Tatiana “Tatchi” Ringsby (she/they) refers to herself as an “ever-changing being”. Growing up in Hawaii, they fell in love with the ocean– “It has always held space for me, especially when I was discovering my identity.” Fueled by this passion, Tatchi created Beach Haven, a safe space for queer individuals with a mission of ocean preservation. We talk more about Beach Haven, support systems, and Tatchi’s favorite items from the our latest collection below.
Surely to make waves of change in the queer community, Tatchi’s interview is a must read.
Tell us about yourself:
My name is Tatiana Ringsby, but I go by Tatchi, and my pronouns are she/they. I refer to myself as an ever-changing being. Amongst many other things, I am an artist and a lover. I grew up in Hawaii and started making YouTube videos when I was 13 following my lifestyle and modeling career. As years passed, I began speaking about my eating disorder and journey to self-love. Eventually, this led to my coming out which, to my surprise, went viral and completely changed the trajectory of my life. I now live in LA and continue to act, model, and advocate for LGBTQIA+ folks through my art and by creating queer safe spaces. 
Tell us about your organization, Beach Haven:
Beach haven is a passion project that arose from my love of the ocean and desire to create queer safe spaces. Our first event was a beach cleanup on Santa Monica beach where queer individuals came together to foster community while doing our part. Beach Haven is expanding into new realms of queer safe spaces, you can follow Beach Haven on Instagram to stay up to date with what’s coming next! 
What inspired you to create Beach Haven?
Growing up in Hawaii, I have always felt deeply connected to the ocean. It is the place I return to if I’m feeling anxious or need to think. It has always held space for me, especially when I was discovering my identity. After all the ocean has done for me, I felt a calling to help preserve its magnificence. This inspired me to bring these two facets of my life together and thus Beach Haven was born! 
How important is it to have safe, queer spaces like Beach Haven?
It is incredibly important to create queer safe spaces in general, but I noticed that there were not a lot of queer spaces that are not nightlife based. I’ve found it important to create an experience that was centered around community building, being outside, and preserving the ocean, of course. Many queer people don’t have a support system, and we want to give them an opportunity to create that. 
What is most important to you when shopping for swimwear that makes you feel comfortable and confident?
Being that I am a fluid person, what’s most important to me is finding a suit that helps me express how I feel that day. I’ve found it very difficult to find suits that help me feel confident when I’m feeling more masculine. When I discovered Humankind, I was excited to find a brand that filled that gap. 
Favorite pieces from our Collection?
My favorite piece is the Swim Trunk because they help me feel comfortable, especially while surfing. A lot of swim bottoms are not built for functionality. It has quickly become one of my go to pieces on land and in the ocean!
Follow Tatchi on Instagram.
Find out more about Beach Haven.
Shop our latest Collection here.