Our Story


Why 50 States of Gay? Why not!

The original inspiration for 50 States of Gay came during a group camping trip in the desert wilderness of Utah a few years ago. Over 40 people had gathered for a long weekend of hiking, exploring, climbing, rappelling, and socializing. While on a group canyoneering outing, the rock walls created a hallway of nature and patterns, being explored and wandered by our group. 

The ‘spirit’ of those canyon rocks in Utah provided a message. A message that life is life, we all live on the same planet as one species. We live our lives the best we can, and with our own spirit. I saw the rocks and texture with the colors of the Pride Flag. Vibrant. Bold. Connected, to the Earth. 

I decided to explore ways to create designs that used the six colors of the Pride flag, onto natural elements in photos and drawings. Using this as a way to represent a person and their life. The life they live. 

Then a new idea popped into my head. 50 States of Gay. This is a version of other common phrases, with a new and specific meaning. This is who you are and where you live. So with that, I started to create designs that used the Pride flag colors, with references to each of the 50 United States. 

The motivation and intention continue as we strive to create designs that incorporate the six colors of the Pride flag, with individual states and the United States as a format and design focus. Which represents you, where you live, your life.