Pride Month is just around the corner! In June, the queer community is celebrated worldwide, but there are also demonstrations and awareness-raising campaigns. Because people of the LGBTQIA+ community are still affected by discrimination, exclusion and stigmatization.
We at Matabooks want to support Ally and do what we do best: create unique, vegan and sustainable print products made of grass paper, which you can buy to do good at the same time.
We proudly present: our Pride Collection!
No difference!
With this notebook collection, we want to make one thing clear: No matter what your sexual orientation, how you dress, how you feel or what gender you belong to (if any) – we don’t discriminate! We celebrate individuality, we are all valuable and we are all human! Be loud, diverse and colorful! The Pride Collection stands for tolerance, uniqueness and love. And we don’t close our eyes to injustice. We see them. And we want to act!
With our Pride Naris you can shout this message out into the world and actively support the LGBTQIA+ community. With your purchase you support projects that are committed to the queer community. In particular, we support the 100% MENSCH project, which works for the full legal and social equality of all people. To this end, they do important educational work – both online and offline. A portion of the proceeds from each copy sold therefore goes to 100% MENSCH.
Based on the 8-colored Pride flag, which you already know from our blog article “Many bright colors – the short portrait of the Pride flags“, 9 wonderful Nari notebooks made of sweet grass paper were created, which individually deal with the colors and their meaning. The naris are vegan, biodegradable and printed with eco-printing inks. In addition, the sweetgrass paper is free of wood pulp and was made from agricultural waste that would otherwise be burned. Find out more about our sweetgrass paper here. 8 of the designs come from the talented hand of Jonok, who already supported us with her orange motif for our Taras, Daharas and seed books.
For the 9th Nari we have teamed up with Jasmin and Stefanie from Beeproud.de.
The Collection
Black - Diversity
We are all the same and yet different – no, unique! The Nari Diversity stands for diversity and is a symbol against exclusion, racism and discrimination of queer BIPoC (Black, Indigenous and People of Colour). Because they in particular are affected by multiple discrimination: because of their origin and/or skin color and because they are part of the LGBTQIA+ community. This must finally stop! The gentle lines of Nari Diversity make it clear that we are all connected and should all stand up for each other.
Brown – Inclusivity
Let’s talk to each other, not past each other! Nari Inclusivity focuses on togetherness. Feeling a sense of belonging, standing together for a cause and looking towards the same goal: To give people a safe haven where they can be who and how they are. Without hate, but with all the more love. Let us join hands and stand in solidarity with all the people who are exposed to the intolerance of others on a daily basis.
Red – Life
It’s my life. Nari Life stands for the love of life. All the moments, coincidences and wonders it has to offer will make your heart leap. Live how you want and love who you want! Give your life and the people in it a kiss again! At the same time, it also stands for love for yourself, because you are wonderful the way you are! But the design of our Nari Life also has a deeper meaning. Because often queer people feel patronised, are expected to conform to what others accept as the norm and are deprived of their voice. All of us should shout louder and fight so that not one more life has to suffer.
Orange – Healing
It’s okay not to be okay. Sometimes we have to break first in order to heal. Nari Healing stands for a new beginning, for change, for letting go and finding again. But also for growing together, for standing by the side, giving support and especially the struggle to be accepted as one is. For the resistance that so many people have already made to stand up for both the rights and the equality of the LGBTQIA+ community. History has left a lot of open wounds. It is time for them to heal and for all of us to emerge stronger.
Yellow – Sunlight
Everything is better with a pinch of sunshine. The Nari Sunlight exudes pure joie de vivre. It stands for glimpses of light, a warm embrace and the origin of all being. The sun unites us and we should remind ourselves of that once more: We are all connected.
The cheerful design is as light as a summer’s day, when everything seems as if the world is perfectly fine. The Nari Sunlight is a tribute to all those who enrich the lives of others and give them a ray of hope in the darkest of times.
Green – Nature
With our Pride Collection, we want to express our connection to the people who celebrate the beauty of Pride and the naturalness of being. The Nari Nature stands for what we can learn from them: Patience, Trust, Hope and Confidence. It symbolizes the celebration of love, humanity and acceptance of and for everyone. Openly expressing and sharing sexuality is natural. Being gay, lesbian, bisexual, queer or trans* gender is natural. To love and be loved by others is natural. The design is deliberately reminiscent of a school blackboard. Because especially in a place like school, everyone should be allowed to show, feel and be who he or she is.
Blue – Harmony
If everyone sings the same note, there is no harmony. The Nari Harmony is a symbol of the harmony of uniqueness. We don’t have to please others, we are allowed to be who we are. Different, loud, shrill, WE! Love each other, celebrate your individuality and let us live together in harmony. The harmonious, yet multi-faceted patterns symbolize the different types of people. Each person is unique and individual, yet the sum of people results in a group of cohesion, in which each individual is to be accepted in his or her own right.
Purple – Spirit
Strong spirit, strong me. The Nari Spirit is a reminder to believe in yourself and stand up for what or who you love. But it also symbolises openness to new things. Just because something is not the way you know it doesn’t mean it’s not good.
Although we are all part of one big and same universe, in the end each person floats in his or her own cosmos – and that’s a good thing!
Heartbeat
Whatever makes you feel alive! Do your thing, stand by yourself and love what you do. The Nari Heartbeat illustrates that our hearts beat in unison and that together we can achieve anything.
This wonderful design comes from Beeproud.de
Jasmin and Steffi are the two founders who want to make the world more diverse and colourful with their online shop. With stylish LGBTQIA+ statements, they set an example for a more solidary, tolerant and equal society. With every order, they also support the 100% MENSCH project.
Be sure to check out their shop! We at Matabooks are in love with their collections!
With this heartfelt project, we hope to give the queer community the attention and support they deserve. They have been fighting for so long to be treated like everyone else. It’s finally time for them to be heard.
What do you think of our Pride collection? Do you have ideas about what else we can do? Then write it in the comments. Also, check out our online shop and discover our Pride Naris.
Sources:
www.beeproud.de/
www.100mensch.de/
Images:
https://unsplash.com/photos/8WgQ_DIEBJY