Man designs a beautiful rainbow turban for Pride

Every year during Pride month, corporations produce a ton of rainbow-themed disposable crap. But few people want queer-affirming seltzer or Pride beer. It's the goods crafted by LGBTQ individuals and small businesses that actually matter.

Consider Jiwandeep Kohli, a bisexual man, amateur baker, and PhD student who designed his own rainbow turban for Pride season. Kohli shared an image of himself in the turban on Saturday in a tweet that has since earned over 31,000 likes as of Monday afternoon.

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Kohli came up with the idea after seeing someone else in a rainbow turban at a previous Pride parade.

"He wore a slightly different style, though, and I realized mine would lend itself to a perfect rainbow because of the number of layers," Kohli told Mashable over email.

Kohli actually designed the turban last year, but shared the photo on Twitter for the first day of Pride in June. He's been pleasantly surprised by the positive reaction so far.

"The public reaction has been overwhelmingly positive," Kohli says. "I realize that by being so visible, I'm opening myself up to backlash and negativity, but it is entirely offset by the sense of community that it's engendered. I'm receiving so many messages of support and a sheer joy, and also a striking number of thanks from people who aren't as fortunate as me to be able to display their identities."

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On Tuesday, former President Barack Obama even tweeted about Kohli's turban, offering a very Obama-esque thank you.

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This isn't Kohli's first time in the spotlight. He previously served as a contestant on The Great American Baking Show. But Kohli didn't craft his turban for viral attention. He wants his Pride turban to serve as a symbol for something bigger than himself -- equality.

"The turban itself is a symbol of Sikh identity," Kohli says. "It's a sign to the world that I am an individual who stands for equality and justice, and that people can turn to me in times of need for help. What better way than with a Pride rainbow to also show that my values for inclusivity and egalitarianism extend beyond just religious freedom?"

This is the kind of Pride merch we can all get behind.