Ever since Rachael Newby and Sarah Couvillon started dating in 2020, the London, Ont., couple have made it a tradition to rock rainbow gear at Pride events each year.
But they noticed it was very difficult to find clothes outside of June – the official Pride month. This inspired the couple to start their business Rainbow Certified, which sells LGBTQ clothing and accessories year-round.
“Businesses and communities like to come together in June to recognize that, but then it’s kind of forgotten, which is really sad because within the community there’s always so much support that’s needed,” said Newby.
“Especially with all the hate that’s been in the news lately, the LGBTQ community should be celebrated every day and that’s why we do it,” she added.
The stores are short of a guest bedroom in the couple’s home and sell everything from Christmas tree decorations, stickers, clothes and pins, which they ship to 35 different countries. They promote the brand through social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok.
This year they did the Loved by TikTok category, along with four other Canadian companies. They have 42,000 subscribers and their videos have over 525,000 likes.
Couvillon admitted the couple were caught off guard with all the love they had on TikTok.
“I was in disbelief. I was like, ‘Is this real? Is this a typo?’ Being within the community and having what people give us in their likes and shares, really helps us grow and pushes us further,” she said.
Inspire others in the community
A strong motivation for Newby and Couvillon is to see how Rainbow Certified creates a representative space for everyone within the LGBTQ community, especially young queer people who may struggle to find themselves.
“We’ve had messages from people saying we’ve given them the confidence to come out and that’s like the biggest compliment I can imagine,” Couvillon said. “I love being part of those special moments and knowing that the little differences we bring help people.”
But with love also comes negative feedback, and the couple say they’re no exception. But they don’t let the animosity get to them and keep pushing forward, Newby said.
“A lot of the hate is just against the community, how of course LGBTQ people are sadly not seen as accepted by much of the world, but that inspires us more,” Couvillon said.
“For us, that means touching more people’s lives and maybe even helping those who look at us differently and not in such a positive light, to maybe change their minds,” Newby added.
The couple hope their work will help give the next generation the confidence to be themselves. They plan to eventually expand their business and focus on its retail aspect.
But alongside that, they have a lot to celebrate: the two recently got engaged and plan to tie the knot next year.
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