Personalize Chrome with themes from LGBTQ+ artists

Back in high school, before I came out, seeing LGBTQ+ role models made me feel a sense of community. In particular, seeing LGBTQ+ people depicted in art and media who were thriving gave me confidence to be who I am. Artistic expression, from people like Keith Haring and Frida Kahlo, has been crucial for LGBTQ+ people throughout history for telling our stories and securing equal rights.

To celebrate the next generation of LGBTQ+ artists this Pride month, Chrome commissioned five LGBTQ+ artists to create themes you can select to personalize your Chrome browser and Chromebook. Available globally starting today with more options coming soon, these themes reflect the unique points of view of each individual artist. Here’s how some of the artists describe their work:

• Chrome browser theme with one person in a purple shirt facing another person in a green shirt looking out into the world.

  Derek Abella: “This theme was inspired by the special feeling of finding someone who sees life in the same way. Oftentimes, people in our community feel misunderstood and grow to be observers, but we’re never totally alone in this world.”

• Chrome browser theme with a person in pink tank top depicted having glasses with multiple eyes.

  Carlos Aponte: “All the pieces are autobiographical; I can only speak from my own experiences. This image is about a person who survived the hardships of life and still kept his spiritual integrity.”

• Chrome browser theme with images of Greek mythological figures, including a woman drawing a bow surrounded by wolves who faces a woman resting with a sword and shield.

  Sofie Birkin: “The story goes that Britomartis leapt into fishermen's nets to escape the unwanted attention of King Minos, and Artemis rescued her from drowning and turned her into a goddess and a hunting companion. They’re two of the more unambiguously queer characters in Greek mythology.”

• Chrome browser theme featuring a person with multi-colored hair flowing across the frame in all directions.

  Ohni Lisle: “LGBT+ people often go from hating their inability to fit in, to relishing it as a beautiful character building experience. The joy of self exploration and presentation is reflected in this theme — someone completely letting their freak flag fly.” (Note: this theme will be available on Chromebooks starting today and in Chrome browser later this month)

• Chrome browser theme with two people wearing cowboy hats with their arms around one another looking at fireworks.

  Tallulah Fontaine: “I wanted to create a scene that reflected the place I grew up — the prairies — and the idea of finding love in unexpected places. Cowboys come up so often in my work because I grew up surrounded with so much of that imagery and country music.” (Note: this theme will be available on Chromebooks and Chrome browser later this month)

Our Chrome team crafted themes around the work of the artists to fuse them seamlessly into Chrome, coordinating the colors of your tabs and making sure the work looks great on all types of laptop and desktop screens. To get one of these themes for Chrome browser, visit the Chrome Web Store, select “Themes” and click “add to Chrome”. To set a wallpaper for your Chromebook, right click your desktop, choose “Set wallpaper”, then select “LGBTQ Artists”

This collection is a testament to the expansiveness of the LGBTQ+ community, which continues to become more vibrant and diverse. You can browse all themes in the collection on the Chrome Web Store, where you’ll also find themes from Black and Latino artists.

by Nick Sexton via The Keyword