LGBTQ+ Artists on DeviantArt

There is no understating the importance of a global community. While there will always be a wealth of different experiences guided by personal backgrounds, regional customs, and many other meaningful factors, the benefit to a community that spans the world is that people with common experiences can come together and show one another support even from thousands of miles away.

DeviantArt is a place LGBTQ+ artists from around the world call home. Art is an important means of expression, especially so when covering identity, and is one of many ways that members of the LGBTQ+ community connect with and show support for one another.

We reached out to LGBTQ+ deviants for their thoughts on what Pride means to them, and how art as a means of identity expression is important to them. They shared their thoughts with us and had the following to say:

“Up until recently I've always been scared of being part of the LGBTQ+ community. I realized within myself that I was a lesbian at around the end of high school. With my family culture I couldn't afford to come out to them or it would risk my own life and safety. I found out later that showing an ounce that I am a lesbian can cost me my own job. I hid myself, for a very long time only keeping myself in trusted views of people I knew that really cared for me. Seeing pride pass by each year made me yearn to one day be free of this. Watching them celebrate with pride of who they were. Of who I was. Now that I'm older, I am freelancing as an artist, there isn't anyone who can harm me now. I can finally be part of Pride, finally have Pride to me. The online art community has been one of the most welcoming and accepting of LGBTQ+ people. That can save people. It saved me, knowing I wasn't alone in not fitting in with the norm. I can make paintings of my gal being together and having cute moments. No one questions it, instead it gets praised and even celebrated as normal. I can paint with freedoms that's not available in real life without fear of maybe something could happen. Art is freedom.” - Hap-py

“To me, pride is a time to appreciate those who fought for our rights in the past, and to continue fighting for our rights going forward. Pride is a celebration, a protest, and a statement. Like my gender and orientation, art is tied in to who I am as a person. When most people think of me, they probably think "oh they're that person who is good at art." It defines me, and that is important to me. Everyone needs an identity of some kind whether they realize it or not.” - druidbones

“The concept of Pride has changed for me as I’ve grown so I think it can also mean something different for different people depending on when they are in the process of discovering and accepting themselves. For me right now it means a celebration of oneself, we’re told since the day we’re born that if you don’t adjust to the norm then you are wrong and you should be ashamed of that, is when you realize that this is false, that there’s nothing wrong with you no matter what your sexuality or gender identity is, when you’re free to do exactly the opposite, instead of feeling ashamed of what you are, you celebrate it! Also, especially in the times we’re living in, it also means a struggle and a fight, after all, Pride in itself started as a protest and I think it remains a protest. Some advances have been made of course, but the fight for true equality is far from over, there is still so much to do. I read somewhere and I agree with it: ‘Pride has a lot of glitter, but it still reflects power.’ For me, art is the ultimate way of communication and the best way to show what you really think and feel because it comes from deep within you. Art conveys so much more than words, sometimes you can see an art piece and not fully understand it, but it makes you feel something, you can like it or hate it, but you can’t explain why. The same happens when you’re the one creating the art, sometimes you don’t know how to say something with words, but if you let it, you can express so much through art, and most importantly, it will be something real, genuine, and without masks. So what better way than creating art to express your identity?” - Thiefoworld

Your Thoughts

• Share one or a few of your favorite Pride-themed art works on DeviantArt!

• Tag friends on DeviantArt who have shown you support!

Don’t forget to tell us what Pride means to you on our first Pride Month on DeviantArt journal to get a Pride badge for your Profile, and feel free to use the two images at the top of this journal by 1ore and JoJoesArt as cover images on your Profile as well!