Dive Brief:
- More than 900 companies are now registered as “LGBT-certified,” reports Bloomberg Technology. The companies are part of the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce’s program to certify business ownership by gay, lesbian, transgender and bisexual company heads.
- LGBT certification is similar to that of minority-owned, women-owned or veteran-owned business models. LGBT-certified businesses must be 51% owned by an LGBT person or persons.
- Bloomberg says that Facebook and Apple, which have supported LGBT groups in their fight against state laws that jeopardize their civil rights, helped turn that advocacy into certified goods and services for purchasing.
Dive Insight:
The rise in LGBT-certified businesses, from 300 in 2012 to more than 900 today, reflects an increase in diversity purchasing.
It's one of many indicators of progress for the LGBT community in the past few years, combined with the legalization of same-sex marriage, the growth of spousal benefits and addition of workplace anti-discrimination protection under Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.
Despite these gains, some states, most recently Texas, continue to debate what rights LGBT employees and their spouses should have.