New York City Council Introduces LGBT Business Inclusion Bill in Partnership with NGLCC

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 28, 2019

New York, NY / Washington, DC –  The National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC), the business voice of the LGBT community, is proud to announce that a bill has been introduced in the New York City Council to include LGBT-owned businesses in contracting and procurement opportunities throughout the city and recognize NGLCC’s exclusive LGBT Business Enterprise certification. For LGBT citizens of New York, this inclusive policy provides fair and equal access to contracting opportunities and economic development programs that drive innovation, create jobs, and promote economic growth throughout the region.  NGLCC represents the interests of America’s 1.4 million LGBT business owners, with the New York Metro area being one of the largest concentrations of Certified LGBT Business Enterprise® (Certified LGBTBE®) suppliers anywhere in the nation.

This law, sponsored by openly gay Councilman Ritchie Torres and supported by the City Council LGBT Caucus, would make New York City the largest municipality in the United States to intentionally include LGBT-owned businesses in municipal contracting and economic development opportunities, a best practice of the private sector and of an ever-growing number of states and municipalities thanks to the advocacy of NGLCC and its state and local affiliates, including nglccNY.

Thanks to this bill, LGBT entrepreneurs in New York City will now have the opportunity to create jobs and develop innovations that benefit all who live in the most diverse city in America. Right now hundreds of Certified LGBTBE® suppliers in the region are already providing goods and services across the Fortune 500 companies in the city, and they are eager for their shot to compete for work in the city they love, as well,” said NGLCC Co-Founder & President Justin Nelson. “More diverse suppliers help NYC achieve its diversity goals and save taxpayer dollars: greater diversity creates greater competition, greater competition drives bid prices down, lower prices mean major taxpayer savings to be reinvested in the city.

In 2018, NGLCC won the inclusion of Certified LGBTBE® suppliers in Baltimore, MD; Jersey City, NJ; and Hoboken, NJ, while also advancing statewide bills in New York and New Jersey.  Previously NGLCC won Certified LGBTBE® inclusion in California, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania, along with major cities like Nashville, Seattle, Newark, Columbus, and Philadelphia.

“The timing for this bill could not be more auspicious as we are also working in Albany to bring LGBT, disability, and veteran business inclusion to the entire Empire State now that GENDA and other essential LGBT-inclusive bills have passed. Collectively, LGBT-owned businesses contribute $1.7 trillion dollars to the national economy and create tens of thousands of new jobs.  Progressive and inclusive leadership, like that of the New York City Council today, will ensure greater access to the American Dream for every American,” said NGLCC Co-Founder & CEO Chance Mitchell.

“Even though the LGBTQ com­mu­nity cre­ates im­mense eco­nomic ac­tiv­ity for NYC and the city is known as a bas­tion of LGBTQ equal­ity, there’s no cer­ti­fi­ca­tion that rec­og­nizes LGBTQ busi­nesses as part of the di­ver­sity of the mar­ket­place,” said Councilman Torres. “There are cor­po­ra­tions look­ing for greater LGBTQ d­iver­sity in their con­tract­ing, and there are LGBTQ busi­nesses look­ing for more op­por­tu­ni­ties. A cer­ti­fi­ca­tion would be a way to bridge the gap.”

# # #

NGLCC MEDIA CONTACT:
Jonathan Lovitz
Senior Vice President, NGLCC
press@nglcc.org
954-695-5896

ABOUT NGLCC:
The National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) is the business voice of the LGBT community and is the largest global advocacy organization specifically dedicated to expanding economic opportunities and advancements for LGBT people. NGLCC is the exclusive certification body for LGBT-owned businesses, known as Certified LGBT Business Enterprise® (Certified LGBTBE®) suppliers. www.nglcc.org @nglcc

New York City area businesses wishing to become a Certified LGBTBE® can contact nglccNY at www.nglccny.org