by Joe Woolley, CEO Nashville LGBT Chamber
Advocating, educating, and connecting our members, the LGBTQ+ community, and Nashville as a whole are the pillars of the Nashville LGBT Chamber. Our work is more important now than ever. Every business and person, from our corporate members down to our small businesses and gig-workers, to our networking members and followers, have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. We are here for YOU.
Our membership and programming remains open to everyone during these times; we are asking for members to pay if they can but no one is turned away or dropped as a member. Please join us at any of our EVENTS, or subscribe to our NEWSLETTER for more information. We’re proud to showcase some of our work below. Special thanks to Focus for letting us highlight our work and our members!
We’ve proudly added several new businesses and individuals to our membership, even during the pandemic. A great way to support the LGBT+ community during a difficult time is to frequent chamber member businesses—just look for our OPEN and EQUAL membership sticker on windows and next to cash registers when you’re out shopping. A full list of members and certified LGBT- owned businesses can be found on our website DIRECTORY.
In honor of this month’s issue, we are celebrating creative people! It is impossible to highlight every deserving company, but here is a list of a few members from several different industries:
CREATIVE MARKETPLACE
PROUDLY MARKET
FASHION
ANY OLD IRON
CLIFTON & LEOPOLD JOHNATHAN KAYNE LLC
FILM
OUTHAUS FILMS
PHOTOGRAPHY
TONDA MCKAY PHOTOGRAPHY
JAY FARRELL PHOTOGRAPHY
MPACK PHOTOGRAPHY
BARRY A. NOLAND PHOTOGRAPHY
ALL PHOTOGRAPHY MEMBERS
OTHER ARTS
ARTS, CULTURE, AND ENTERTAINMENT MEMBERS
If your business fits this category and you’re not listed, please consider JOINING OUR CHAMBER and taking advantage of membership perks. We want to help you promote and grow your business! If you’re interested in joining the Chamber, visit our website at NASHVILLELGBTCHAMBER.ORG to learn more about membership levels and benefits.
CELEBRATING PRIDE MONTH
We’re celebrating Pride Month in June all month long!
We are back! After having to cancel the awards in 2020 due to COVID-19, we are ready to celebrate at the 2021 PRIDE IN BUSINESS AWARDS on Friday, June 4 at 11 a.m.
They may look a little different but the reason for them is the same, to celebrate and highlight the work of our incredible members and community. The awards program is also the major fundraising event for the Chamber and we need support after the year we have just gone through. The Chamber paused all membership dues during COVID, asking members to pay if they can but not dropping anyone if they could not. We need your support now more than ever to continue our mission.
GRAB YOUR TICKETS and support the Chamber, the LGBT business community, and all of our incredible finalists!
In addition to the Awards, we have other Pride Month events in June. We will be co-hosting a Pride Fashion Show with our member, ANY OLD IRON, and co-hosting the 2ND ANNUAL PRIDE IN LOCAL MUSIC virtual concert with the Austin LGBT Chamber. Although we can’t come together in June at the festival, we look forward to showing Pride with you all month long!
THE RAINBOW CONNECTION
The Nashville LGBT Chamber still offers THE RAINBOW CONNECTION SERIES virtually for members and non-members. Each month, we offer two networking events, a member highlight session, an educational opportunity, and a benefit connection. This series will help our members and community stay connected and informed through the pandemic and beyond.
Network Connect is just that: networking events for you to connect to others for business or personal needs. To complement our traditional PM Brewing Up Business, we now offer additional morning networking opportunities, called AM Brewing Up Business. These events include a short program of announcements from our chamber’s staff and small group networking.
Member Connect gives an in-depth highlight of one of our corporate members and one of our small business members. We are so proud of our members and want to make sure everyone knows about their impact in the community.
Classroom Connect is designed to help LGBT+ and allied business owners expand their entrepreneurial skill set with educational webinars that connect participants to trusted experts. The Classroom Connect Series is made possible thanks to HCA Healthcare/TriStar Health, who joined as the title sponsor of the Classroom Connect Series.
Join us the last Monday of every month for our newest program, Benefit Connect. This event is an opportunity for new members to learn about their member benefits, existing members who want to maximize their membership, or anyone who is considering joining the Nashville LGBT Chamber.
Check OUR WEBSITE for topics, presenter information, and registration.
Our virtual programs will continue even after the crisis subsides, in addition to resuming in-person events, such as advocating against discrimination at the state capitol, rainbow ribbon-cuttings, and more events. We can’t wait to see people in person! If you need assistance or are interested in learning more about what we do, we’d love to hear from you. Visit our website for more details on these programs: NASHVILLELGBTCHAMBER.ORG
