There are more businesses owned by LGBTQ — lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual and queer — people than one might think.
These businesses are responsible for 33,000 jobs and contribute an estimated $1.7 trillion to the United States economy.
“It would be the 10th largest economy,” on its own, said Ashley Brundage, a nationally known inclusion educator and corporate diversity leader. Brundage was at West Virginia University Thursday for a diversity and inclusion workplace discussion sponsored by the WVU LGBTQ+ Center.
“You can’t just put someone in a box,” she said.
The business world is changing rapidly and differences in the workforce are being tolerated more than ever before. It’s become important to become inclusive in business. There are now 11 states, including Washington, D.C., that allow non-binary gender markers. West Virginia is not one of those states.
Brundage, whose given name is Todd, is a transsexual woman. She told her audience that by the time she was “2 or 3” she identified as a female.
“I pretended to be a male until I hit the breaking point,” said Brundage, who transitioned a decade ago. “There is a 40% suicide rate in the trans community.”
During her transition, Brundage said she lost her job mostly because her productivity declined. After she completed her transition, Brundage said she experienced discrimination when she was looking for work.
“I took each of the hateful things (I experienced) and put them on a platform,” said Brundage, explaining those experiences helped her segue into becoming a diversity educator.
Her first employer after transitioning was PNC Financial Services, the parent of PNC Bank, where she was a part-time bank teller. It was there she started attending transgender conferences, where she would show her before and after photographs.
“We all transition,” she said. “Our communities are just different. Sharing is how we all benefit.”
Still, it’s important to have a support system in place. Brundage has a wife, Whitney, and they are the parents of two boys, ages 10 and 12, both biologically conceived by them.
“We are all stronger together,” she said. “Immerse yourself. Be visible, be seen. Don’t just get involved. Instead, step into a leadership role. Leaders can come from any community.”
