Queer Joy: Why I Made a Bandana About Happiness as Resistance
The Queer Joy bandana was the first bandana I ever made. I wanted to create a piece of queer joy that could be worn every day - something that celebrated queerness without defaulting to rainbow colours. Not that there's anything wrong with rainbows, but queer joy is so much bigger than a specific colour palette.
Growing up under Section 28
I grew up under the shadow of Section 28, where queerness was something difficult to discuss, shrouded in fear. There were few role models, little support, and no teachers who were out and LGBTQIA+. The result was shame and secrecy - living a double life, hiding fundamental parts of me. It took me ages to work out that I'm a queer, trans masculine person who deserves happiness just like anyone else.
I'm one of the lucky ones. Lucky to be here. So many of my friends didn't make it. That's something I carry with me every day, and it's part of why this bandana exists.
Joy is resistance
Every symbol on this bandana means something. The carnations are a nod to Oscar Wilde, who wore a green carnation (and encouraged others to do so) as a signal of queerness. The lavender is a nod to the Lavender Menace - the lesbian feminists who turned a slur into a rallying cry. There are roses for love, unicorns for magic, and many gender and sexuality based symbols woven through the design, all surrounded by phrases that feel like affirmations: LIVE YOUR TRUTH, SHINE BRIGHT, PROUD AND FREE. And right along the bottom edge - JOY IS RESISTANCE.
When the world tells you that you shouldn't exist, finding joy is one of the most powerful things you can do.
Why it had to be cotton
It was really important to me that this bandana was non-synthetic, 100% cotton. I wanted it to feel soft, to be breathable, and to be an item you'll reach for throughout the year - to soak in water and tie around your neck on a warm day, tucked into a pocket at a celebration and wrapped around your wrist at a march.
Beyond Pride
Pride season always ends the same way - the parades end, the flags come down, and the world moves on. But queer joy isn't seasonal.
This bandana is a reminder that pride is something you carry all year: on a weekday to work, at a march, or just tied around your wrist as you nip to the shops. When the world tells you that you shouldn't exist, choosing joy every single day is one of the most radical things we can do.
A Place of Belonging
This Queer Joy bandana is proudly stocked at Queer Britain - the UK's first LGBTQ+ museum. The idea that something I made now sits inside a space dedicated to preserving and celebrating queer history, gives me so much joy.
I want people to always feel like they have a place in this world. That's what this bandana is really about - a reminder that your joy matters, and always will.
Written by Fox Fisher
