider it however understanding that one thing that we did or mentioned is impacting somebody in a optimistic manner. It’s extraordinarily rewarding and humbling. I imply, we come from low-income households in Phoenix, Arizona. My dad labored building, my mother was a stay-at-home mother and now I’m impacting this particular person’s life over there, and it’s very rewarding and humbling.
Sergio: We learn each single evaluation, each single e-mail, and each time we get a optimistic one, I present it to Jesus, so I’m like, Oh my god, this particular person is screaming as a result of they’re so glad that they’re in a position to put on their t-shirt of their small conservative city, and scream it to the world that they’re queer and so they’re glad and so they don’t care, and we’re making them really feel that manner. It’s such a tremendous happiness that I really feel of like, wow, I’m in a position to contact somebody by a t-shirt that we made, so it’s modified rather a lot.
How are you planning to evolve the model?
Jesus: We’re at a very good second proper now. We simply give up our jobs in Could of final 12 months. I believe we’re simply attempting to be there for the neighborhood increasingly more. We simply hit 100,000 followers on Instagram, which is a extremely large accomplishment for us and I believe we notice, particularly with the Queer Protest Assortment, that persons are searching for neighborhood much more than earlier than, particularly within the subsequent 4 years.
We did launch throughout Trump’s first administration, which was 2019, and we did discover that then too like, for instance, throughout the 2020 like George Floyd second and I believe 2020 was a tough 12 months for lots of communities. We noticed our model’s want and other people resonating with it. Now, 5 years later we’re full time engaged on this. It offers us extra flexibility to simply be there faster. I believe once we had nine-to-five jobs, I couldn’t reply to one thing that occurred as we speak and make a submit about it. I must wait until after work. So now that we’re on this second of our time, I believe we might be there for folks just a little bit extra. After which how will we evolve? I believe it’s simply persevering with to make an announcement. I believe {that a} t-shirt with a graphic is a extremely highly effective device for talking out and making folks really feel protected round you.
Sergio: I agree. And simply evolving that, such as you mentioned, we labored nine-to-five, we weren’t in a position to have the ability to be reactive. We wish to evolve the statements that we’ve made and simply construct a neighborhood and enhance that with a wider attain as a result of we’re simply two homosexual males. We had been very snug in who we’re however we’re preventing the battle for the people who don’t have the voice, folks which might be scared, folks that aren’t the place they’re at. And we simply wish to be the assist that they’ve.
Store The Queer Protest Assortment and all of Jesus and Sergio’s clothes and niknaks Homosexual Satisfaction Attire and comply with the corporate on Fb and Instagram.
