April 2, 2019
Washington, DC – The National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC), the business voice of the LGBT community, is proud to announce Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and the Orlando City Council have approved a measure to include NGLCC certified LGBT Business Enterprise® (Certified LGBTBE®) companies in contracting and procurement opportunities, as well as capacity building and educational programs from small businesses, throughout the city. For LGBT citizens of Orlando, 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.
This policy makes Orlando the first city in Florida and the second city in the southern United States to intentionally include LGBT-owned businesses in municipal contracting and procurement opportunities, a best practice of the private sector and of an ever-growing number of states and municipalities. This landmark policy for the City of Orlando was passed thanks to the advocacy of NGLCC and its state and local affiliate chambers like the Metropolitan Business Association (MBA Orlando).
“Thanks to the leadership of Mayor Dyer and of our local affiliate chamber, MBA Orlando, LGBT entrepreneurs in the Orlando region will now have the opportunity to create jobs and develop innovations that benefit all who live there,” said NGLCC Co-Founder & President Justin Nelson. “Orlando has a legacy of leadership in promoting inclusivity at every level of public life. Now, history has been made here in Orlando, and this victory for inclusivity has once again proved our core values that ‘diversity is good for business’ and that ‘if you can buy it, a Certified LGBTBE® can supply it.’ We are excited to see Certified LGBTBE® companies in every field from construction to catering and everything in between help grow the economy of Orlando and beyond. The 2019 NGLCC International Business & Leadership Conference, the largest LGBT business event in the world, will take place in Florida this summer, and we hope Orlando’s leadership will ignite a new era of inclusive economic opportunity we can all celebrate together soon.”
In 2018 and early 2019, NGLCC won the inclusion of Certified LGBTBE® companies in Nashville, TN; Baltimore, MD; Jersey City, NJ; and Hoboken, NJ, while also advancing statewide bills in New York and New Jersey. Currently, California, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania also include Certified LGBTBE® companies, along with major cities like Seattle, Newark, Columbus, and Philadelphia.
“Orlando is known worldwide for being a welcoming and inclusive city for everyone, regardless of gender, race, religion, nationality, sexual orientation and gender identity,” said Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer. “This resolution reinforces the fact that LGBTQ+ owned businesses are an important part of our community and the City of Orlando is doing everything we can to support their economic success.”
“While we have a long way to go for LGBT equality in the region, the South has always had a strong and growing network of NGLCC Certified LGBTBE® companies and LGBT-owned companies. We hope this resolution in Orlando will encourage more mayors to proactively include the LGBT community for the optimum social and economic health of their cities. Collectively, LGBT-owned businesses contribute to the $1.7 trillion dollars that the LGBT business community puts into the national economy. Progressive and inclusive leadership, like that of Mayor Dyer and the City Council, will ensure greater access to the American Dream for every American,” said NGLCC Co-Founder & CEO Chance Mitchell.
# # #
NGLCC MEDIA CONTACT:
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 LGBT Business Enterprise® (Certified LGBTBE®) companies. www.nglcc.org @nglcc
