June is National Pride Month, a time to celebrate and acknowledge the resilience and strength of the LGBTQ+ community. While Pride Month is often marked by symbolic gestures such as rainbow logos and parades, it holds a deeper significance—a celebration of life in the face of adversity, particularly in our current political climate.
Queer entrepreneurs in South Carolina aren’t an arbitrary novelty–they’re vital to the queer community and economic climate of the state. Here’s why queer founders are so important in South Carolina.
Economic Empowerment
Queer businesses contribute to the economic empowerment of LGBTQ+ individuals and communities. By creating and operating businesses, queer entrepreneurs can generate income, build wealth, and achieve financial independence for themselves as well as their communities. This economic empowerment helps reduce disparities and improves the overall well-being of LGBTQ+ individuals, who may face higher rates of unemployment, wage gaps, and discrimination in traditional workplace settings.
Representation and Visibility
Queer entrepreneurs provide representation and visibility for LGBTQ+ individuals in the business world. By establishing successful businesses, LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs become role models and inspire others within the community to pursue entrepreneurial endeavors. This visibility helps challenge stereotypes, break down barriers, and foster a more inclusive business landscape.
Job Creation and Economic Growth
Queer founders contribute to job creation and economic growth in South Carolina. By employing LGBTQ+ individuals and allies, these businesses help foster inclusive workplaces and contribute to reducing LGBTQ+ unemployment rates. Additionally, queer businesses can stimulate their local economies, generate tax revenue, and contribute to community development.
Innovation and Diverse Perspectives
Queer businesses bring diverse perspectives and contribute to innovation. LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs often offer unique insights, experiences, and ideas that can lead to the development of new products, services, and business models. Embracing diversity, including queer-owned businesses, fosters creativity, fosters innovation, and drives progress in various industries.
How Anti-LGBTQ+ Laws in South Carolina Could Affect Queer Businesses
An uptick in anti-LGBTQ+ bills proposed in Columbia has, to put it mildly, given the community pause, with many wondering what the future holds for queer businesses. If these anti-queer bills are allowed to pass and take root in the fabric of our society, it paves the way for more harmful legislation to pass in the future, impacting lives and businesses in unpredictable ways.
That’s not to mention the significant impact anti-queer laws and rhetoric have on mental health. LGBTQ youth are more than four times as likely to attempt suicide than their peers, not because of their innate gender identity but because of the mistreatment they receive in their communities. The Trevor Project estimates that more than 1.8 million LGBTQ youth in the U.S. seriously consider suicide each year — and at least one attempts suicide every 45 seconds.
How can the queer community survive, let alone thrive, when its youth, its future, is systematically dying in waves? Anti-LGBTQ+ laws are like vinegar on the roots of the queer business community, killing at the source.
Hope persists, and there are actionable ways to enact change. Here are powerful ways to support LGBTQ+ businesses during Pride Month and year-round to promote change, spur economic growth, and help the community thrive.
Speak Out Against Anti-LGBTQ+ Laws
Nathan Brown, Upstate LGBT+ Chamber president and co-founder, insists that it is crucial for voters to persistently advocate for the protection of marginalized populations. Allies can play a vital role by speaking out against legislation that targets LGBTQ+ individuals specifically, whether business-related or not. It is in the best interest of everyone to establish inclusive environments where people can freely live their lives without facing institutional barriers to healthcare, education, employment, or freedom of expression. Voters should engage with their elected officials regarding LGBTQ+ issues and cast their votes in favor of fostering healthy, safe, and economically prosperous communities.
In short: speak up, show up, and don’t give up until equality is achieved.
Buy from Queer Businesses
As with any business, LGBTQ+ businesses need revenue to succeed and thrive. Make it a point to buy from local queer businesses as often as possible this month. If you’re on a tight budget, promote queer business profiles on social media, give glowing Google reviews, and recommend them to others by word-of-mouth.
You can easily find queer businesses in South Carolina by checking the directory on the Upstate LGBT+ Chamber of Commerce website, or by checking the directory on the Carolinas LGBT+ Chamber of Commerce website.
Join Your Local LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce
Did you know that you can become a member of your local Chamber of Commerce, even if you don’t own a business? The Upstate LGBT+ Chamber and the Carolinas LGBT+ Chamber both welcome queer and ally businesses as well as individuals who simply want to support queer businesses in their communities. These organizations help LGBTQ+ businesses succeed by providing professional development, business education workshops, networking events, resources, and so much more. Becoming a member helps these chambers to grow so they can continue doing incredible work for the queer business community.
Conclusion
Queer businesses are vital to South Carolina’s economy and shepherd the way for a brighter future. By standing together, speaking up, and supporting queer entrepreneurs, we can drive positive change, promote economic growth, and help the LGBTQ+ community thrive in South Carolina.