Our Story
Alyx and Gonah are two creatives who want to support their community and help where they can. They started Stripes of Life after seeing their own local pride fest didn't have anyone selling pride flags. After looking into flag sellers, they found that most companies would sell any flag, whether to spread acceptance or ignorance. Because of this, they started a discussion about supporting queer artists and creatives, rather than simply supporting rainbow capitalism. Thus, the idea to reach out to indie artists and support their work was born!
Alyxandria Marie
They/Them and She/Her
A happily married trans woman from the Illinois Valley and active member of the local LGBTQIA+ scene. She works as an accountant but also enjoys the outdoors, TTRPGs and spending time with her family. With the help of their spouse, family, and friends they run Stripes of Life as a way to uplift members of the gay community and introduce them to new audiences on a local level.
Gonah Hawking
She/Her and He/Him
You may recognize this name as the one who reached out to you about joining our shop. Gonah works as a librarian, artist, and graphic designer. He tries to keep up with hobbies in all kinds of areas, and has dabbled in everything from streaming to narrating, and everywhere in between. Right now, she is focused on family and activism.
