Massachusetts is once again the first state in the nation in recognizing LGBT rights and this time it’s especially great news for the business community. Governor Charlie Baker has issued an executive order to include certified LGBT business enterprises in contracting and procurement opportunities along with those already afforded to businesses owned by women and minorities.
The policy paves the way for fair and equal access to business opportunities for some 21,000 LGBT-owned businesses in the Bay State, according to a report issued by the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce. (The NGLCC is the exclusive certifying agency for LGBT-owned businesses in the United States.) According to the report:
“This is a huge win for LGBT owned businesses that deserve equal opportunities to bid on contracts with the Commonwealth. We are reminded to harness the momentum of this victory to keep fighting for equal dignity and respect for all LGBT citizens as we advocate for similar intentional inclusion orders from coast to coast,” said Sam McClure, Senior Vice President at NGLCC and one of the architects of this initiative.
Before this executive order in Massachusetts, only the California Public Utilities Commission and several municipal governments—including Essex County, NJ and Cleveland, OH— touted the intentional inclusion of certified LGBT business enterprises. This executive order is the only statewide initiative of its kind, and an easily replicable model for other states to follow.
“This historic precedent will offer other states—and the entire federal government—a replicable framework to promote the intentional inclusion of certified LGBT Business Enterprises into their procurement and contracting codes,” says NGLCC Co-Founder & CEO Chance Mitchell. “As we saw with the over 200 percent increase in LGBTBE certifications following California’s AB1678 mandate, we expect a major increase in applications for job-creating, economy-innovating LGBT businesses throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.”
The National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce is the largest global nonprofit advocacy organization dedicated to expanding economic opportunities and advancements for LGBT people.
