A matter of pride

Pankti Chheda is the owner of Moving Meals, a freeze-dried and ready-to-eat service

Representation is important, which is why, earlier this month, the dating app Tinder collaborated with queer space Gaysi Family and an e-commerce service, to launch a virtual platform called Queer Made that provides space and representation to queer businesses, with the aim to amplify their products, beyond Pride month. The platform now features over 80 brands, with categories like home decor, fashion, snacks, pet accessories, merchandise and more for buyers to choose from. "We're primarily trying to promote and give a platform to businesses owned and run by queer folk. We also have a service on the website called Spotlight, which gives services or products that aren't immediately redeemable, like customised pieces, for people to know about them a bit more. We're still adding more brands till the end of this month," says Gaysi founder Sakshi Juneja.

"Internationally, there's a strong sense of community and loyalty towards queer-run businesses; we're trying to replicate that here," she adds. In addition, Tinder will match the sales made by the platform over a 10-week period, and donate the amount to Born2Win, a transgender-person-led organisation working towards aiding trans communities with education and employment.

Pankti Chheda and Sakshi Juneja

Mumbai-based Pankti Chheda is the owner of Moving Meals, a ready-to-eat meal service that is now on the platform too. "This will help me gain visibility. I feel there's a lot more support flowing in for queer businesses right now, especially on social media," says Chheda.

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