Behind the Ruby Slipper

Pride is celebrated all over the world to recognize those that identify as LGBTQ+, their continued journey, and remembering the history to get to this point of celebration. Wild Tea Kombucha is proud to be a part of this celebration and to support Calgary Pride 2022 so that every step we take is a step towards a safer and inclusive space. We are so grateful to work with our amazing partners to bring this collection to life.

Remember, you are valid and loved.

With the release of the 4th annual LOVED. collection with Mr.Fab (Ryan Massel), we wanted to share some history on the significance of the Ruby Slipper hard kombucha.

The story of the Ruby Slipper goes back to The Wizard of Oz’s Dorothy Gale. In the 1940s, many people used the coded question “Are you a friend of Dorothy” to identify safe spaces in a world that wasn’t as accepting. Even today, many still struggle finding a safe space.

Lots of people feel connected to the story of Dorothy getting lost and feeling alone. However, along the way she finds comfort in the people she meets as she also learns that she has the power herself to get home. The slipper has long been a symbol that resonated with members of the LGBTQ+ community as they have experienced their own version of Dorothy’s story.

WTK and Mr.Fab collaborated on the packaging and flavour of this hard kombucha by drawing inspiration from the Ruby Slipper. Ryan developed a curated LOVED. collection which includes many local goods that were inspired by his mission following a perspective-altering experience at the 2018 Pride Festival in Nashville, TN. (To read more about Ryan’s experience check out our past post)

The LOVED. Collection was born to help support LGBTQ+ organizations that spread love and support 365 days a year. The six characters of the LOVED. logo represents each colour of the classic pride flag.

Bottles are available for purchase exclusively on the Wild Tea Kombucha Website for $12 and at the Wild Tea Kombucha Taproom in-person for $10!

Skipping Stone, headquartered in Calgary, provides free services including mentoring, gender gear, expression skills, transportation, food and income support, work, legal help, counselling and more to trans and gender-diverse persons. To learn more about Skipping Stone, please visit https://www.skippingstone.ca/.

The 2022 Calgary Pride Parade + Festival will take place from August 26-September 5, 2022. For more details on how you can get involved, as well as a full schedule of events and initiatives, please visit the official Calgary Pride website.

To find out more about Ryan or the 2022 LOVED. collection, visit immrfabulous.com
or @immrfabulous on Instagram.