Identifying Safe Spaces for the LGBTQ+ Community

Anderson: When New York City police raided the Stonewall Inn in 1969, the Inn's patrons and neighbors resisted. The riots that ensued for the following six days became known as the Stonewall Uprising, a galvanizing force for the modern-day gay rights movement. Hello, and welcome to "Comcast Newsmakers." I'm Tetiana Anderson. The Stonewall Inn remains an important symbol in the fight for LGBTQ rights, and its charitable organization, The Stonewall Inn Gives Back Initiative, is working to eliminate anti-LGBTQ social intolerance. Joining me to talk about all of this is Stacy Lentz, co-owner of the Stonewall Inn and co-founder and CEO of the Stonewall Inn Gives Back Initiative. And, Stacy, thank you so much for being here.

Lentz: Thanks for having me. I'm excited to be here.

Anderson: So, this is personal for you in a couple of ways, one being that you are part owner of the world-famous Stonewall Inn. What a legacy. Explain how that even came about.

Lentz: Yeah. So, in 2006, my business partners and I found out that the Stonewall Inn was closing. It actually could have been a Starbucks, a nail salon, anything like that. So my partners, Bill Morgan, Tony DeCicco, and Kurt Kelly, organize a group of investors -- I was one of them -- and it was really important for all of us to save history.

Anderson: So, the Stonewall Initiative has something called the Safe Spaces Program. First of all, why is there a need for a designated safe space? I mean, describe what's going on across the country that makes that necessary.

Lentz: Sure. So, in 2023, there are 417 laws that folks across the country have tried to make into legal legislation. So our community is under attack. So when our community is under attack, it's important more than ever to have safe spaces across the country.

Anderson: So describe what that is. I mean, what is a safe space for someone in the LGBTQ community?

Lentz: Yeah, a safe space is someplace where you can show up and be your authentic self, whether that's through gender identity, gender expression, or just being who you are and being able to love who you want to love.

Anderson: So, walk us through the certification process that comes with this. It's pretty extensive. What do organizations and businesses have to go through?

Lentz: Yeah, sure. So, we worked with community organizations in some of the toughest places to be LGBTQ in 2023, and the community really decided what that criteria should be. So, a few of the criteria are, for example, a gender-neutral bathroom, having at least one on premise. Another one would be making sure that you are not donating to anti-LGBTQ legislators because you can't put up that rainbow flag in June and then July go donate to somebody who's against equality. Another one is making sure that you support the community and support non-profits by writing a check and putting your money where your mouth is and supporting us 365 days a year. We're not just LGBTQ during Pride month in June, we're actually LGBTQ all year.

Anderson: So that is well and good for organizations or businesses that do support the movement. But how do you convince somebody else who might not be in support of the movement that they actually need to become a safe space? I mean, why is that valuable?

Lentz: Yeah. So, businesses really need to understand that consumers, especially young consumers, are demanding that they're on the side of equality. You actually probably won't be in business in 20 years if you don't support marginalized groups and LGBTQ folks and fight for equality. The consumers really, really are pushing for that right now.

Anderson: So, the Safe Spaces Program is sort of one piece of the puzzle. But what's your hope for the future when it comes to equity, equality, and inclusion for the LGBTQ community?

Lentz: Yeah. So, the fight that began on Christopher Street in 1969, it's not over, and it's not going to be over until we get full global equality. And, again, until we can make sure not just here in the U.S. but all across the globe, that people can show up, be their authentic selves, not be criminalized for it, not be -- have laws against it for it, and making sure we can just be authentic and be who we want to be.

Anderson: Stacy, people are going to want to know a lot more about what the initiative does. What is the website?

Lentz: Sure. You can go to thestonewallinitiative.org to learn more about the Stonewall Inn Gives Back Initiative, which is the official and only non-profit of the Stonewall Inn.

Anderson: Stacy Lentz with the Stonewall Inn Gives Back initiative, thank you for being here.

Lentz: Thank you. I really appreciate it.

Anderson: And thanks to you, as well, for watching. As always, for more great conversations with leaders in your own community and across the nation, visit comcastnewsmakers.com. I'm Tetiana Anderson.