Readout on LGBTQI+ Leaders Roundtable
SBA Administrator Guzman participated in an LGBTQI+ Leaders Roundtable to discuss challenges and opportunities for entrepreneurs and small businesses
WASHINGTON, June 14, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On Tuesday, June 13, 2023, Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman joined the Co-Chair of the Congressional LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus Congressman, Chris Pappas (NH-01), and Justin Nelson, the Co-Founder and President of the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce, along with several entrepreneurs and leaders of local and regional LGBT chambers of commerce for a roundtable discussion on LGBTQI+ entrepreneurship.
Administrator Guzman discussed ways for the SBA to build upon its support and commitment to the LGBTQI+ community, as well as the challenges business owners in those communities have historically faced, such as access to capital and discrimination, which is particularly prevalent in the wake of the over 600 anti-LGBTQI+ bills introduced in state legislatures this year. In addition, participants discussed ways to leverage the SBA’s 7(a) loan program and federal contracting opportunities presented by President Biden’s Investing in America agenda.
This conversation followed recent commitments from the Biden-Harris Administration in support of LGBTQI+ Americans, including launching a new LGBTQI+ Community Safety Partnership, which protects LGBTQI+ communities from attacks on their rights and safety. In December 2022, President Biden signed into law the Respect for Marriage Act, providing same-sex couples with the legal benefits of marriage and equal treatment under the law and releasing the first-ever Federal Evidence Agenda on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex (LGBTQI+) Equity, which guides federal agencies on data collection to improve the lives of LGBTQI+ Americans.