June 2, 2011
By: Jenn Tracz*/CABO’s Executive Director
It’s June and that usually means one thing in the LGBT community – Pride month! June is always a great time of year with so many activities going on both indoors and out. But it is also the time of year where we are reminded of why we are celebrating pride in the first place. For those of us living in states like Connecticut and Massachusetts (among many others), we have a lot to be proud about. We are living in progressive states where being a member of the LGBT community isn’t necessarily something you have to hide.
I watched a 1984 documentary on Harvey Milk last week and it was moving to see how much he was doing for LGBT rights over 30 years ago. But as they were talking about Proposition 6 that was on the 1978 California State ballot that would ban LGBT people from working in the public school system, it occurred to me how far we still have to go. If we fast-forward to 2011 with the recent hubbub Tennessee has created with the so-called “Don’t say Gay” bill and it is surprising that stuff like this is still taking place around our country.
This is where your local, regional or national LGBT chamber of commerce comes into play. While there is a piece of activism in everyone, LGBT chambers work to make things better on a higher level, a business level. We work towards ensuring that major corporations (and smaller companies) are employing LGBT-friendly practices. We work towards creating an open environment where business owners and employees have the ability to network and do business with larger organizations without fear of discrimination. This is why we are here – to move the LGBT business movement forward.
To find out more information CABO, please visit, www.TheCABO.org or contact me at JTracz@TheCABO.org.
CABO is able to provide services to its member in large part due to our corporate partnerships, which include; Aetna, Foxwoods, Murtha Cullina LLP, Comcast Business Class, Bearingstar Insurance, Nutmeg State Federal Credit Union, Clear Channel Radio and The Rainbow Times. Each of these businesses has something great to offer and their commitment and support to the LGBT community is what separates them from the rest. We highly encourage you to do business with one or all of them. As a CABO member there are many great exclusive offers to take advantage of.
*In her role as Executive Director, Jenn is responsible for maintaining and growing membership, developing strategic business partnerships and overseeing the day-to-day operations of the organization. In addition to being CABO’s executive director, she also is a small business owner specializing in planning, branding, social media and design services.
