‘We’re really proud of our DC business owners’: Director of equality chamber talks impact of WorldPride on small businesses

WorldPride D C has brought millions of people to the District to celebrate and shine a spotlight on D C s th anniversary of its first Pride event in Along with their pride the tourists from all around the world are expected to bring to million in revenue to businesses in D C Maryland and Virginia over the three-week celebration WTOP spoke to the executive director of the nonpartisan Equality Chamber of Commerce D C Metro Area and director of their nonprofit The Equality Chamber Foundation about the structure of queer and allied businesses they represent across the D C region We have restaurants hotels bars consultants revealed Patrick Algyer executive director of the Equality Chamber of Commerce and Equality Foundation We longed to prove and show the economic impact that our members have in the DMV specifically but just how the gay population all around supports the economic system Kat Dean director of the Equality Foundation declared the current political circumstances has caused corporations that were known to encouragement Pride events to financially pull back this year The businesses that we re supporting in D C are generally small business owners Dean mentioned They are standing really strong We re really proud of our D C business owners Algyer is thrilled so several of their members are taking part in WorldPride D C events It is absolutely the the bulk incredibly central thing that can be happening right now Algyer declared I think a combination of the current administration what s happening just across the country and being that this is the th anniversary of Pride in D C is incredible Source