After years of growing corporate support for Pride and LGBTQ+ initiatives, many companies and LGBTQ+ organizations are navigating a new period of uncertainty. Recently, many big corporations have been pulling back their support for Pride events and LGBTQ+ programming, leaving funding gaps for LGBTQ+ organizations. Instead of walking away from these connections, nonprofit Point of […]
Category: Business
Posted inTop Stories
Queer-owned perfume brands to support this Pride season
Perfumes are having a moment right now, especially indie and niche fragrances. What was once a nearly impossible industry to enter, has blossomed in recent years thanks to more accessible information and peer to peer knowledge sharing. Among the companies making waves at events like Fumed Chicago, are several queer-owned brands, some that only launched […]
Posted inTop Stories
Levi’s goes full throttle for Pride 2026 with the “Together, We Ride” collection
Levi’s 2026 Pride collection, “Together, We Ride,” draws its inspiration from an often-overlooked chapter of LGBTQ+ history: the queer motorcycle clubs that rode together, protected each other, and built chosen families. This includes groups like the Satyrs Motorcycle Club (founded in 1954), San Francisco’s Rainbow Motorcycle Club (1971) and Dykes on Bikes (1976) and New […]
Posted inTop Stories
LGBTQ+ safety and privacy policies declined across major platforms, according to new GLAAD report
The GLAAD Social Media Safety Index & Platform Scorecard for 2026 was released this week and, according to the organization, found continued declines in policies related to LGBTQ+ safety, privacy and expression across major social media platforms. The report and scorecard evaluate and rank “platform policies regarding LGBTQ safety, privacy, and expression” and include TikTok, […]
Posted inNews
New report finds gains and gaps for LGBTQ+ workers
A new national report paints a mixed picture for LGBTQ+ workers: more employees feel seen and supported on the job, but nearly half still report experiencing discrimination. The 2025 Shine the Light Report, sponsored by the nonprofit Be The Transformational Change Fund, surveyed 1,386 LGBTQ+ people across the United States. The study tracks workplace conditions, […]
Posted inTop Stories
Queer perfumers behind Domestica turn everyday memories into scent
It’s happened to all of us: you’re out and about and suddenly you catch a whiff of something that brings a memory flooding back and the emotions connected to it. Not only does scent travel from our noses to the olfactory bulb in our forebrains that is directly connected to memory and emotion, but scent […]
Posted inTop Stories
The Map of Us podcast puts real voices behind the LGBTQ+ Media Mapping Project
What happens when you take a national research project and hand the microphone to the people living it? “The Map of Us,” a new seven-episode podcast from News is Out, brings the findings of the LGBTQ+ Media Mapping Project to life through candid conversations with the journalists and publishers doing the work. All episodes are […]
Posted inTop Stories
5 things queer people notice immediately in a “welcoming” space
Queer people read a space quickly. Before a word is spoken, certain signals tell us whether we belong or should stay guarded. Here are five things LGBTQ+ people notice when determining if a space is truly welcoming. 1. Pride messaging outside, not just inside Are there any Pride flags flying outside or in the window? […]
Posted inTop Stories
Entrepreneurs find support via SF LGBTQ center program
This article originally appeared in the Bay Area Reporter. Madison Eker, founder and CEO of Altogether Agency, sought to refresh and rebrand her firm, which works with companies to enhance their workplace culture. She had launched it under a different name five years ago and felt at a loss for how to reimagine it for […]
Posted inTop Stories
Thoughtful gifts from LGBTQ+ makers for everyone on your list
The holidays are coming fast, and it’s a great time to show some love to the LGBTQ owned businesses that keep our community vibrant all year. These makers pour real heart into what they do, often while juggling tight budgets and a tough market. (All gifts listed below are under $150, with most coming in […]
Posted inTop Stories
Undead Voice founder Nicole Gress is rewriting the rules of trans voice training
When Nicole Gress left traditional medical settings, she wasn’t walking away from her profession: she was walking toward a new model of care. A trained speech-language pathologist, Gress, who uses she/they pronouns, saw too many transgender people hit a wall with conventional voice therapy. That frustration, combined with inspiration from the DIY innovations happening in […]
Posted inTop Stories
Lesbian bars in the U.S. you may not know about – but should
Over the last few decades, the number of lesbian bars dropped significantly, from roughly 200 in the 1980s, to a low of 21 in 2021. Since then, we’ve seen a resurgence of lesbian and sapphic-focused spaces: according to The Lesbian Bar Project, we’re now up to 38. You may know the classics like Cubbyhole, Gossip […]
Posted inTop Stories
Local Media Association and Comcast launch Economic Opportunity Lab to spotlight local stories of mobility and change
Support expands for local journalism in five major cities through funding for 48 outlets, including four News is Out publishers and affiliates. PHILADELPHIA (August 20, 2025) – Today, the Local Media Association (LMA) and Comcast NBCUniversal announced the launch of the 2025–2026 Economic Opportunity Lab, a groundbreaking initiative supporting local journalism covering stories of economic mobility and opportunity in cities […]
Posted inNews
After 46 years, Portland’s Scandals gay bar to shutter Harvey Milk Street space
Portland, Oregon, is about to lose one of its most famous LGBTQ+ third spaces. The owners of Scandals, which has been open since 1978 in downtown Portland, took to social media on Sunday to announce that its iconic Harvey Milk Street location will close Sept. 21. The social post informed customers of the shuttering of […]
Posted inTop Stories
Your queer foodie guide: LGBTQ+ chefs, books, tours and events to know
Looking to taste your way through queer culture? From guided food tours to groundbreaking cookbooks and can’t-miss culinary events, queer food spaces are thriving across the U.S. and beyond. Whether you’re craving bourbon and bites in Louisville, exploring food justice, or bookmarking your next favorite cookbook, there’s a world of queer food experiences waiting to […]
Posted inTop Stories
DEI isn’t dead: See the companies standing behind inclusion
At a time when companies are abandoning diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, WinMark Concepts President Andrew Isen said DEI was never meant to be a political statement – it’s a smart move for business and company culture. “It fosters an environment and a camaraderie of teamwork that will lead to a company’s positive bottom […]
Posted inTop Stories
Tariffs hit hard, but queer-owned brands push back with transparency and community
At the start of President Donald Trump’s second term in January, his administration quickly followed through on his promise to increase tariffs on U.S. trading partners. It began in February with a 10% tariff increase on all Chinese imports and a 25% increase on steel and aluminum products. Since then, tariffs have been escalating between […]
Posted inTop Stories
GLAAD Report: Major social platforms fall short on LGBTQ+ safety in 2025
GLAAD has released its “2025 Social Media Safety Index” evaluating seven of the country’s largest social media platforms on how well they protect LGBTQ+ users. The platforms assessed—Facebook, Instagram, Threads (Meta), TikTok, YouTube, X (formerly Twitter), and Snapchat—were scored based on their LGBTQ+ user safety, policy transparency, enforcement and protections against harassment and disinformation. No platform […]
Posted inNews
How tech companies can lead in building inclusive remote workspaces for LGBTQ+ employees
The 2025 U.S. Presidential election has made things harder for many within the LGBTQ+ community. With so much of our daily lives dedicated to our careers, remote work offers a unique opportunity to alleviate and manage some of the overall stress LGBTQ+ folks face. Benefits of Remote Work Working from home (WFH) can provide employees with a […]
Posted inTop Stories
Pride without partners: 2025 celebrations hit by funding cuts
Pride season officially kicks off in a month–but this year’s celebrations are already looking very different from what we’ve grown accustomed to. At many Pride celebrations—including those in New York City, San Francisco, and St. Louis—corporate sponsors, once ubiquitous, have begun pulling their support. In response to conservative backlash against DEI efforts and rising hostility […]
