Our Lewk
QRS uses “Queer” as an all-encompassing descriptor of the gender and sexually diverse community, instead of attempting to reduce the plurality of gender identities and sexual orientations into one acronym (LGBTQIA+).
We recognize that “Queer” carries a complex history. It was, and still is, used in a derogatory way. There’s an entire generation that lived through the darkest part of our community’s history, who only knew this word as a slur. They are still healing and we must respect that.
We also recognize the power of “Queer,” especially as newer generations reclaim it. Beyond its use as a noun, it can also serve as a verb, which means to resist or challenge the binary and rigid structures that exist within a cis, heteronormative society. It is inherently empowering and defiant, just as the members of Queer Nation originally intended, “We’re here. We’re queer. Get used to it!”
The boldness and converted case of “Queer” in our logo seeks to not only envelop, but also queer the text of “Running Society,” just as we seek to disrupt an industry that has yet to effectively include us.
The origin of the pink dates back to Nazi Germany, when gay prisoners in concentration camps were forced to wear an inverted pink triangle. Many years later, during the onset of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, an organization decided to reclaim that very symbol. ACT UP flipped the pink triangle right-side up and declared that “silence about the oppression and annihilation of gay people, then and now, must be broken as a matter of our survival.” To be silent about the oppression of the queer community, especially transgender and BIPOC athletes in the running industry, is to be complicit.
Every June, many companies and corporations update their logo with a rainbow of colors thinking that’s what it means to support the queer community. Allyship goes beyond a rainbow flag. It must also be built into the foundation, beneath the surface. Instead of incorporating the typical pride flag colors into our logo, we decided to use a variation of the Gilbert typeface, which was designed in honor of the pride flag’s original creator, Gilbert Baker.
We are so grateful to Shayla Hufana (ConceptShell) for lending us her time and talent as we discovered and built out our brand.