Responsibility to the LGBTQ+ community at large

[MudFire_Dex]

I just wanted to take a moment to relay a story that happened to me and my business this week and to give a shout-out for the hard work I know every LGBTQ+ business owner puts forth to protect and engage our community in particular. The responsibility is great, more so than non-LGBTQ+ business owners realize.

We were about to sign an LOI with a prospective second space for our studio, and we realized that our neighbors would be a church. But we are in Atlanta, and I thought, well it is probably a progressive "modern" church, but something made me dig in and research and I realized that they had extreme rhetoric posted that was hateful to anyone having anything other than a man/wife relationship - calling out bisexuality, polyamory, pansexuality, all as sins.

Immediately I realized this was a safety concern for myself, my wife, and our LGBTQ+ staff to be immediately next door to people with these views and what could happen if a sermon was on this topic and we were utilizing common area spaces in the building. We have spent years undoing the lack of diversity in our space by the former owners. We finally have a membership breakdown I am proud of - heavily weighted to LGBTQ+, women, BIPOC, and other underserved groups.

I contacted the leasing agent, and told her why I couldn't sign the LOI, and she lamented not doing more due diligence herself stating that her family owned the building and would be ashamed of a tenant expressing those kinds of views and that she in her privilege also thought it would be a "modern" church as well. It was an upsetting and emotional exchange.

I just wanted to honor our sacrifices and difficult choices on this fall day 🍂🏳️‍🌈

[Tom]

Wow — thank you for sharing, @MudFire_Dex. A difficult decision indeed, though completely reasonable and in the best interests of you, your staff, and your students. Hearing stuff like this hits home with me as a survivor of conversion therapy at the hands of the church I grew up in. Sounds like it was a challenging conversation with the leasing agent, though I'm glad to hear that it created a better sense of awareness and importance of due diligence on her part.

Thank you for looking out, and I hope you find the perfect place for your second studio where all can express themselves with a sense of ease and freedom. I'm sure it's out there.✨

[MJD]

I’m glad to have had a chance to read this serious story that deserved to be heard, highlighting the true struggles we go through and the sacrifices we make to feel safe with a personal characteristic(s) we have by no fault of our own and should have no shame for.

Its lovely of you to have considered the local safety of your staff and customers rather than just the safety and diversity within the building - one day there will be a day where we won’t have to worry about this, whether it be within our time or beyond, one day this world will have equity and everyone will be safe and able to live happy, however it’s things like this that can support us all in feeling, one that we can trust an employer or business to care about our individual identities and two that there is always someone out there who recognises the struggles we face!

Thank you for standing up to the cruelty of some people in this world, and I’m sorry you had to experience such a difficult situation in the midst of what should’ve been a monumental milestone for you as a small business owner. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

[Juancerritos23]

I wish to mention a tremendous business on Facebook owned by a gay couple which offers credit repair services and has a special discount for 🏳️‍🌈 members. It’s the little things like this that sends a positive  message out there about our community. Creditboosthelpers are doing a great credit repair job for folks across the country. I was a benefactor !