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ANYWHERE YOU SEE THIS, YOU'RE SAFE!
Equality Allies is a community partnership program that has worked to build more than just passive allies, they want our community to have voices of support in the places they do business, worship, receive care, and more. The program is open to any business, organization, local group. non-profit, place of worship, medical or mental health provider, and support provider. They go through our rigorous process to affirm their allyship in a real and meaningful way. Just look for the Equality Allies sticker on the front door!
Select an option to see our allies...
JOINING
Requirements
Answer 6 basic questions about your current LGBTQ+ practices.
Make a one-time tax deductible donation to support LGBTQ+ advocacy work.
Answer a 6-10 question survey specific to your industry.
Our staff will review your info and perform some basic research.
That's it! If approved, you'll be added to our site and get all the included benefits.
Lifetime Membership Costs
Non-Profit Organizations- No Charge
For-Profit Organizations - $250.00
Benefits
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Added to our online directory
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Front door sticker to attract business
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Included in newsletters and social media posts
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Tens of thousands of impressions per year
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We source our supplies, vendors, and partners from you first
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On-site event advertising at select events
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Access to our online Learning Library
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Access to our customized DEIA Training Sessions
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Discounted event Pride sponsorship rates.
YOU CAN CHANGE EVERTYTHING
Having a supporting place or person can change a life!
Whether you are are a doctor, business owner, pastor, or whomever, simple changes can make all the difference in the lives of your LGBTQ+ community. And these actions are proven to reduce violence, suicidality, negative outcomes, harassment, and more. This can include customers, congregants, employees, and leaders. Being an inclusive business just makes sense- diverse companies enjoy 2.5 times higher cash flow per employee, increase revenue by 19%, are 15% more likely to surpass industry median financial returns, and are preferred by 75% of job seekers. (Source: Built In)
The LGBTQ+ community is looking for safe places to live, work, worship, and love- you could be that!
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RESPECT: Address people by their preferred names and pronouns. Create easy to use and private practices that allow people to easily change their personal info, from names ot marital status and beyond without jumping through hoops.
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SUPPORT: Have visible and clear signs of support at your business, like a small pride flag, stickers, or clear signage. Be vocal in stopping any forms of harassment- no matter who is doing it.
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ACKNOWLEDGE: Look past the cisgender and heteronormative practices we've all held to. Do you have ads, signs, or displays that feature queer couples alongside straight/cis couples? Do you assume two women together are friends, rather than spouses? Do you assume someone's gender rather than asking their pronouns? Recognize that many people in our community don't look like us.
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EDUCATE: Help train your employees and yourself on the important topics, events, and developments that are important to the LGBTQ+ community. Knowing when someone is using anti-LGBTQ+ behaviors and rhetoric out of ignorance or intentionally can help recognize positive ways to intervene.
MISSION
The Allies Mission
Discrimination and harassment are all too common to LGBTQ+ individuals, with over half of our queer community experiencing these practices. (Source: Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health) By creating a community that is not quiet in it's support, we can change this in Loudoun County - making clear our business leaders, faith leaders, and community leaders will not allow discrimination that prohibits queer people from living their lives freely and happily.
We strive to be different from many other self-selecting programs, which only require business to sign up, by implementing a rigorous process that utilizes our volunteer researchers to include company's reviews, employee feedback, site visits, leadership meetings, event involvement, and general information to determine if a company is truly committed to creating an inclusive and affirming atmosphere. In addition, we work to provide transparency with our survey questionnaires develop by leading experts for each industry, as well as a financial contribution that progresses LGBTQ+ advocacy work in our County and region.
DID YOU KNOW?
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1 in 8 LGBTQ+ people experience unequal treatment from healthcare staff.
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84% of LGBTQ+ youth report verbal harassment at school for their identity.
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28% of LGBTQ+ youth report experiencing homelessness or housing instability.
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Only 46% of LGBTQ+ youth feel safe disclosing their LGBTQ+ status to family.
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Only 2 in 5 LGBTQ+ people report living in an accepting community.
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35% of LGBTQ+ people hide their identity in the workplace for fear of discrimination.
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48% of LGBTQ+ people say they fear for their personal safety.
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64% of LGBTQ+ people have experienced violence or abuse.
