Minus18 x Fast Times

To celebrate #Pride Month, we’ve put together the Ride with Pride collection in collaboration with Minus18, a first of its kind for Fast Times! Proceeds from the sale of the Ride With Pride collection will be donated to Minus18’s work championing LGBTQIA+ youth in Australia.

We hope that we can raise awareness, advocate for inclusivity and welcome all LGBTQIA+ folk into the Fast Times community. We acknowledge that this is a small but necessary step to show that no matter how you choose to identify yourself, you should Ride with Pride.

As part of our awareness campaign we caught up with six of our close friends to talk about the collaboration, Pride and inclusivity. Each wears one of our coloured beanies representing the pride flag.

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We chatted to Adrian and Reb from Minus 18 to find out what they’re about, the collaboration and what Pride is to queer young people.

 

‘Minus18 has such a fantastically diverse mix of LGBTQIA+ young people, including those from the skate community. We want to celebrate like-minded skaters that make spaces inclusive to all identities. Every queer young person should be able to ride with pride, and it’s an important step for brands like Fast Times to stand with the community, too.’

 

@Adrianjmurdoch Partnerships Coordinator, Minus 18

‘Minus18 is Australia’s charity championing LGBTQIA+ young people! We host amazing life-affirming events like Queer Formal (it’s seriously the best night), where queer teens feel celebrated and can make friends – which can be totally life-changing. We also create digital resources, and we educate the whole community (young and old, queers and straight allies) about inclusion.

 

It’s a chance to celebrate the diverse wonderfulness of the LGBTQIA+ community, and a chance for queer young people to celebrate their identity! In 2020 though, it’s also about connection and raising up marginalised voices. Pride month’s origin story is that of a protest – and while we should defs celebrate how far we’ve come, we should also look to how much we still need to achieve.’

 

@rebnotbec Marketing Coordinator, Minus 18

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We also chatted to Casey & Chaps to get their view on inclusivity in the skateboarding community.

‘During my 20 years of riding a skateboard, I've seen and heard a lot of homophobic slurs casually used in conversation. These words and actions have stopped my queer friends from being themselves and from being open to who they are. Over the past 5 or so years, there has been a lot of progression and inclusivity within the skate scene, however

there are still alot of homophobic skaters out there. It's time for those people to check themselves. As a straight white man, the least I can do is call out any homophobic activity I hear or see. I suggest you do the same…’

 

@caseyfoley1 Team Rider / Swanston Street Store Manager, Fast Times

‘The skate shop is the cornerstone of the skateboarding community and we’re working to make our stores a safer and more inclusive space for everyone. Although it can be intimidating we hope to change that perception and give everyone the opportunity to get involved with what we’re passionate about. We need to make a space that's comfortable and embraces all walks of life so that we can all share in our love for skateboarding and be united as a community!’

 

@_ropeable District Manager, Fast Times

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Lastly, we chatted to Phoenix and Sam who both have extensive experience in the retail/fashion industry and know how important it is to be true to yourself.

‘As a newbie to the skate scene, which can be full of masculinity, it is daunting especially for a queer female. Thanks to social media you can find communities within communities that can make you feel more safe. 

I am so grateful for those before us who fought for what we have today. I can easily surround myself with people who are inclusive and love me for who I am. We need to keep moving forward and take more steps into building a better future for our society.’

@phoenixly.hairstylist Hair and Makeup Artist represented by @duval.agency 

@phee_pheeee

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‘What I love about having a clothing label is seeing the diversity of the people that wear our clothes. 

It doesn’t matter who you love, what colour your skin is, who you see yourself as, you can wear them. And in my eyes we’re all in a secret little Smile + Wave team. 

I’ve grown up being in minority groups. There’s a long way to go in society and particularly the industry I work in until I’m accepted as ‘normal’. But you know what, maybe I’m not in a hurry to reach that status just yet, because being different is kinda fun.’

@smileandwaveonline Sam Chin Owner, Smile and Wave

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For more please visit MINUS18.ORG.AU @minus18youth