Goodparts began as an idea in January 2019. As a gay man, I couldn’t find a lube that seemed to align with my taste or values. Everything felt too clinical, too feminine, or too kinky — nothing felt like me. Then I started talking to my straight guy friends, and realized they didn’t think lube was for them either (to the disappointment of their girlfriends).

The whole point of lube is to reduce friction. But with clunky packaging and awkward branding, most lubes manage to do just the opposite. I saw an opportunity for a sex brand that was, well… sexy. The kind of thing you actually wanted to pull out of your drawer. I began asking around, speaking with friends, designers, product developers, manufacturers and BOOM. Goodparts was born.

A year and six months later, we’re almost ready to launch, and the world looks very different. The protests and outrage over the murders of Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, and Breonna Taylor  — and far too many more — have permeated the collective consciousness. It’s all I can think about. For weeks, I’ve been learning, advocating, participating, and frankly ignoring the fact that in just a couple months our first batch of products will be arriving at my door. 
I considered waiting for a “better time” to launch Goodparts. But that means waiting for this conversation to be over, and I don’t want this conversation to be over. I want to be a part of it. I want to support it. I want to amplify it, with every tool at my disposal.

Right now, this company is a cis white gay guy with an empty savings account and a lot of lube. But the benefit of self-funding is that I have no financial stakeholders. My customers are my stakeholders. You are my stakeholders. So here is my promise, on behalf of Goodparts:

We will advocate for Black lives and amplify Black voices across our platforms. We will do our part to continue driving the movement forward. This is just the beginning.

We will donate to organizations that protect the rights of Black LGBTQ+ individuals. This kind of company can only exist in the world that queer Black leaders fought for. We owe it to them to continue that fight.

We will grow the right way, and learn from our mistakes. Too often the white gay community turns its back on people who don’t fit that mold. I am not interested in continuing that tradition. I am committed to building a team as diverse as the community I want to reach.

Goodparts was made for play. But sexuality is about more than sex. 

Play can have purpose, too.

More soon.
Dave