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During Pride month, we recognize the importance of the LGBTQIA+ community—and celebrate love and acceptance for all. There are many different ways to be an advocate, including learning about Pride history, educating yourself on LGBTQIA+ social issues, and participating in Pride events. Not sure where to start? Here are a few things homeowners can do this month to support the LGBTQIA+ community.
1. Seek out LGBTQIA+ artisans and small businesses.
Pride month offers greater visibility for LGBTQIA+ entrepreneurs and creators. One of the best ways you can offer support year-round is by giving them business and referrals. If you’re looking for something home- or garden-related, search for LGBTQIA+ businesses instead of heading to a big-box store. There are excellent small LGBTQIA+ businesses to be found, such as Plant Gay, which offers plants, pots, and other merchandise. Looking for a Pride flag to hang outside? You’ll find them—and all manner of inclusive, giftworthy gear—at Culture Flock.
Etsy highlights its LGBTQIA+ sellers during Pride Month, which helps online customers to find these creators easily. You’ll find plenty of stunning products for inside and outside your home, including custom cutting boards, marbled concrete planter pots, and chunky, merino wool rainbow blankets.
2. Shop at retailers who donate proceeds to LGBTQIA+ causes.
Your dollars can do more than take part in a business transaction. Throughout Pride month, and sometimes year round, companies partner with LGBTQIA+ nonprofits or causes. In these relationships, it’s typical for the business to donate a portion of the proceeds of their sales to an LGBTQIA+ cause.
If shopping at retailers who donate to Pride is important to you, do a little research to find out which organization the company donates to, and what percent of proceeds go to the cause. Williams-Sonoma Inc., which encompasses such retailers Williams-Sonoma, West Elm, and Pottery Barn, partners with The Trevor Project. Buy select items from the company’s Pride collections, and 50 percent of the purchase price will help end suicide among LGBT youth. On June 20, Williams-Sonoma is hosting a Drag Queen Cookoff at its Union Square location in New York City, and will donate $10 from each ticket to The Trevor Project.
3. Buy Pride or LGBT-positive products.
Identifying yourself as a supporter is an excellent way to participate in Pride. You can say you’re an ally and show it at the same time by purchasing products that express your support. For example, Target always has neat Pride home and garden products; some of our favorites this year include the “Gender Fluid” coffee mug, “Grow at Your Own Place” planter, and the “Gayest Place in Town” door mat.
Many companies offer Pride products throughout the month of June, and some of them partner with a cause, enabling you to support the LGBTQIA+ community in two ways with one transaction. Check out the Hedley + Bennett Pride Apron; the company donates a portion of the proceeds to the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s Culinary Arts program. Le Creuset’s Signature Round Dutch L’OVEn is a Pride-ful update on the brand’s classic cast iron pan, with proceeds supporting The Trevor Project.
4. Shop with companies that support their LGBTQIA+ employees.
When you make purchases at organizations who provide and protect the equality and rights of their LGBTQIA+ employees, it makes a difference. Companies like Lowe’s are recognized as a “Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality” by the Human Rights Campaign.
Lowe’s supports LGBTQIA+ team members in several ways: They offer workforce protections, so staff can feel safe no matter their gender identity or expression. Their benefits package is designed to include coverage for same-sex partners, and equal health coverage for transgender individuals without exclusion for medically necessary care.
Lowe’s also provides LGBTQIA+ internal training and education, outreach to the broader LGBTQIA+ community, and LGBTQIA+ corporate social responsibility, among other initiatives.
5. Donate to an LGBTQIA+ housing organization.
Finding secure and affordable housing can be fraught with obstacles for members of the LGBTQIA+ community, including discrimination, even in areas with antidiscrimination protections in place. According to the UCLA School of Law, compared to cisgendered, heterosexual people, LGBTQIA+ people have lower rates of homeownership and higher rates of homelessness.
To really make a difference, you can donate directly to organizations that help those who identify as LGBTQIA+ find a place to call home. Some organizations to consider are True Colors United and Sage.