Celebrating Pride Month

June is Pride month, and there’s nothing that displays gay pride quite like a tattoo!

From subtle symbols and colour schemes right through to full colour portraits of some of the biggest LGBTQIA+ icons of all time, these are just some of the best pride tattoos created by our talented sponsored artists.

Joanne Baker & Keely Glitters

Say it loud and say it proud: sometimes there’s nothing like making a bold statement about who you are. Here we have Joanne Baker’s moon phase thigh piece on the left, captioned with the lettering “not a phase” with a watercolour background in the bisexual pride flag colours of pink, purple and blue. On the right, Keely Glitters inks the classic six colour pride rainbow topped with the unmistakable symbol of female homosexuality, all in her colourful kawaii style.

Rachel Honeywell & Cloto Tattoos

On the other hand, some people choose to decorate themselves with more subtle references to their flags of choice. To the left you can see Rachel Honeywell’s puffin with a rainbow watercolour splash behind – the puffin was chosen to match the client’s wife’s tattoo, with the colours of the pride flag as a background. On the right, Cloto has worked the bisexual pride colours into a vibrant lower arm tattoo of a bunch of grapes.

Mauro de la Fuente & Matt Daniels

Who says geeky can’t be gay? Mauro de la Fuente’s rainbow-backed Fireflies symbol is a reference to the resistance group in The Last Of Us game series, as well as a reference to the main character’s sexuality. Matt Daniels’s colourful Patty Bouvier is a nice nod to the first openly gay recurring character in The Simpsons (yes, even before Smithers) in Matt’s signature cartoon style.

Isobel Morton & Sara Anastasia

Even if you aren’t in the Pride club yourself, you might well have a favourite gay couple from film and TV. Isobel Morton’s brightly-coloured, heart-framed image of Marceline and Princess Bubblegum from Adventure Time shows the canon couple settling into a life of domestic bliss together with a crystalline background. On the right, Sara Anastasia brings us this fine line black and grey tattoo across two wrists of Haruki and Akihiko from the manga and anime series Given.

Paul Vander-Johnson & Tiggy Tattoos

While online communities might argue over which of their favourite characters are LGBTQIA+, some are undeniable. Paul Vander-Johnson’s pink and blue neon-lit portrait of confirmed gay character Angel Dust comes from the cult web series Hazbin Hotel, while Tiggy takes her classic pop art style to create a version of the new She-Ra who – spoiler alert – is in love with another woman.

Makkala Rose & Michelle Maddison

Celebrating queer femininity in all its shapes and forms! On the left, Makkala Rose’s colourful realism portrait of bisexual icon Frida Kahlo almost pops off the skin, especially with the vibrant neo-traditional flowers on her head. On the right, Michelle Maddison has created a brightly coloured kawaii cartoon-style take on drag queen Trixie Mattel, whose trademark look is over-exaggerated, Barbie doll femininity.

Ivana Belakova & Amy Edwards

Gender fluidity comes in all forms, and Ivana Belakova’s vibrant watercolour portrait tattoo of lesbian model and actor Ruby Rose – best known for her roles in Orange Is the New Black and Batwoman – really showcases her androgynous beauty. Next to it, Amy Edwards’ incredible colour realism transforms one of the most celebrated crossdressing icons of film into tattoo, with her depiction of Dr. Frank-N-Furter from the classic horror musical The Rocky Horror Picture Show. He seems to sullenly stare out from the skin, full makeup and pearl necklace on display.

David Corden & Anrijs Straume

Finally, two takes on one of the most famous queer men in recent history: Freddy Mercury. Freddy’s sexuality was largely kept secret in his life and although he never used the words “bisexual” or “pansexual” to describe himself, he was known to have loved both men and women throughout his life. David Corden’s signature colour portrait style depicts a smiling Mercury wearing his famous yellow military jacket, which stands in stark contrast to Anrijs Straume’s dark trash realism version where Freddy’s Mona Lisa smile peers out from the black and grey demonic design.