Worcester Business Journal

Closeted companies BY SLOANE M. PERRON Worcester Business Journal Staff Writer PHOTO/EDD COTE M ajor shis are occurring in the LGBTQ+ community with an ever-increasing number of individuals openly identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, and trans- gender, questioning, and queer. While the community is growing, particularly among younger generations, the number of LGBTQ+ business owners who openly identify is disproportionately low in Massachusetts. According to the Boston Foundation's "Equality and Eq- uity Advancing the LGBT Community in Massachusetts" study, 5% of the state's population reports being part of the LGBTQ+ community. However, the Boston Foundation said in its report this number is likely much higher. Underreporting makes it difficult for organizations, such as the Massachusetts LGBT Chamber of Commerce, to ob- tain accurate member numbers and understand the scope and needs of those they serve. "It is very hard to get LGBTQ+owned businesses to come forward," said Grace Moreno, executive director of the Massachusetts LGBT Chamber of Commerce. Despite the business benefits of inclusivity, getting LGBTQ+ business owners to openly identify is hard, especially because of safety concerns and fears that their businesses could be targeted. "I am in a privileged position to be loudly and proudly out as a queer, non-binary business owner, and I recognize that safety does not exist for everybody," said Joshua Croke, founder of the Worcester businesses Action! By Design, a social innovation and change consulting agency, and Love Your Labels, an inclusion and equality advocacy group. The benefits of identifying In 2017, Gov. Charlie Baker expanded the Massachu- setts Supplier Diversity Program to include LGBT-owned businesses. rough the executive order, the Mass. LGBT Chamber of Commerce was created to promote inclusivity in the corporate sector, strengthen supplier diversity, and build a strong network of LGBTQ+ business owners. Younger generations have become more inclusive, said Moreno, while the older generations are still learning to accept LGBTQ+ individuals. e Boston Foundation's report found 16% of individuals between the ages of 18-24 identify as LGBTQ+ vs. 3% of those aged 65 to 74. Despite the increasing population of openly identifying LGBTQ+, underreporting is still an issue, which is further compounded if that person is a member of another histori- cally excluded group, such as a person of color. "So think about it, if you are a brown person, you cannot hide the fact that you are a brown person because you can 30 Worcester Business Journal | September 13, 2021 | wbjournal.com Even though the LGBTQ+ com- munity represents a significant portion of the population, the number of owners who identify their businesses as such remains low Joshua Croke, a queer non- binary individual, founded and runs two Worcester businesses. F O C U S D I V E R S I T Y & I N C L U S I O N

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