Liz Achanta
Perhaps you’ve seen this cryptic slogan as you’ve surfed the LGBTQIA+ internet and wondered what it means.
Maybe you’ve already embraced the spirit of radical LGBTQIA+ liberation it espouses and you’re ready to let the world know you’re here, queer, and not going anywhere.
Perchance you’d like to support LGBTQIA+ content creators and activists and score some rad, gay streetwear.
Whatever questions you have, Crime.gay has the answers you seek! This domain was snagged by the fabulous creators at Novi Entertainment Studios. They are currently incubating a roster of inclusive, nerd-centric podcast producers, with plans to expand into animation, gaming, and publishing.
Crime.gay brings you to the “Gay Wrath Month” collection of Novi’s merch store, featuring designs that cleverly synthesize historical symbols of LGBTQIA+ inclusivity and liberation.
We got in touch with Novi Entertainment Studios co-founder Nova Organa (they/them) for a #DotGayQAndA that explains the origin of the phrase “Be Gay, Do Crime,” the flipside of Pride, the powerful meanings of LGBTQIA+ symbols, and the benefits of booting out trolls from your online space!
Hi Nova, thanks so much for chatting with us! Let’s start by providing some background context: tell us about the origins of the phrase "Be Gay, Do Crime" and why it is awesome. ;)
"Be Gay, Do Crime," as we use it, was popularized by artist Io Ascarium in an iconic (and awesome) meme back in 2018. Prior to that, it was a general queer culture slogan like "Stonewall was a Riot." Our designs are meant to call back to the time when being queer was, and frequently [still] is, a punishable crime.
In our merch designs, we wanted to spotlight an all-inclusive version of the Pride Flag, hence the use of the Philadelphia Flag, and we also wanted to celebrate Stonewall with the inclusion of the brick in the center.
The Trans Flag roses and Black Power fist are meant to acknowledge that the contemporary Pride movement was built through the sacrifices of transwomen of color. We wouldn't be where we are today without them.
Our artist, Billy Sagulo, really took our iconography and made it sing.
What hits different about LGBTQIA+ communities being visibly OUT via "Gay Wrath" versus "Gay Pride?"
For us, "Gay Wrath" means taking the fight for equality and parity directly to the source. While "Pride" is about celebrating our personal identities, "Wrath" is about the fight to uplift the community at large.
There are so many barriers to queer folks in society that can and should be broken down. Hiring discrimination, bathroom laws, adoption rights, and pay parity are all legal fights being undertaken every day. Beyond those legal challenges are the physical and verbal assaults so many of our community face daily.
"Gay Wrath" is about saying “Enough!” and forcing ourselves into spaces previously held by those with more privilege than ourselves. We can, and should, take up the space we are owed.
"Throw the brick," as it were.
Tell us about Novi Studios: what is your mission and what do you do?
We are a collective of marginalized creators working towards a more inclusive and supportive community within gaming and fandom.
Currently, we produce a library of 4 podcasts, with another 4 launching within the year. Our teams also stream, host gaming events, and produce video content. We plan on expanding into game development and publishing by 2022.
Together, we are especially focused to drive creativity and justice through entertainment. Our goal is to inspire other creators to find their voices, which is why we bring on new partners to help them launch.
How did you manage to register such a covetable domain name, and how does Crime.gay benefit your mission?
Novi Studios producer Nicole Montello shows off the “Be Gay Do Crime” mug available at Crime.gay
Our marketing director, Michael Gibson woke up at 4am about a week before the .gay top-level domain launched and thought, "Be Gay, Do Crime. That should be a website," and hopped onto a waiting queue to try to register the domain.
He got lucky and snagged it, but he couldn't think of how to really USE it for about a year. Then we came along with this project, and the puzzle pieces just clicked!
We are using the site to promote our designs via merch, yes, but we have earmarked 50% of all profits to go to the National Black Justice Coalition, a fantastic organization fighting to uplift marginalized voices in the legal system every day. We don't know them personally, but we know the work they do is tremendous.
That’s fantastic! We love it when .gay domains can help make the world a better place. Speaking of making things better: why is it important to help create a safer internet for LGBTQIA+ people?
I mean, have you seen the internet? Yikes.
In seriousness though, we long to see an internet in which targeted harassment, doxxing, and trolling/abuse are just not a thing anymore. Part of that process is going to include finding "walled spaces" in which content engagement guidelines can be enforced to create a safer and more enjoyable space for users.
We've seen plenty of examples where simply booting the troublemakers out of your network or distribution space results in a safer and more enjoyable experience for everyone.
On our Twitch, for instance, we do not 'debate' or 'engage' with bigots. They simply get booted, and we've gotten a lot of positive feedback for the environment we can create as a result of just not having those users around.
Platforms like Facebook or Twitter have either too much or vastly inconsistent content regulation, so our hope is that the .gay top-level domain empowers the queer community to create spaces that bridge safety and freedom. We want to be a part of that.
Elizabeth Achanta
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