From drag brunch to knitting classes, check out these seven LGBTQ+ run businesses on Vancouver Island
Photo by Sabina Mendoza-Brown.
Want to support local queer owned businesses in and around Victoria outside of pride month? This list has you covered, with everything from drag brunch and inclusive shopping experiences to knitting classes and 2SLGBTQIA+ legal services.
The Vicious Poodle
From drag brunch to U-Haul Night, The Vicious Poodle offers a wide range of events and performances, with some variations every week. Other weekly and monthly events include weekly karaoke on Tuesdays, the drag variety show “Church” on the second, fourth, and fifth Friday of the month, and drag brunch every Saturday and Sunday. The Vicious Poodle is a proudly queer business; in an interview with Chek News, owner Socrates Diamant stated “we’re not LGBT-friendly, we’re an LGBTQ+ bar, and we’re straight-friendly.”
Located on Johnson St., The Vicious Poodle is open Tuesday to Sunday, with daily happy hours from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Goo Goo Goggles Optical
Looking for a new pair of glasses? Stop by Goo Goo Goggles Optical on Fort St. to find unique and vintage frames. This queer-owned independent optical shop organizes their glasses by brand, not gender, for a more inclusive shopping experience. With queer and allied staff members, Goo Goo Goggles Optical aims to create a “space where you can feel safe and seen.” They are open Monday to Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
The Brass Iris Studio
The Brass Iris is a queer-owned tattoo studio in Esquimalt, with a team of queer artists whose key values are to be community focused, accessible, and environmentally conscious. They also host bi-monthly art markets, which feature a number of local queer and trans+ owned small businesses. Appointments can be booked with the artists directly through Instagram, which are available on The Brass Iris website.
Dumpling Drop
Next time you’re downtown, head over to Chinatown and grab some food at Dumpling Drop. Owner and operator Tarn Tayanuth started the business to support her mother following an Alzheimer’s diagnosis. Visit this queer- and woman-owned restaurant to grab some pork belly or vegan dumplings for $8.75. You can also purchase frozen dumplings to satisfy your cravings at home, while still shopping locally. Dumpling Drop is open daily from 11:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
The Spinnacle Yarn Cafe
Located in Langford, this queer owned business started as The World’s Littlest LYS (Little Yarn Shop) in fall 2022 in a shipping container. Despite having moved a few blocks away to their new location on Veterans Memorial Parkway, The Spinnacle Yarn Cafe’s owners say their company’s vision remains the same, “BC goods, helping hands, and connecting through creativity.” Whether you want to shop for yarn, take knitting classes, or participate in community events like fundraisers, the Spinnacle Yarn Cafe is open Tuesday to Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Proper Poke Piercing and Tattoo
Proper Poke is an eco-conscious body modification studio, offering piercings and tattoos. Piercer Amus Beasto, who formerly pierced out of Union Tattoo Shop and has had a career spanning over 20 years, opened the shop in 2021. Proper Poke has a staff of piercers and tattoo artists ranging from apprentices to experts, and they also sell jewelry in their storefront. Proper Poke is open daily from 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Breakwater Law
If you’re ever in need of legal help (though I hope you aren’t), try the queer-owned law firm Breakwater Law. Lawyer, arbitrator, and co-founder of Breakwater Law Jo McFetridge is a graduate of UVic’s Faculty of Law and frequently works with the 2SLGBTQIA+ and trans+ communities.
Breakwater Law primarily works on family and fertility law, wills and estates, and business law, but their lawyers practice in a range of other fields as well.
