The Balance Sheet

5 Lesbian-Owned Brands You Should Know (The Balance Sheet: April 30, 2023)

Travers Johnson

Travers Johnson

— 14 min read
5 Lesbian-Owned Brands You Should Know (The Balance Sheet: April 30, 2023)

Let's wrap up Lesbian Visibility Week with 5 features on innovative lesbian entrepreneurs. And with Pride Month right around the corner, I need your help on a couple of projects that I'm working on:

• Sign up to be featured in Queerency's annual Big Book of Queer Business. It's a digital guide that includes hundreds of LGBTQ-owned businesses and brands to support during Pride Month and beyond, and this year's book will be bigger and better than ever! Sign your business up at this link.

• Are you an LGBTQ+ influencer, creator, or business that is struggling to secure Pride Month brand partnerships this year? If so, I want to speak to you! Please email me at hello@queerency.com and use the subject "brand partnership story."

And if you're a business that's interested in partnering with Queerency for Pride Month, I'd love to chat with you! Just email me at hello@queerency.com and we can explore some opportunities.

Have a wonderful week!

Trav

Top Line

Stories with Main Character Energy

BuzzCutt is a New App That Helps You Find Non-Alcoholic Drinks

In recent years, the world has witnessed a surge in the popularity of non-alcoholic drinks and the emergence of the "sober curious" movement. With a growing awareness of the health risks associated with excessive alcohol consumption, more people are seeking alternatives to traditional alcoholic beverages. This trend has led to the creation of a wide range of non-alcoholic (N/A) drinks, including mocktails, zero-proof spirits, and alcohol-free beers and wines.

Gone are the days of sober bar-goers having to settle for water or soda. But a common pain point that many newly-sober drinkers have is being able to find bars, restaurants, and stores that offer non-alcoholic beverages.

When they couldn't find a resource that made it easy to find that information, Sarah and Olivia Sears decided to build one themselves. The result is BuzzCutt, a new mobile app that helps all people, and specifically sober and sober curious people, find bars, restaurants, and stores that serve non-alcoholic beverages.

Continue reading at Queerency

This Podcasting Pro Shares the Top 3 Characteristics of a Successful Podcast

Ginni Saraswati, founder and CEO of podcast production company Ginni Media, shares why Intentionality, Cadence, and Thoughtfulness of Content are the three most important characteristics of a successful podcast.

Continue reading at Queerency

1-on-1 with Glenise Kinard-Moore, the Creator of The VDOM

The sex tech industry is ripe for disruption. Over the past century, there has been very little innovation––and even less diversity––from sex toy companies. But one Black queer visionary is here to change that.

Glenise Kinard-Moore (she/her) is the CEO and Founder of SkiiMoo Tech, a research, science, technology and engineering firm based in Atlanta. The company’s premier product is The VDOM™, the first app-connected genital device that can go from flaccid to erect at the push of a button on your smartphone or smart watch. With the latest version available for pre-order and shipping this May, The VDOM™ is revolutionizing the sex tech industry by offering a cutting-edge alternative to the traditional strap-on.

We spoke to Kinard-Moore, about how The VDOM™ came to be, her long-term vision for the company, and her advice for other Black/queer/women tech founders.

Continue reading at Queerency

43-year-old used her life savings to open a bar that only plays women’s sports—it brought in almost $1 million in 8 months

When Jenny Nguyen signed the lease to create her dream bar, she wasn’t sure it would stay open for more than a few months.

But earlier this month, 43-year-old Nguyen’s first-of-its-kind establishment in Portland, Oregon, celebrated its one-year anniversary. Aptly named The Sports Bra, it’s a sports bar where only women athletes appear on the TVs.

Business has been good, despite the niche business model and record inflation sending food and beverage prices soaring. The Sports Bra brought in $944,000 in revenue in the eight months it was open in 2022, according to documents reviewed by CNBC Make It.

Continue reading at CNBC Make It

What Dapper Boi Founders Vicky and Charisse Pasche Learned About Pitching Investors on 'Shark Tank'

I spoke with Dapper Boi founders Vicky and Charisse Pasche about what they learned from their Shark Tank experience, their top 3 tips on pitching investors, and what's next for the brand.

Read the full article at Queerency

Equity

Queer-Owned and -Allied Businesses In the News

A Nashville senior was banned from prom for a suit, so a local business stepped in - WABE
B Hayes, an 18-year-old student at Nashville Christian School, was banned from going to their prom because they wore a suit and not a dress. The school said it “has established dress requirements.”
WABEJaclyn Diaz
New Denver weed lounge aims to reinvent nightlife with tableside bong service
The aesthetic and amenities will be specifically curated to attract women and gay individuals, as well as the canna-curious looking for a comfortable environment where they can try some of Colorado…
The Denver PostChristine Ricciardi
A Self-Proclaimed ‘Dyke Bar for the Queers’ Opens in Bushwick
The Bush is now open with cocktails, Caribbean patties, and a community-first mindset
Eater NYMelissa Kravitz Hoeffner
Entrepreneur Raga D’silva stresses importance of lesbian visibility and role models
The PinkNews Business Community welcomed entrepreneur Raga D’silva to speak at a special virtual live event to mark Lesbian Visibility Day.
PinkNews | Latest lesbian, gay, bi and trans news | LGBTQ+ newsErik Niewiarowski
The White Horse Bar’s gay 90th, and a new owner
The longest-running LGBTQ bar in the United States is under new queer ownership. Patty Nishimura Dingle took over Oakland’s White Horse Bar from longtime gay owner, and patrons young and old are enjoying it.
Bay Area Reporter
WOMAN FILES DISCRIMINATION COMPLAINT AGAINST GAY MEN’S RESORT
A Florida Keys woman claims she was the victim of discrimination because she could not stay at an all-male, clothing-optional resort for gay and bisexual men in Key West. The resort’s owners and attorneys claim they do rent separate apartment units to women, but they don’t allow that specific woman…
Florida Keys Weekly NewspapersMandy Miles
Narrowing the gap with Queer Business Collective Canada
Former Kamloops resident working on national peer support platform
Kamloops This Week
How a gay bar made downtown Dunedin’s business culture bloom
Since the ’80s, the town’s LGBTQ business leaders have been helping shape the town as it exists today.
Tampa Bay TimesRomy Ellenbogen

Assets

Good News in Queer Business, Politics, and More

’Noah’s Arc’ Will Return & With It Gay, Black Representation
The popular television series will return this year the show’s director says.
Advocate.comChristopher Wiggins
Montana trans lawmaker fights on during 1st day of exile
Montana lawmaker Zooey Zephyr began her first day in legislative exile with renewed confidence that Republican lawmakers’ unprecedented vote to silence her has only amplified her message. Lawmakers were not making it easy for her, however. Shortly after she set up Thursday morning in a public space…
Associated PressAMY BETH HANSON, BRITTANY PETERSON and SAM METZ
At White House, ‘L Word’ cast praises Biden’s LGBTQ record
Cast members and the creator of the Showtime series “The L Word” are praising President Joe Biden for his support of LGBTQ rights. The groundbreaking show followed the lives of lesbian friends in Los Angeles, struggling with romance and careers. Actors Leisha Hailey, Jennifer Beals and Katherine Moe…
Associated Press
Most US voters aren’t happy about political attacks against trans children
A Fox News poll has revealed that more than half of US voters believe attacks against trans kids and their families is an issue.
PinkNews | Latest lesbian, gay, bi and trans news | LGBTQ+ newsAmelia Hansford
Minnesota passes landmark bill making state a ‘refuge’ for trans kids
Minnesota lawmakers have passed a bill protecting trans youth from out-of-state laws that would force them to detransition.
PinkNews | Latest lesbian, gay, bi and trans news | LGBTQ+ newsAmelia Hansford
Transgender health care restrictions hit roadblocks in 3 states as gender-affirming care becomes marquee issue for state GOP leaders | CNN
Proposed restrictions on gender-affirming care faced new hurdles in Kansas, Missouri and Tennessee this week, as health care for transgender patients evolves into a hallmark issue for Republican-led states and GOP-controlled assemblies.
CNNDakin Andone
House committee passes anti-discrimination bill for LGBTQ Pennsylvanians
House Bill 300 cleared the judiciary committee on a party-line vote Monday.
pennliveZack Hoopes | zhoopespennlive.com
Disney sues Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, alleges political effort to hurt its business
The lawsuit escalates the feud between DeSantis, expected to be a top Republican contender for president in 2024, and Disney.
CNBCKevin Breuninger
Tom of Finland exhibit celebrates Nordic country’s gay icon
A new exhibition showing the works of Touko Laaksonen, better known by his pseudonym Tom of Finland, adds a personal touch to the late Finnish artist whose homoerotic drawings of muscular men gained a following in the gay community from the 1950s.“Tom of Finland — Bold Journey,” opens Friday at the…
Associated PressJARI TANNER
DOJ sues Tennessee, alleging it discriminates against transgender youth with new law
The Biden administration asked a judge to declare that a Tennessee law targeting gender-affirming care for transgender kids violates the U.S. Constitution.
CNBCSpencer Kimball
‘Queer Eye’ producers are diving into the world of professional mermaiding for new Netflix doc series
Scout Productions, the company behind “Queer Eye,” explores underwater performers in the Netflix docu-series “MerPeople,” set to premiere May 23.
InsiderLucia Moses
Making a sound for the Filipino queer community
Filipino Artist and LGBTQIA+ advocate Paul Jatayna to speak at Liverpool Sound City Conference.
Manila BulletinManila Bulletin
Hundreds of drag queens march on Florida capital to protest anti-LGBTQ legislation
Hundreds of drag performers gathered Tuesday in Tallahassee, Fla., to protest a slate of proposed bills that would roll back the rights of LGBTQ people. More than 300 drag queens and allies on Tues…
The HillNathaniel Weixel
Footballer comes out as gay and shares kiss with boyfriend
Spanish footballer Alberto Lejárraga has come out as gay, celebrating his team’s success by sharing photos of him with his boyfriend.
PinkNews | Latest lesbian, gay, bi and trans news | LGBTQ+ newsJake McKee

Facts & Figures

LGBTQ Data to Digest

Less than half of LGBTQ+ women and non-binary people are out at work, survey finds
A new report reveals that less than half of LGBTQ+ women are out at work, with many facing discrimination and a lack of career progression.
PinkNews | Latest lesbian, gay, bi and trans news | LGBTQ+ newsErik Niewiarowski
The economic consequences of anti-trans legislation
Families, companies and states are bearing high costs.
MarketplaceKai Ryssdal
Nearly 1 in 4 teenagers now identify as non-heterosexual
Half of LGBTQ+ students said they’re bisexual…
LGBTQ NationDaniel Villarreal
LGBT Women Most Disadvantaged In The Workplace: Study - Star Observer
LGBTQI women find it difficult to even to approach the idea of negotiating for a better salary or a promotion, a survey has found.
Star ObserverChristine Lai

Liabilities

Challenges to Overcome

Dwyane Wade says he and his family moved from Florida because they were not ‘accepted,’ citing anti-trans discrimination against daughter Zaya
Dwyane Wade opened up about his family’s decision to leave Florida, and said that it had to do with Florida’s conservative political shift.
Business Insider IndiaAzmi Haroun
State lawmaker who opposed a bill limiting care for trans kids, including her own, is now under investigation over it
“This is using the legal system that we have in our state ... to harass a member of the legislature who you all know is trying to do the right thing.”
Business Insider IndiaMadison Hall
Louisiana ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill advances out of committee
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — As several conservative states adopt legislation that prohibits school employees from teaching or discussing sexual orientation and gender identity in the classroom, Louisiana advanced its own “Don’t Say Gay” bill Wednesday.
Associated PressSARA CLINE
SF Supes Overturn Their Own Ban On Doing Business With States With Discriminatory Laws
The SF Board of Supervisors overturned their own 2016 ban on doing business with states who’ve passed anti-LGBTQ legislation, restrictive abortion laws, and engaged in voter suppression, concluding the ban did more harm than good.
SFist - San Francisco News, Restaurants, Events, & SportsJoe Kukura
Crowbar attacks on businesses spark safety fears in Manchester’s gay village
City’s businesses and LGBTQ+ community appeal to police for more help after rise in hate crimes
The GuardianRobyn Vinter
New Jersey Librarian Files Federal Complaint After Being Fired for ‘Gay Lifestyle’
The librarian says he was let go for being who he is.
Advocate.comChristopher Wiggins
Supreme Court Urged to Review Gay Conversion Therapy Ban Ruling
Two conservative groups are calling on the US Supreme Court to overturn a Ninth Circuit decision that upheld Washington’s ban on gay conversion therapy.
Bloomberg LawMary Anne Pazanowski
Anti-Trans Dress Code Imposed by Texas Department of Agriculture
Texas Agriculture Commissioner dictates employees must dress “in a manner consistent with their biological gender” under new rigid policy.
Metro WeeklyJohn Riley
Indiana bill on trans student name changes goes to governor
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana schools would be required to notify parents if their child requests a name or pronoun change at school under a bill approved Monday by the state House despite worries that the step could out young transgender people to their families.
Associated Press
Montana latest to ban gender-affirming care for trans youth | Reuters Video
Montana’s governor on Friday enacted a Republican-backed ban on gender-affirming medical care for transgender children, days after a transgender lawmaker protesting the bill was barred from the floor of the state legislature, sparking a national furor. Emma Jehle has more.
Reuters VideoReuters Editorial

Future Outlook

Opportunities & Events to Know About

Opening Reception & Official Stonewall PRIDE Month Kickoff

In honor of PRIDE Month (June 2023), History Fort Lauderdale will present “Take PRIDE! A Retrospective of LGBTQ Life in South Florida.” This impactful exhibit will chronicle the gay rights movement and the significant migration of LGBTQ community members to South Florida which has contributed to the success of its vibrant arts and culture, business, media, and political landscape.


Buy Tickets

Bottom Line

Words of Wisdom for Your Week

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