LGBTQ+ business owners share successes and challenges they face

Pride Month serves as a reminder of the progress made for LGBTQ+ representation worldwide, and is a special opportunity to highlight LGBTQ+ owned businesses. Helping shoppers learn about these companies encourages support beyond the month of June, especially when visibility is more important than ever: Even though more than 50 years have passed since the Stonewall uprising, discriminatory anti-LGBTQ+ legislation and backlash against major companies for their LGBTQ+ representation are rising at an alarming rate.

“Queer entrepreneurs are going to look at the world differently because the world is not always a safe or kind place for us,” says Helen Russell, a co-founder of Equator Coffees. “Increased exposure for these brands can mean new allies, not just new customers.”