The Pink Robin team descended on New York City last Thursday, got GLAMMED UP, and hit the step-and-repeat for the 13th annual StartOut Awards Gala.
We were there to network with other entrepreneurs and support StartOut’s fundraising efforts, which, for the very first time, exceeded half-a-million dollars. In fact, the number is $576,130 and growing! Since 2009, StartOut has built a community of over 25,000 members. Each year they provide support to over 1000+ individual LGBTQ+-led organizations. Support is provided in the form “expertise, peers, community, and capital,” which helps organizations and entrepreneurs create, navigate, and maintain successful businesses in an ever-changing marketplace.
Performances by talented drag artist Thorgy Thor kept the crowd laughing and cheering. The way she moves in those heels? Nothing short of astonishing. I loved every second, but was truly blown away by her musical ability on her violin.
The bar was packed. The drinks were flowing. The fashion was on point. Come on now, the LGBTQ+ community does not play when it comes to showing off our style. What a night it was. Here’s our recap.
We were in awe of all of this year’s award recipients, but I found myself fan-girling quite intensely over self-described “professional mad scientist, demented author, and inventive storyteller” Vivienne Ming. She may have been the only speaker of the evening to command the attention of the entire room, when she raised topics like postpartum depression and perimenopause. These are topics that, historically, haven’t always aligned with the queer community.
So why is a transgender neuroscientist researching conditions that typically impact cisgender females? Because, as Ming pointed out in her speech Thursday night, when we fund research for marginalized groups, everyone wins. Science benefits all of us.
For a full list of this year’s award recipients, click here.
Our biggest take-away from the event—which is our takeaway from most events and organizations that center on business growth and entrepreneurship—is that we need more female-identifying people in positions of power. The World Economic Forum reports that “women-founded startups accounted for 2% or less of venture capital (VC) funding invested in Europe and the United States in 2023.” We need more funding for women–founded organizations and businesses. We need to give more women a seat at the table. We see the growth, but it’s not enough. That’s why we continue to support these initiatives, share our stories here at Pink Robin, and solicit your stories of risks, rewards, empowering yourself and your queer community, and of course, your big fat gay achievements.
Hey there. Laura Leigh here. I’m a wife, writer, mama, small business owner, podcast host, and the Head of Content here at Pink Robin.
I love supporting the queer community and bringing shared experiences to life.
If you have a story to tell, I’m here for it.
la********@pi***********.com
I remember when my wife and I first became moms, I knew that our ability to “pass” was behind us. I was never going to pretend that my wife and family were something other than exactly who they were. It was freeing to know that I had to live my queer life out loud, that I would forever be myself in every space, all the time.
In a 2023 CNN article Daniel Korschun, associate professor of marketing at Drexel University explained that when it comes to supporting the LGBTQ+ community, executives “are becoming much more skittish about taking these stands and making strong statements.
According to a 2022 Pew Research Poll, roughly eight-in-ten U.S. adults say there is at least some discrimination against transgender people in our society. Because trans rights have become such a contentious issue across the country, companies that used to view supporting pride as “low stakes” have become less likely to support the LGBTQ+ community as a whole. “The pendulum is swinging a bit back … toward a more conservative approach, where they’ll be less vocal,” says Korschun. According to a recent NBC News article, Target stores will only sell pride merchandise in select locations this year. The retailer will not have Pride collections in about half of their locations. Additionally, they will only sell pride merchandise for adults.
An argument that Target has made in the past and is now using again is that this decision protects their LGBTQ+ employees, but let’s be clear: Conditional allyship is not support. Pulling queer merchandise from their shelves and essentially pretending that we don’t exist–and ignoring those of us who have children that want to celebrate pride with us–is detrimental to our community. Erasure threatens our safety. This weekend my mom told me that she’s done with Target. Like her, I can’t say I feel good about spending my money in a place that doesn’t value my family. As of today, the ACLU is currently tracking 515 anti-LGBTQ bills in the U.S. We exist, and abandoning us only endangers us.