June will be Active
Between Pride and Juneteenth, Flag Day and Father’s Day, not to mention all the shop birthdays… June is going to be a very active month for us. Caroline will be at the Asbury Park Pride Parade manning the APT table and holding a silent auction of a blanket that Doreen made to benefit the Rainbow Railroad. Flash Day is a Friday the 13th flash day and you know what that means…client appreciation gift certificates!!! Brand new Friday the 13th Flash is coming next week! Everyone will be drawing a $31 sheet, a $50 sheet and a $100 sheet, arms and legs only. Happy Birthday to Doreen, Tom and Melanie!
Ink and Identity: How Tattoos Celebrate and Chronicle LGBTQ+ Pride
Throughout history, tattoos have been a powerful form of self-expression, rebellion, and solidarity. For the LGBTQ+ community, body art has long served as a deeply personal and political canvas—a place where pride, resistance, love, and identity are made visible and permanent. As Pride Month approaches, it’s worth celebrating how tattoos have not only mirrored the LGBTQ+ experience but have also helped shape queer visibility and culture.
A History of Hidden Symbols and Bold Statements
Long before rainbow flags adorned city streets in June, queer people used discreet symbols to identify one another and claim space in a hostile world. Tattoos played a part in this quiet communication. Some chose the Greek letter lambda, the pink triangle reclaimed from Nazi persecution, or the black triangle—once used to mark lesbians as "asocial"—as acts of quiet defiance and personal affirmation.
Over time, as the LGBTQ+ rights movement gained ground and visibility, tattoos became bolder and more colorful—literally and figuratively. The rise of Pride tattoos—rainbows, unicorns, slogans like “Love is Love,” or portraits of queer icons—coincided with a growing acceptance of queer identities in mainstream culture. What was once a covert signal became a proud proclamation.
Ink as Activism
Tattoos can also be tools of activism. A person might choose ink that honors the lives lost to AIDS, commemorates the Stonewall riots, or calls for trans rights. Some get tattoos to mark their coming out date, honor chosen family, or memorialize queer joy and resilience in a world that still offers too little of either.
During times of political backlash or anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, visible tattoos become acts of courage. A rainbow heart on a wrist or the phrase “Born This Way” across a shoulder blade can signal solidarity and serve as a public statement: I’m here. I’m proud. I’m not going back.
Art that Tells the Truth
Tattoos are more than decoration—they are declarations. For queer people, they tell stories of struggle and survival, of transformation and triumph. They mark heartbreak and healing, rebellion and rebirth.
As we celebrate Pride, we should also honor the artists and clients who use tattooing to write queer narratives on flesh. These images—etched in ink and lived in skin—remind us that pride isn’t just a month, a march, or a parade. It’s a lifelong journey, worn proudly, one line at a time.
Tattoo Shops as Queer Spaces
Tattooing has often flourished at society’s margins, making it a natural ally of queer culture. LGBTQ+ tattooers have carved out inclusive spaces that honor body diversity, respect pronouns, and center consent—often in contrast to more traditional or macho tattoo environments.
Queer-owned tattoo studios have become sanctuaries for self-expression, especially for trans and nonbinary clients. For many, getting tattooed is a form of gender affirmation: covering old scars, reclaiming one’s body, or aligning one’s exterior with internal truth. The tattoo process—collaborative, intimate, and body-focused—can be deeply empowering.
Whether it’s a minimalist rainbow or a full-back portrait of Marsha P. Johnson, every piece of body art tells a story. For many in the LGBTQ+ community, those stories are everything.
Happy Pride—and pass the stencil. 🌈
