The LGBTQ+ community has a long history with vibrant colors and flowers symbolizing their love and individualism. As an homage to the Queer community, we are proud to share LGBTQ+ Pride-inspired drinks for you to enjoy at home or to add to your coffee shop’s menu in celebration of Pride month.
Over the years, the queer community has taken symbols that once were wielded as weapons against them as a method of displaying their pride and refusal to be intimidated by their oppressors. A fine example of this is the Lavender flower.
Lavender FlowersThere is speculation as to how the Lavender flower became a symbol of Gay pride. Some say it’s because pink and blue, colors that traditionally represent girls and boys respectively, when mixed turn into a lovely lavender color. Others attribute it to a statement Betty Friedan made regarding the lesbian community, referring to them as the “lavender menace” that would harm the feminist movement. In turn, the theory is the term was embraced as a term of empowerment for lesbians and brought to light the importance of lesbian rights in the feminist movement. Let’s celebrate this impactful moment in lesbian history with the Lavender Menace Latte!
Torani Lavender Menace Latte
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The RainbowThe rainbow has represented the LGBTQ+ community since 1978 when an openly gay San Francisco supervisor named Harvey Milk encouraged Gilbert Baker to create a symbol of pride for the Queer community. Baker decided upon a rainbow flag, as he saw the rainbow as “a natural flag from the sky.” He designated an individual meaning for each color; hot pink for sex, red for life, orange for healing, yellow for sunlight, green for nature, turquoise for art, indigo for harmony, and violet for spirit. In 2017, the rainbow flag was redesigned again to be more inclusive for all community members. Let’s create our rainbow with the Sparkling Rainbow Lemonade!
Sparkling Rainbow Lemonade
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Sappho, Vivian, and VioletsThe color Violet, while a part of the rainbow, has its unique stamp on the Queer Community. Violet is not only celebrated as a color but also as its flower form. This comes from Sappho, the female Greek antiquity poet. The words “sapphic” and “lesbian” stem from Sappho’s references to her home in the isle of lesbos that coincided with her erotic descriptions of women. Renee Vivian was a British poet who relieved heavily on the symbolism of violets in her work and inspired the social group “Paris Lesbos,” named after Sappho's island home. Celebrate Sappho and the Paris Lesbos with the Violet Iced Tea!
Violet Iced Tea
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Creating a Haven
After a long and complicated history, coffee shops have long since become a haven for the Queer Community. Display your allyship by adding these fun and festive drinks to your coffee shop menu, or make them at home for your Pride Party. However you celebrate, remember to spread the love and support of your friends, family, and neighbors. Let your space be a place for peace, love, and laughter. Happy Pride Month!
Sources
Gonzalez, Nora. "How Did the Rainbow Flag Become a Symbol of LGBTQ Pride?". Encyclopedia Britannica, 20 Jun. 2017, https://www.britannica.com/story/how-did-the-rainbow-flag-become-a-symbol-of-lgbt-pride. Accessed 11 June 2024.
Willingham, AJ. “The Secret Queer History of Flowers”. CNN, 27 Jun. 2023, https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/25/us/flowers-lgbtq-lavender-meaning-cec/index.html. Accessed June 11, 2024.
