Allan Shaw wants to make the world more colorful and inclusive, one bike accessory at a time. The cyclist of all trades who also moonlights as a writer, photographer and compulsive traveler has been on a bike since he was a youth growing up in Scotland. During his time as a bike messenger, he sank deep roots into the cycling scene. But as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, Shaw could see where there was room to grow in terms of cycling's inclusiveness.
So, in 2017, Shaw founded Gay’s Okay — a cycling accessories brand that he spearheads alongside other collaborators to make simply adorable apparel that also fits the needs of cyclists. With bright colors and clear statements on the brand's stance — "Be Gay" — Shaw has created stylish gear with a message, and a portion of all proceeds go to various LGBTQIA+ organizations and inclusive cycling events.
For the past three years, for Pride, Gay’s Okay has collaborated with Chrome Industries, which has outfitting cyclists with top-notch messenger-level goods since it was established in Colorado in 1995. The Rainbow Reflective Collection is the largest collab yet between the two brands. Shaw worked closely with Chrome to reimagine some of the brand's classic designs to "celebrate Pride everyday," says Clarissa Klimek, Chrome’s Marketing Director.
We spoke with Shaw about working with Chrome on the new collection, how LGBTQIA+ inclusivity has changed in the cycling community over the years, and what allies can do at this critical time in supporting LGBQTIA+ rights.
Let’s start with a fun question. How long have you been riding a bike, and what do you love most about it?
I grew up in a small Scottish village, so I’ve been riding a bike since I was a young child to get around. When I finished school and moved to Glasgow to continue my studies, I had a single-speed cruiser I used to get around, slowly getting more and more into cycling as a sport as well as an instrument of travel. Then after graduating I moved to Vancouver, Canada and got a job as a bike courier. And from there, so much of my adult life has been defined by the bicycle.
For me, the bike is my instrument of discovery and freedom through which I have been so fortunate to experience the very best (and worst) moments of my life.
How did you go about founding Gay’s Okay and why was it important for you to do so?
As an adventure cyclist, photographer, writer, ex-bike messenger and proud member of the LGBTQIA+ community myself, I have found many homes for myself in different cycling communities around the world. But in the vast majority of these communities there is a real lack of diversity and representation, which unfortunately also extends to so many big bike brands too.
Six years ago I started my project Gay’s Okay, making caps and other colorful accessories, with the express goal to energize and uplift LGBTQIA+ cyclists in our community, to take up space and change the popular image of cycling to one that is more inclusive. Visibility and representation matters to me. It may be just the beginning of the fight for true equality, but it's a really strong start, and one that can be truly impactful. And that's an impact I'm really excited to be a part of.
Have you noticed LGBTQ+ discrimination in the cycling community, and has it changed over the years?
Though they still have plenty of work to do, the urban cycling community tends to be a more inclusive space for LGBTQIA+ people than the rest of the cycling world. I believe very strongly in our message of visibility directly disarming prejudice, and helping us all be part of a more empathetic and safe society. The more we can put a human face to us as both cyclists and LGBTQIA+ people, the harder it makes it to discriminate against us. It’s harder to think of us as merely an obstacle in the road, or some kind of threat to your values. We become a reflection of the people in your life you love and that deserve to be treated with respect and dignity.
This is the third year Gay’s Okay has collaborated with Chrome — what continues to excite you about working with the brand?
A few years after having started my LGBTQIA+ Cycling cap brand Gay’s Okay back in 2017, I reached out to the Chrome team via mutual connections to ask what they might think about collaborating on something together. The team has been fully on board ever since. Both our respective companies are deeply rooted in the communities of urban cycling, punk and bike messengers. Whenever we start working on a new project together, when it comes to the message, the meaning and the impact, we are always on the same page. Chrome gets it, and it makes working with them so enjoyable.
I love the oil-slick aesthetic of this new collection — what was the inspiration and how does it differ from the previous collaborations?
I worked very closely with the product development team to define the concept, design and breadth of products to include. I have always been a big fan of Chrome’s reflective panels and products, and had so many ideas around visibility making for a safer environment for cyclists, and how that visibility can also make for safer environments for LGBTQIA+ people too. This message of visibility, the empowerment of being seen, acknowledged and embraced as you are is so important not just for your confidence but also for your survival. Being able to work directly with suppliers to experiment with the oil slick reflective effect was really fun and the results are incredible.
What drew you to Outright International, the organization that gets a portion of the proceeds from this collaboration?
For many years, as part of my Gay’s Okay project, I have worked with Outright International to donate profits to support the work they do. I strongly believed from the get-go that this project needed to have a strong give-back element and that I couldn't pocket all the profit myself for something I wanted to be both meaningful and impactful.
Outright felt like a natural partner due to their reach and how international their work is. It’s important to think globally, and we need our impact to go beyond our developed western nations to include our whole LGBTQIA+ family around the world. They also highlight how much harder the right to exist as an LGBTQIA+ person in the world is. There is hardly a corner of the world where the struggle for rights and freedom from discrimination exists that Outright International doesn’t have a connection to, alongside their team and partners. They are able to highlight very specific situations and struggles while also having a broad scope that is inclusive of everyone worldwide, just what I hope to also reflect with Gay’s Okay.
What has it been like watching Gay’s Okay evolve over the years? Is there a moment that especially makes you proud?
There are many memorable moments that have made me proud over the years. For me, it's truly a full circle moment to go from a 22-year-old on my first day as a bike messenger with my brand new Chrome bag to producing my own Chrome collection in support of the LGBTQIA+ cycling community. Being able to not just be part of this but be one of the leaders is a truly meaningful moment for me.
There was also the day I got an order for a cap from a research base in Antarctica, the last continent on Earth I had to send one to. I did a big double-take! I’ve also seen my cap randomly in cities and pride parades all over the world, which means so much to me that folks resonate with what we’re doing and want to showcase their support. The thing that most regularly brings me pride in this project is the amount of messages I get from people who love the brand and who have felt and shared in that feeling of inclusivity and queer joy.
Right now is a scary time all over the place for the trans community and LGBTQ+ community, how can allies help support right now?
I think what we’ve unfortunately been witnessing in the U.S. and other countries over the last years is that our rights not only need to be fought for, but they also have to be staunchly defended. The ability of the modern political and social climate to demonize and divide us has taken us backward, where ideological beliefs have turned into concrete bare-faced discrimination that defies all logic and justice. While we have to continuously advance the cause of our LGBTQIA+ family around the world and keep taking up space, we also need to defend our rights from being rolled back. Politics work to divide us, with very real world and heartbreaking results. We must keep working to bring us all together, with dignity, respect and love.
This is a critical time for the community and allies to come together to uplift incredible organizations, like Outright International and so many others who are doing the work to ensure equal rights for all. There are a variety of ways to show up whether you’re funding the work through donations, volunteering for local organizations in your community, being vocal about your support for LGBTQIA+ rights — which is why I started Gay’s Okay in the first place — and even checking in with your LGBTQIA+ friends and family.
Let's switch tacks to cycling gear: Any unusual or surprising items you always bring with you on the bike?
I must admit, I'm not really a huge gearhead. Sometimes I think the more surprising things are the things I don’t carry. For example I don’t carry a GPS very often and I don’t use Strava. I came of age in cycling before GPS was much of a thing, so I like to memorize my route, improvise and get a little lost sometimes. It’s not about numbers for me, it’s about the ride and enjoying it.
When you are out riding, what’s the most common cycling faux pas you see casual riders make?
I lived in Copenhagen for many years and people love to ride bikes there, which means you see all kinds of bikes and setups. Admittedly some of them are quite janky and I can’t help but have a laugh. But the important thing is everybody is on bikes, however they choose to do it, so who am I to judge?
