How to Support The LGBTQIA+ Community With Your Dollar
It’s Pride Month and what most people know about pride is a month long celebration with tons of partying, speeches about equality, rainbows, and lots of Gaga. But pride is so much more than that.
Pride is also about action. Marsha P. Johnson, a Black Trans woman stood up for the liberation of the LGBTQIA+ community in 1969, beginning the Stonewall Riots. There would be no pride if it were not for Black Trans Women.
When the month is over it is imperative that we continue to stand with our queer family. Money can be such a powerful tool when voting with your dollar. Here are a few ways you can support the LGBTQIA+ community with your dollar with an emphasis on Queer BIWOC owned businesses.
Buy.
Here is a list of my favorite businesses that I LOVE to support all year round:
Accessories + Jewelry: Automic Gold / BlackQueerMagic / Coco & Breezy
Coffee: Pinhole Coffee / Equator Coffee
Food + Drink: Pipcorn Snacks / Big Gay Icecream / Rocksteady Farm - NYC / Abbey Creek Winery / Brown Estate
Clothing: Tomboy X / Kirrin Finch / Wildfang
Skincare: Jade & Fox / Noto / Kiss My Face / Roots & Crown
Art: Favianna / Mickalene Thomas / Unity Skateboarding / Blk Mkt Vintage
Bookstores: Bluestockings - NYC / Dog Eared Books - SF / KramerBooks - DC / Gertie Book Club
Donate.
Pick an organization every month and donate 5%-10% of your income if your budget allows. Here are a few organizations that are doing incredible work for the LGBTQIA+ community.
Invest.
Whenever I get a client who is ready to begin investing, my first and most important question I will ask them is, “What are your values?” If you truly want to invest in support of the LGBTQIA+ community, you have to do your homework.
Does the company you want to invest in actively and vocally support the LGBTQIA+ community?
Is the company owned by someone of the LGBTQIA+ community?
Does the company support and protect their LGBTQIA+ employees?
These are just a few questions to get you started.
Backstage Capital, founded by Arlan Hamilton, is an awesome place to start. They have invested in more than 100 startups led by womxn, POC, Black, and LGBTQIA+ founders in the United States.
Read & Listen.
It is important to read and listen to our LGBTQIA+. There are so many incredible authors to learn from. Below is a list of authors with their best works linked for you to check out and buy.
Matthew Riemer & Leighton Brown
These suggestions are just to get you started on supporting the LGBTQIA+ community with your dollar. Put your money where our mouth is and commit to showing up for ALL queer folx, especially Black Trans lives as Pride would not exist without them!
Remember, the goal is to celebrate Pride all year round! $$