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Pride 2023: We're here and we're queer — with loads of fun gear

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SAXX Underwear — Courtesy photo
SAXX Underwear — Courtesy photo

Pride isn't just a parade in June anymore. It's a whole vibe — a full-blown aesthetic that suffuses our lifestyles year-round. Kick off this new season with these fresh finds designed with us in mind.

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Let the Light Shine In boxer briefs
Hang loose (but not too loose) in SAXX's super-soft Let the Light Shine In boxer briefs, designed by queer artist Carlos Oliveras Colom, who tapped into his LGBTQ+ and Afro-Latinx experiences to create this colorful, curvy, comfortable pair of skivvies that give off more than a few vibes. $34, SAXXUnderwear.com

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Stonewall '69 candle
A torch still burns bright for LGBTQ+ equality — even though these dark times sometimes hinder its light — and you can hold vigil with Kendi Lux's soy blend, lemon-leaf-and-jasmine-scented Stonewall '69 candle commemorating the movement-defining riot that blazed our first path. $17.50, KendiLux.com

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Rainbow earring studs
Sometimes less is more — yep, even at Pride — and Alexis Jae's rainbow stud earrings (constructed of recycled gold and ethically sourced gems) are an understated statement piece that gives your lobes lowkey sparkle without clamoring for attention. Wear both or split 'em up to share with a friend. $135, AlexisJae.com

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Personalized pronouns note kit
The art of suggestion isn't lost on queer-owned Nice Paper Goods, which offers a first-of-its-kind personalized pronoun note kit — an all-in-one stationery set complete with 10 cards, envelopes, and US Forever stamps that never expire, and it's printed with your preferred pronouns under your chosen name. $32, NicePaperGoods.com

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Dentata ring
Teeth — the 2007 horror-comedy about a good Christian girl with a mean set of chompers in her "sacred place" — was probably enough to turn a few guys gay, but many feminists have reclaimed the vagina dentata myth as a symbol of pride and empowerment. All "belts" are off with KIL NYC's dentata ring, featuring a spiked mouth design that curves around the finger, mimicking the way a Victorian chastity would have been worn. Even better, 10% of each sale will support Her Justice, an organization dedicated to helping impoverished women in New York City. $150, KIL-NYC.com

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Rainbow rolling papers
Puff, puff, pass the Pride — legally, of course — when you share your supply wrapped in Papers+Ink Studios' prismatic, organic, unbleached hemp rolling papers available in eight styles, including Love Lines, Tie Dye Fantastic, Cheeky Checkers, and We Say Gay!, among others. $14-$25, PapersAndInk.com

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Rainbow coin purse
Pocketless at the parade? Par for the course when you prefer to party in sequined banana hammocks, but Pop of Confetti has you covered with its cute-AF rainbow seed-bead coin purse that stashes your contraband . . . and condoms (because safe sex is still sexy, y'all). $32, PopOfConfetti.com

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Calvin Klein Pride jocks
Cyndi Lauper didn't anticipate you prancing around in your barely-there Calvins when she invited you to show your true colors, but Calvin Klein's "Pride Edit" five-pack thong set in a spectrum of flashy colors is practically begging for a remix. $42, CalvinKlein.com

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NEFT Vodka Pride barrel
Cocktail connoisseurs typically have a go-to spirit to get them in, well, the spirit, but consider corking your staple swill this season and switching it out for something sassier, like NEFT Vodka's pop-arty, community-supporting Pride barrels, made with oxygen-rich water filtered deep in Austria's Rhaetian Alps for an earthy, slightly sweet front and minerally smooth finish. $45, Shop.NEFTVodkaUS.com

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Rene jacket
It's hard to choose just one Pride-primed piece from Orttu's expansive collection of sophisti-sensual wearable art, but our money's on its mesmerizing, double-breasted Rene jacket in deep black, featuring uniquely sculpted sleeves and a stunning geometric laser light print in high-contrast yellow-gold, so you can show up in the VIP room as a status whoa instead of status quo. $450, Orttu.com

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Rainbow Parenting guide
Pride starts at home — it was born in the streets only out of necessity — and Lindz Amer's Rainbow Parenting: Your Guide to Raising Queer Kids and Their Allies not only serves as a sign of how far we've come but also provides effective tools for understanding, accepting and respecting LGBTQ+ minds and bodies — which is all we really want anyway. $19, US.Macmillan.com

Mikey Rox is an award-winning journalist and LGBT lifestyle expert whose work has been published in more than 100 outlets across the world. Connect with Mikey on Instagram @mikeyroxtravels.