“Don’t be afraid”: Don your rainbow apparel year-round

by Sara Ritsch
Staff Writer

It’s the end of the summer, but somehow, despite a traumatic year for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community, our pride lives on. But, you may ask, how will I show my pride in a month other than June? Well, never fear: The Pride Store is here!

More than just Tulsa, the Pride Store is mobile. “We travel! Oklahoma City, Fayetteville, Tahlequah – we try to go to as many Prides as possible. We also have a Pride roadshow,” says Oklahomans for Equality (OkEq) Program Coordinator José Vega.

Vega may be known for more than his position at OkEq. This year, he was assaulted at a Tulsa Walgreens wearing a rainbow clad t-shirt from the Pride Store. His car mirror was kicked in, he was spat on and he was called “faggot.” But Vega says instances like these and ones of more severity should never stop anyone from sporting rainbow apparel.

“Am I gonna stop wearing rainbow apparel? No. It’s not going to change. The Orlando incident isn’t going to make me afraid of Latinx nights at clubs,” he relates. “We must reclaim our freedom, our rights. If you see something, report it. Keep an eye out. Let your neighbors know. Find your allies. But still be proud to wave that rainbow flag,” he refers to an Oklahoma City incident wherein a couple received an angry letter about their rainbow American flag.

Steven and Fred Mumford were subject to a hateful and immeasurably patriotic letter due to their own show of pride. In the letter, they were told that their rainbow American flag was offensive and to take it down. They did not, and will not, take it down.

“Don’t be afraid,” Vega says.

The Pride Store sells more than just the American flag. Donned with rainbow colors, the store provides the Mexican flag, Canadian flag and a few neighboring states. “We know people travel and move but miss their home town, so we try to have their home state in rainbow.”

He continues, “Not only rainbow stuff, but we have flags for transgender people, bears, leather, nonbinary, gender fluid – almost every identity.” He laughs, “No, we don’t have a lipstick lesbian flag. But we can order it!”

Profits from the Pride Store go directly to Oklahomans for Equality, who then uses it to advocate and educate the community about LGBTQ issues. Business has been good, thankfully, because it is one of the main sources of profit for OkEq.

“Some people cannot wait to get their Pride merchandise. We’re the only one [store] in Tulsa, and so some people are just anxious. When Orlando happened, Brookside and Cherry St. businesses rushed in asking for flags – for anything – to go outside the store to show their support. When we saw that, we were like, ‘That’s why we need a Pride Store.’”

Every year during legislative session from January to May, they make a t-shirt. Last year on the shirt was the Oklahoma flag in rainbow. This year is a rainbow flag that says, “The revolution continues.” It seems apt.

“These sell like crazy because people want to support what we’re doing, what we’re fighting. We want to create our own shirts every year,” says Vega.

The store also sells necklaces, bracelets, wallets, stickers – funny ones, saying things like, “Come out, come out, wherever you are!” – hats, Christmas apparel, gloves, “Anything you can imagine that’s rainbow.”

Open for about a decade, OkEq has no plans to close the store, especially at a time when the need for justice and human rights is at a peak. The Pride Store is open Monday to Saturday from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m., so you can almost always clad yourself in rainbows. If they don’t have what you want, they will order it for you. To order online, visit www.okeq.org, click “Store” and hit “Pride Store Merchandise”.

“If you buy from the store, you’re helping an organization,” Vega says. “It’s for a good cause – it’s giving back to our community.”

Oklahomans for Equality (OkEq) seeks equal rights from Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) individuals and families through advocacy, education, programs, alliances and the operation of the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center.

The Gayly – August 10, 2016 @ 7:15 a.m.