Pride Isn’t Always Loud
“Not all of us wave flags. Some just want to live our lives in quiet pride.”
For many LGBTQIA+ people, pride isn't demonstrated through parades or banners. It’s about living authentically, even if you don’t show it.
Silent Pride: The Facts
Participation in activism or Pride events is not universal across the LGBTQIA+ community. According to a 2025 Pew Research Center survey, about 77% of gay and lesbian adults have taken part in a Pride event at least once. But that means up to 23% have never participated in Pride celebrations, and bisexual or transgender people often report even lower involvement rates.
The Trevor Project's 2024 Civic Engagement Report shows that while LGBTQIA+ individuals are statistically more likely to engage in civic movements, many choose not to publicly identify or participate, preferring personal, private expressions of identity.
This underscores that pride isn’t one-size-fits-all.
Why many stay off the spotlight
Not everyone feels safe, or interested, in public displays. Reasons include:
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Concern about discrimination or misunderstanding
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Desire to retain privacy or avoid stigma
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Personal belief that activism is not necessary for living authentically
Studies have found older LGBTQIA+ adults or those in conservative communities often express pride in private, avoiding public activism, even while identifying openly to close friends or family.
Pride through design, not demonstration
At Miltti, we honor every way of being queer. Our founder is queer—but we also respect those who prefer quiet authenticity. That’s why we offer bold pride clothing lines and the more subtle collections without explicit themes, like:
Our approach: whether you're a visibility warrior or choosing low‑key existence, our queer fashion, pride t shirt, gender-neutral clothing, non binary fashion and sustainable streetwear empower you to express or to simply be.
When visibility is optional
Silent pride is still pride.
You might not display rainbow icons, but your choices matter. Choosing to live authentically, to shop from ethical queer‑run brands, or to wear gender-neutral clothing are forms of quiet but powerful resistance.
And that’s part of our definition of fashion as protest.
Related reads from Miltti
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The Cost of Passing as Masculine — when queer performance doesn’t equal visibility
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Family Love: LGBTQIA+ Acceptance at Home — how support (or rejection) from family shapes queer lives across generations
Written by the Miltti Team | August 2025