The Ultimate Guide to Gay Gift Giving
Drawing a blank on what to gift the gays and feys on your holiday shopping list? Consider these thoughtful presents picked exclusively for your LGBTQ+ friends and fam.
Mr. & Mr. Claus Mugs
Two glazed-ceramic Santas are better than one when you cop SUNNY&TED’s hand-painted Mr. and/or Mrs. cocoa mugs available in three blush-faced skin tones and two genders to accurately rep your festive-queer holiday cheer. SunnyAndTed.com, $27.50 each.
Whiskey a Go Go
Lift holiday spirits (in handsome drinkware, like Baccarat’s Harmonie Double Old-Fashioned Tumblers) by offering party guests a sampling of your home bar’s top-shelf reserves, like Blade & Bow’s Kentucky Straight Bourbon, Glendalough Pot Still Irish Whiskey, and Westward American Single Malt Stout Cask—a holy trinity all its own. ReserveBar.com, $48, $57, $91.
Happy Hanukkah Tea Gift Set + Subarzsweets
VAHDAM India’s Hannukah-special assortment of luscious herbal, chai, and black teas—paired with Subarzsweets’ handmade, small-batch biscotti-cookie hybrids (the lemon-thyme flavor is what the chef’s kiss emoji was meant for)—is the treat-yo’self pick-me-up you’ll crave after eight crazy nights. Vahdam.com, $24; Subarzsweets.com, $45.
Yves Durif
Grooming Set
Yves Durif didn’t reinvent the Italian-made, natural rubber resin petite brush and comb that bears his synonymous-with-style name, but he did make these luxury tools sexy AF so you can feel like a million bucks. YvesDurif.com, $105.
Boarderie Charcuterie
A far cry from the shelf-stable meat-and-cheese gifts mom loaded up on at your local mall’s pop-up shop, Oprah-approved Boarderie charcuterie boards are chef-made daily and feature hand-selected artisan cheeses, meats, dried fruits, nuts, and chocolates on keepsake acacia platters. Hickory Farms could never. Boarderie.com, $129-$239.
Wagged Tails Custom ‘A-paw-rel’
Memorialize your loved ones’ recently passed pets with Wagged Tails’ custom-printed apparel and accessories, including T-shirts, tumblers, totes, and mugs, emblazoned with their favorite heaven-sent smush-faces. Keep the tissues close. WaggedTails.com, $18-$67.
America the Beautiful Annual Pass
One of your nice-listers resolving to travel more in the new year? Set ’em up for success with the National Parks & Federal Recreational Lands’ America the Beautiful annual pass, providing access for the holder (plus guests) to over 2,000 federal sites in the United States. Includes parks, monuments, battlefields, protected wildlife refuges, stunning seashores, and more. Recreation.gov, $80.
Dough Bowl Candles
Drop a needle on Aunt Dolly’s holiday vinyl before lighting the wicks on Stroud’s Simply Southern dough bowl candles and you’ve got yourself an instant country Christmas. StroudSimplySouthernCo.com, $24-$79.
Cantilever Toolbox
Utilitarianism is a hallmark of Japanese design, and Toyo’s handcrafted cantilever steel storage and tools boxes are no exception with two handy adjustable upper trays and eight removable dividers housed in a handsome, spacious shell deserving of double-takes. Placewares.com, $129.
Habibi Santal Journey
Can’t go wrong with a fresh scent tucked under the tree or inside a stocking, and it doesn’t get any fresher (or spicier) than Habibi’s Santal Journey with notes of dry cedarwood, oud, and sandalwood overtop whisps of crisp pear and precious orris. ForHabibi.com, $119.
Coravin x Keith Haring Wine Opener
Art and wine go to together like Saint Nick and snickerdoodles, which is why the Coravin x Keith Haring Timeless Six+ Artist Edition bottle opener—featuring the late artist’s iconic dancing figures in black and white—will look just as good on your dinner-party tablescape as it will on display. Coravin.com, $245.
NQi GTS E-Moped
In sport mode, the NQi GTS e-moped’s top speed is a hair-straightening 50 mph thanks to a 60V26Ah Bosch motor, 4th-gen lithium battery tech, and a few body-shop elves who’ve watched 2 Fast 2 Furious 2 many times. Niu.com, $TBD.
Limited Edition Don Q Rum X Coquito NYC
Drink Kit
Add a little Latin flavor to your living-room Christmas film fest with a screening of Alfredo De Villa’s Nothing Like the Holidays and a traditional coquito with a Don Q kick in hand. The limited-ish collab kit between the rum maker and Latina-owned Coquito NYC comes with everything you need to mix it up, including coconut milk, spices, and a bottle of Reserva 7. DonQ.com, $75.
Nuzzie Weighted Blanket
Dasher and Dancer will have to pull double duty delivering hefty, chunky Nuzzies, one-of-a-kind breathable, thermo-regulating, and sustainable weighted blankets (in holiday hues like rich rose and the emeraldest green) for all your snowy-season snuggles. ShopNuzzie.com, $169-$329.
Rotate Watchmaking Kit
Challenge your better-half gadget geek over holiday break with customizable Rotate watchmaking kits—available in easy, medium, and hard configurations—that come complete with parts, tools, and a user-friendly guide to keep the cursing to a minimum. RotateWatches.com, $195-$225. ▼
Mikey Rox is an award-winning journalist and LGBTQ lifestyle expert whose work has been published in more than 100 outlets across the world. Connect with Mikey on Instagram @mikeyroxtravels.