Seasonal & Holidays
DC Florist Talks Pride, Inclusivity And Rainbow Bouquets
Catering to the needs of the LGBTQ community has "paid off really well for us," says Jeffrey Fritz, owner of Flowers on Fourteenth.
June is Pride Month, a time of year that calls for kindness, inclusivity and equality for all. There are plenty of great ways to celebrate, from attending Pride parades and events to educating yourself on how to become an ally of the LGBTQ community. FTD Flowers has another wonderful way to mark Pride Month: Giving flowers to everyone!
Giving flowers is a meaningful gesture — but traditionally, it’s been seen as a very heteronormative act: It’s always the doting wife, grandmother, mother or a woman receiving flowers, and a man buying them for her. That’s perfectly fine, but what about everyone else? FTD’s goal is to address this social inequity with its “Flowers Are For Everyone” campaign.
"Flowers Are For Everyone" is here to help folks celebrate Pride Month with gorgeous blooms and shine a light on local florists in the LGBTQ community, such as Jeffrey Fritz, owner of Flowers On Fourteenth. Fritz opened his LBGTQ-friendly storefront in Washington, D.C., nearly 20 years ago, offering special-occasion bouquets, plants and gift baskets with delivery services.
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Located in an area of DC that Fritz describes as a “gay mecca,” Flowers On Fourteenth has catered to the gay community ever since it opened. “By starting out, we donated to every gay event in town,” says Fritz. “Be it Pride History Month or if a gay organization approached us, we always give a donation, a gift certificate or an arrangement for their event — and it's paid off really well for us!”
Flowers On Fourteenth has also been involved in the DC Pride Parade for many years now. “We’ve done several floats in the parade, including creating a great 9-foot. flower umbrella to put on the float,” says Fritz. ”One year, we even won an award for having the best decorated float.”
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One of Fritz’s favorite parts about the parade is the open house party he throws at the flower shop during the festivities. They’ve had over 200 guests in past years and enjoy serving food and drinks for all to enjoy. “Unfortunately, the parade isn’t happening this year due to COVID-19,” says Fritz. “But we celebrated and held the open house for the last five or six years in the shop, and it was a lot of fun.”
When it comes to his involvement in FTD’s “Flowers Are For Everyone” campaign, he can’t help but feel overjoyed. “We’re a minority-owned business, and we’re being included,” says Fritz. “We’re very happy and excited about that.”
FTD offers an assortment of Pride-inspired bouquets that range from elegant and refined to colorful and funky. You can get creative and mix and match florals that speak to you and even create your own custom arrangement. But if you’re interested in getting a professional recommendation, Fritz suggests gifting LGBTQ friends and loved ones with a “rainbow arrangement that includes assorted flowers to make up the colors of the Pride flag,” which he makes at his own shop.
To learn more about Flowers On Fourteenth, be sure to visit their shop on 14th Street in Washington, D.C., or check out their website. And if you’re not in the D.C. metro area, check out FTD’s wide variety of floral arrangements and bouquets that are perfect for a Pride-themed gift, celebration or parade.
