Pride season is around the corner. Smither’s Swimwear releases a limited edition pride pair every year. First, I love that they do this. Being a smaller brand, it’s not easy to do. Second, it shows their support for the LGBTQ+ community. I have last year’s pair and love it; unfortunately, due to COVID, I never got to wear it out in the sun with it much. However, this year that will change!
“Carrying on from last year’s sold out Rebound print, the design inspiration for Unity is the iconic rainbow Pride flag, however this time, we’ve incorporated the five-coloured chevron from the ‘Progress’ Pride flag to place a greater emphasis on inclusion and progression in line with artist, Daniel Quasar’s vision”
The rainbow is synonymous with the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) community. The recent addition to the flag includes black and brown stripes to represent marginalised LGBTQ+ communities of colour, along with pink, light blue, and white, which are featured on the transgender Pride flag.
Beyond the colours, the Unity print by Smithers aims to encapsulate the driving forces that have lead to the Progress flag becoming the new permanent fixture for the LGBTQ+ community. It’s a sign of the times that with change and progress comes chance. If we continue on this trajectory of progress, new opportunities will open up. Let’s continue to have conversations and healthy debates to re-shape our thinking.
By doing our bit with Smithers, hopefully we create increased awareness of intersecting forms of oppression, and therefore the need for further intersectional inclusion. We are a community that has, and is, making great progress. And yet we have so much more to do.
Get the new Unity suit from Smither’s for $85, that’s Australian Dollars.
