This Holiday Season, Michigan's LGBTQ+ Entrepreneurs Are Building Community Spaces Worth Celebrating
Shop local, shop queer
This holiday season, your shopping list can do more than check off gifts — it can support thriving LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs building community spaces across Michigan. From Dexter to Detroit, queer-owned coffee roasters, boutiques and gift shops are creating the kind of visible representation that transforms small towns and strengthens the broader community.
Building visibility in Dexter
For Jess Harmon, managing director of Mighty Good Coffee in Dexter, that visibility means everything. After 16 years in the coffee industry and a stint in Atlanta, Harmon returned to Michigan with a mission to create the kind of space they wished existed when they were growing up in nearby Hamburg.
"Growing up around here, I didn't have visibly queer people to look to," Harmon told Pride Source. "I went to Ann Arbor for that."
Now, as Harmon builds Mighty Good Coffee's new roastery in Dexter — with a cafe called Notable opening by Valentine's Day — they're providing exactly that kind of visibility in a smaller community. Two of their three employees identify as queer, and the impact of that representation isn't lost on them.
"It would have meant a lot to little me to wander into a coffee shop and be like, 'Oh, there's a butch,'" Harmon said. "I think showing up and being in this space means a lot to the smaller queer community that doesn't necessarily have the same representation in smaller towns like this."
Mighty Good Coffee shares its campus with Jolly Pumpkin Dexter, creating what Harmon describes as a combined space with shared values. The roastery is already operational, with beans available for purchase online, making it a perfect holiday gift for the coffee lover on your list.
A decade of Not Sorry Goods
In Ferndale, Jessica Minnick and her business partner Dy-Min Johnson are celebrating a decade with Not Sorry Goods, the woman-, Black- and Latinx-owned sustainable fashion brand they built from a funny T-shirt idea that came up after a kickboxing class. Though they closed their brick-and-mortar store this summer, Not Sorry Goods is currently operating a shop at Detroit's Downtown Holiday Market (60 Cadillac Square) through the first week of January and will continue with an online presence, pop-ups and custom embroidery services from their Ferndale studio.
For Minnick, supporting queer businesses isn't just good practice — it's essential, especially now.
"It's imperative this year just with all of the legislation being passed around the country," Minnick said. "Luckily we live in a state where we're protected, but there's still a lot of discrimination. Queer joy — just being outwardly happy in yourself and existing — is a form of resistance right now."
That philosophy extends beyond Not Sorry Goods' signature "never apologize for being yourself" message. Minnick makes it a point to support queer artists and businesses in her own life, from her hair stylist to nearly every touchpoint.
"It is a conscious decision every day to shop with folks in your community," she said. "It does make a huge difference, and not only just supporting that person, but they're supporting me, and having that community and being able to just be in a safe space."
The Downtown Holiday Market, where Not Sorry Goods is currently located, features 15 local businesses in wooden shops with glass windows and heating, creating what Minnick describes as an experience akin to a German Christmas market. The market, which runs Wednesday through Sunday through Jan. 4, is located near the ice skating rink and holiday tree in downtown Detroit.
The Downtown Detroit Markets are supported by the Gilbert Family Foundation in partnership with Bedrock and TechTown Detroit, providing not just retail space but also training, mentorship and financial support for local entrepreneurs. Laura Grannemann, executive director of the Gilbert Family Foundation, said the markets are "designed to be welcoming public spaces that bring people together and showcase local talent" while "giving BIPOC- and women-owned businesses visibility they often lack.”
Not Sorry Goods' snowflake-themed shop showcases their upcycled clothing and designs — a fitting choice, as Minnick says snowflakes represent the brand's core message about individuality. Among their bestsellers are the "never apologize for being yourself" shirts and Dan Campbell Fan Club hats created by Cottage LvL Chaos, another local queer artist.
The Dan Campbell gear speaks to something bigger in Detroit right now. The Lions coach has become a symbol of hope and resilience for the city, and seeing that fandom celebrated through queer-created merchandise matters. "Everyone loves our football coach and he's just been a great beacon of hope for our team and a good champion for the city," Minnick said.
The "never apologize" message resonates just as broadly. "It doesn't matter if you're young, if you're old, your race, your sexuality, your religion. It's a good reminder that we are all connected."
Also at the Downtown Holiday Market is Bespoke by Feldman, a queer-supportive business specializing in handmade leather goods. Owner Sarah Feldman creates lightweight leather earrings and accessories — all made in Detroit — that have become popular gift items.
What makes these businesses particularly special is how they support one another. Not Sorry Goods hosts work from more than 25 local artists in their markets and collaborates with other queer creators. This unified spirit — lifting each other up, sharing spaces and cross-promoting — is at the heart of the market.
For even more queer-owned and affirming shopping options, Not Sorry Goods maintains a comprehensive "Local Love" resource page that showcases indie businesses across the region.
Where else to shop queer
The list of queer-owned businesses across Southeast Michigan continues to grow. In Detroit, options include Avalon International Breads with multiple locations, Good Cakes and Bakes on Livernois Avenue, JP Makes and Bakes on Woodward Avenue and Detroit Vegan Soul on Grand River Avenue. Hazel Perk Cafe in Hazel Park hosts community events including drag bingo and LGBTQ+ social meet-ups. Shoppers can find Public Thrift, a worker-owned queer, woman and Black-owned thrift store in Hamtramck, or browse Well Done Goods for Detroit manhole print apparel.
Ann Arbor offers Vertex Coffee Roasters with locations in both Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti, the vegetarian restaurant Seva, Seva, long-time queer-affirming dance club Necto, and Uplift, an LGBTQ+ bar that opened in 2024 featuring drag shows and community events. The North Star Lounge hosts LGBTQ+ nights on Thursdays with open mics, drag shows and live music.
In Ferndale, in addition to Not Sorry Goods' studio, shoppers can visit LGBTQ-owned Giorgio Conti Jewelers on Woodward Avenue and the Rust Belt Market, which features many stalls operated by queer owners and creators and a wide range of queer-affirming products to round out your gift list.
For those specifically seeking trans-supportive shopping options, Pride Source columnist Anni Arbour recently highlighted resources including the Transanta gift registry for trans youth, trans-friendly bookstores lik e Sidetrack Bookshop in Royal Oak and Vault of Midnight's locations across the state, and trans-created works from artists like Julia Kaye and Ann Arbor's own Carta Monir. Read the full column at pridesource.com.
Whether you're shopping for coffee beans from a Dexter roastery, upcycled fashion from a downtown Detroit holiday market or handmade leather goods (or just grabbing a coffee from a queer coffeeshop as you’re out and about this season), each purchase supports entrepreneurs who are building more than businesses — they're creating visible, affirming spaces where the next generation of LGBTQ+ Michiganders can see themselves reflected.
"Anyone can come shop here and we just want to make sure that you're happy and comfortable and that we've helped you bring out the best version of you," Minnick said. "And it's so important right now."
Shop Local, Shop Queer
Avalon International Breads, throughout Michigan
avalonbreads.net
Beatnix on 9, 224 W. Nine Mile Road, Ferndale
instagram.com/beatnix_on_9
Bespoke by Feldman, Downtown Holiday Market and online
byfeldman.com
Blooms & Baubles, 22963 Woodward Ave., Ferndale
bloomsandbaubles.com
Bluestocking Bookshop, 12330 James St., Holland
bluestockingbookshop.com
CJ Hammer Hard Accessories, 753 W. Nine Mile Road, Ferndale
hammerhard.net
Cottage LvL Chaos (Dan Campbell Fan Club gear), online
cottagelvlchaos.square.site
Cuddles & Blunts, online
cuddlesandblunts.bigcartel.com
Detroit Vegan Soul, 19614 Grand River Ave., Detroit
detroitvegansoul.com
Gay Nerd Goods, online
gaynerdgoods.com
Good Cakes and Bakes, 19363 Livernois Ave., Detroit
goodcakesandbakes.com
Harmonic Threads, 239 E 9 Mile Road, Ferndale
wearharmonicthreads.com
Hazel Perk Cafe, 21403 John R Road, Hazel Park
Mighty Good Coffee, 2319 Bishop Circle, Dexter
mightygoodcoffee.com
Not Sorry Goods, Downtown Holiday Market (through early January) and online
notsorrygoods.com
Public Thrift, 10237 Joseph Campau, Hamtramck
detroitpublicthrift.com
Sidetrack Bookshop, 325 S Washington Ave., Royal Oak
sidetrackbookshop.com
Support the T (products at This, That & the ODDer things, 50 E. Cross St., Ypsilanti)
supportthet.com
Transanta Gift Registry, online
transanta.org
Uplift, 210 S. First St., Ann Arbor
upliftannarbor.com
Vault of Midnight, Ann Arbor, Detroit and Grand Rapids
vaultofmidnight.com
Vertex Coffee Roasters, Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti
vertexcoffeeroasters.com
For more queer-owned businesses, visit notsorrygoods.com , The Detroit Regional LGBT Chamber of Commerce at detroitlgbtchamber.com and pridesource.com.
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