Celebrating LGBTQIA+ NFT artists and projects

When it comes to inclusivity, Web3 sometimes gets a bad rap. And for good reason: bullying, Bitcoin bros, and exclusion by the loudest voices on the internet can deter anyone from aping into the future of finance.

A few notable LGBTQIA+ artists are creating real inclusivity in Web3, and they deserve a spotlight. There are NFT artists that preach community, and then there are those that live it. 

To celebrate Pride Month, here are some outstanding LGBTQIA+ NFT artists and projects worth following.

Artists

Vanshika

Vanshika is a South Asian, neurodivergent, bisexual artist, best known for The Desi Dulhan Club. Unabashed and outspoken, Vanshika is using the collection—and her platform—to bring South Asian representation to Web3 while also raising awareness for child marriage, dowry death, honor killing, and female infanticide across the globe. She is motivated by the 650 million women worldwide who were once child brides—including her own grandmother.

When browsing the Desi Dulhans collection, you’ll immediately notice that none of the women have lips. This is intentional, and Vanshika’s way of depicting the way that many women are intimidated and silenced in their marriages.

Brittany Pierre

Brittany Pierre is a queer Black photographer with a mission to create Black generational wealth through crypto. Sounds like a lofty goal, so how exactly does she go about doing this? By onboarding Black creators into Web3 and educating them about all things crypto and NFTs. 

Brittany’s collections include the five-piece aerial OneofOnes landscapes, the 1/1 PTO photograph collection that honors her mother, the Chicago: Black+White that, you guessed it, features black and white stills of Chicago, and her signature BlackisGold that celebrates Black beauty on the blockchain. 

Brittany engages with BlackisGold participants by personally educating and onboarding them into Web3. She walks each person through the complete NFT journey, including beginner steps like opening an account on OpenSea and purchasing Ethereum. In a true sign of good faith, Brittany also shares a percentage of royalties with holders.

Paff Evara and Hannah Peacock

Paff and Hannah are an NFT power couple. The queer, non-binary pair are bringing their expertise and passion for inclusion, access, and education to Web3. 

As a former pro-athlete-turned-entrepreneur, Hannah is the artist, educator, operational whiz, and general jack of all trades. Paff, named to the 2022 LinkedIn list of Top Voices, is a storyteller and marketing / DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) expert behind the vision and brand.

Recognizing a representation gap in the NFT space, together they launched Take Up Space, a Web3 initiative with a mission to provide education, resources, community, and funding to onboard the next 10,000 BIPOC & LGBTQIA+ leaders into Web3. In April, Take Up Space launched their signature Changemaker collection, featuring 1,111 hand-drawn, genderless, and intentionally diverse NFT avatars.

The Take Up Space story, vision, mission, roadmap, and initiatives can be found in Paff and Hannah’s Rainbow Paper.

Jack

Jack is a gay 1/1 artist and illustrator, championing diversity and inclusion in Web3. His bright 3D art style will surely put a smile on your face, bringing playfulness, joy, and color to everyday objects and plants.

Jack’s collections include the flowery four-piece Fragile Flora, the glassy 1/1 Fragile Funga, the hopeful and joyous eight-piece Delicate Doodles, and the delicate and lovable 11-piece Fragile Friends. Together, these collections make up a larger body of work “designed to support and celebrate marginalized creators in Web3.”

Projects

Melancholy Monsters Club

Melancholy Monsters Club is an LGBTQIA+ and women-led social impact project that’s building a safer, more accessible, and inclusive Web3. The Discord and Twitter communities are intended to be a safe space for all, which stands in stark contrast to some corners of Web3.

Mental health is baked into the DNA of the project. Co-founder Grizzle has worked in the mental health field for over 11 years. To cope with the way she was treated when she first came out as a lesbian, Grizzle doodled a comic series about two monsters in love that faced ostracization and misunderstanding from the outside world. 

These monster drawings are the very same that make up the 5,000 NFTs in the collection. They’re inspired by a world that may see them as scary, when in reality they’re anything but. 

Grizzle and the team firmly believe in the potential for Web3 to be “safe, diverse, inclusive, intersectional, and accessible to all people.” They’re out to break down the stereotypes of the perceived monster exterior.

Avius Animae

When it comes to supporting causes financially, Avius Animae puts their money where their mouth is. After minting, they donated 50% of their mint profits (matching 50 ETH for a total of 100 ETH) to LGBTQIA+ organizations via the Giving Block. 

They doubled down this June by deciding to donate 100% of their monthly royalties via the same cryptocurrency donation platform. “That money is typically earmarked for development, paying salaries, etc.,” artist and founder John Jannuzzi wrote in a LinkedIn post. “But my team is so dope and believes in the mission so much that we said f**k it.” If you’re searching for a dedicated NFT project with clear goals and no fuss in how to achieve them, look no further.

Queer Friends Genesis Collection

Queer Friends Genesis Collection is an NFT project that was created by Jones, Christa, and Jackie to make holders feel represented by the NFTs they own. This sentiment is epitomized in their mission to “amplify the voices of women, gender queer and LGBTQ+ friends and provide them with community, education, representation, and opportunity in Web3.”

Queer Friends is looking to build a robust, inclusive community, both in the virtual world and real life. Look out for their mural painting event at NFT.NYC 2022, where artist in residence Rarigrafix will create an outdoor mural in conjunction with Third Rail Art. You can also meet up with fellow community members after the painting for free food, drinks, and giveaways.

Mutual

Mutual is a Web3 ecosystem and NFT marketplace that provides a platform for trans and queer creators, curators, and community/culture leaders in the space. Created by Anuva and Alex Guerra, The inclusive marketplace is using blockchain technology to create a thriving hub for the LGTBQIA+ community, harnessing the power of Web3 “to build generational wealth, access, intellectual ownership, and equity for trans and queer folks.” 

They do this on-chain via intellectual ownership and equity, and by donating a portion of network fees to fund direct action mutual aid. But they also celebrate their community in real life, such as the upcoming Mutual Love Fest at NFT.NYC. This IRL meetup will center on their trans and queer creators as an inclusive Pride Month celebration.

Quinley Quokka

Quinley Quokka is an intersectional and inclusive NFT collection that celebrates 2SLGBTQIA+ icons and pioneers. The project was founded by Mako Highflyer to create a “radically inclusive Web3 community, connected through a joyful celebration of queer excellence.” 

He chose the quokka (also called the short-tailed scrub wallaby) as the mascot for the project due to the adorable creature’s homosexuality, polyamorous nature, and minimal identifiable differences between the sexes. 

Mako has committed to setting aside 30% of all mint royalties and future sales from the upcoming Generation Q project for charitable purposes. 

Although the beneficiaries have yet to be chosen, the criteria for selection has already been clearly defined. Organizations must align with queer community values and the principles behind the Progressive Pride Flag colors: Life, Healing, Sunlight, Nature, Harmony and Spirit.

In addition to managing the project, Mako has also hosted Queer Pioneers, a podcast that celebrates the different sections of the global LGBTQIA+ community, featuring special guests.

PridePunks 2018

Derivative NFTs are nothing new. So long as floor prices remain unaffordable for the average user, copycats and knockoffs will always exist to give prospective buyers exposure to blue chip-inspired projects. 

Pride Punks 2018 is the very first CryptoPunks derivative project. Although they are not affiliated with Punks creators Larva Labs, the project has proof of their status as the original derivative, dating back to the original mint in 2018. 

During Pride Month in 2018, only two NFTs were minted. Fast forward four years later and the project has undergone somewhat of a rediscovery phase. In 2022, users were able to mint new NFTs on the original 2018 contract, bringing the total number of NFTs available on OpenSea from two to 10,000.

The project launched to piggyback on the fame and visibility of the original Punks by raising awareness for the lack of diversity in the Web3 space. Pride Punks’ unique derivative style shines through its signature rainbow backgrounds.

Honorable mentions

Hazel

​​Hazel is a queer digital artist that celebrates black queerness via hand-drawn pencil art. Their signature Self Acceptance collection was created to tell the self-acceptance stories of black queer individuals “and how they thrive in a country that doesn’t acknowledge their existence.”

Fang Fatales

Fang Fatales is a story-driven NFT project about lesbian vampires from artist & writer Berenike. Chapters, which are released weekly, are free and open to the public. All proceeds from minting (currently live) support more chapters and future collaborations with other artists and projects.

All the Same

All the Same is an NFT project that facilitates access to a global networking community of LGBTQIA+ artists and creators. With resources for LGBTQIA+ mental health services and plans to host the first Pride in the metaverse, the project lives by its founding statement: No one left behind.

Jaguar Gang

Released as a free mint for its parent project Ape Gang’s Gang Wars Season 1, Jaguar Gang is a collection of pixelated jungle cat NFTs. Of the total 5,000 NFTs in the collection, 114 have special LGTBQIA+ traits (2.28%). 

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