25 years of working to achieve equality and inclusion by promoting economic vitality in Austin.

No matter what brought people out, as the outgoing Austin LGBT Chamber Chair, I was glad the community came together to celebrate the 25th anniversary of this great organization.

2022 also marks a milestone for me – it’s my 25th year in Austin. This is where I went to college, got my first tech job, met my wife, and 3 months ago had my son. It's also the place where last December, thanks to the encouragement of many people that room, I bravely co-founded IGC with my business partner Jackie. We are an Austin-based startup that helps companies come together and do good in the world. We are proud to be a women-owned, Hispanic-owned, LGBTQ-owned business. So, if you can’t tell, Austin is important to me both personally and professionally.

Political retaliation is a real threat to businesses.

But our city and state aren’t perfect. And companies here are navigating increasingly choppy economic, social and political waves.

Did you know that 58% of CEOs have been threatened online after taking a stand on a political or racial issue. But guess what? 40% have been threatened for remaining silent (Ontic Center). This data shows that both action and inaction pose business and personal risk.

We don’t have to look far to see a prime case study of this risk. Let’s highlight some of the takeaways of the not-so-magical ride of Disney vs. DeSantis in Florida. It highlights the real corporate threat of political retaliation by state leaders. It also showcases the increasing pressure from employees, customers, and investors for companies to do what’s right for people and the planet. No longer are we purely judged on our balance sheets.

But this is getting increasingly challenging. There are SO MANY ISSUES.

LGBTQ challenges don’t end with marriage equality.

While yesterday’s signing of the Respect for Marriage Act is HUGE, there are still several challenges for the LGBTQ community. We are in opposition with those…

• trying to eliminate the notion of historical racism in corporate DEI education

• trying to silence the discussion of LGBTQ people in schools

• trying to deny appropriate health care for transgender people

• those who directly cause us mental or physical harm

More fighting isn’t the answer.

And normally, this is a time in a blog post, where I would say but we can’t give up the fight. However, in our polarized nation, I don’t think more fighting is the answer — a point proven by the fact the Respect for Marriage Act passed with bipartisan support in the House and the Senate. Now is the time to come together.

Businesses must unite and solve tough social problems.

I’ve seen firsthand the power of business groups collaborating to make a positive, social impact.

Here in Texas, I ate free pizza with business leaders at the gay club Rain in 2015 on the day SCOTUS struck down state bans on same-sex marriage. I stood alongside major companies like HP and IBM on the steps of the Capital in 2017 as we defeated the bathroom bill together. And I will be with executives in whatever is to come because I believe in the power and ability of companies to make a social impact.

Recently, my colleague Marc Solomon said he has always looked at those conflicted with the LGBTQ community NOT as opponents “but individuals who weren’t with us yet and that we simply need to keep engaging to help them along.”

And our businesses are the perfect place to help with that engagement. By our very nature, most companies are bi-partisan, economically focused, and socially minded. We are what’s needed to ensure stable democratic systems that allow everyone to innovate and prosper.

 So, I want to thank you readers, and your companies for your continuous contributions to the LGBTQ community.

Video of Speech at Austin LGBT Chamber Gala 2022.