The Balance Sheet

The Balance Sheet: January 19, 2024

Enjoy this week's roundup of LGBTQ+ business news!

Travers Johnson

Travers Johnson

— 7 min read
The Balance Sheet: January 19, 2024

Happy Friday! I hope you had a great week and are gearing up for an even better weekend.

In this newsletter we cover:

  • a proposed new gay real estate development making a splash–and receiving backlash–on social media
  • a stunning investigation of drugging allegations spanning years at West Hollywood nightclub The Abbey
  • the queer fashion brand that Harry Styles just invested in
  • a new video showing the arrest of Bar:PM owner James Pence after the St. Louis police crashed their car into his bar
  • and so much more!

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Thanks for reading, and see you next week!

Trav 💜

Top Line

Stories With Main Character Energy

Proposed “New Fire Island" Development Praises Gentrification, Promises a Gay Paradise

The Tea: A proposed new beach town real estate development is making a splash–and receiving backlash–on social media.

  • According to its website, New Fire Island is “A community of gays building a new paradise, inspired by the original Fire Island Pines – in the sunny Mediterranean and for a new era.”

Read the full story at Queerency.

Report details alleged drugging of patrons at West Hollywood gay nightclub, The Abbey

The Tea: A new investigative piece published by The 19th News details a pattern of stunning allegations of drugging from patrons of iconic West Hollywood nightclub, The Abbey:

  • The three-year investigation interviewed more than 70 abbey patrons who said that their drinks had been drugged

Continue reading at Queerency.

Harry Styles invests in queer British fashion label S.S Daley

Harry Styles has taken a minority stake in emerging queer British label S.S. Daley for an undisclosed amount.

Continue reading at Gay Times.

New video shows St. Louis police arresting gay bar owner after they crashed into his storefront

The Tea: The attorney representing Bar:PM owners Chad Morris and James Pence released a bystander video documenting the aftermath of the now infamous St. Louis cop car crash that resulted in co-owner James Pence being handcuffed and co-owner James Pence being arrested.

  • The video shows the moments leading up to Pence being detained in handcuffs
  • It also reportedly shows the St. Louis police officer Ramelle Wallace, who Morris alleges beat him while in police custody.

Continue reading at Queerency.

Equity

Queer-Owned and -Allied Businesses In the News

‘We are needed’: Queer and trans carpenters start renovations company
“If it’s not cis male dominated, it’s very women centered,” Greer Roberts, one of the founders of Splitgill Carpentry, said. “Which is cool, and that needs to be a space but, that doesn’t really fit either of us. So we needed to make our own space.”
'We are needed': Queer and trans carpenters start renovations company -Tori Newby
New Australian-style cafe by Skipper’s Brew owners offers space for queer joy - Mustang News
Scheduled to open in early 2024, The Platypus will offer a safe space for the LGBTQ+ community, with an assortment of coffee and international cuisine.
Mustang NewsNatasha Malinovsky
GLAAD Brings LGBTQ Issues into Focus with World Economic Forum in Davos
The World Economic Forum’s (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland convenes leaders from government, business, and civil society to address the state of the world and discuss priorities for the year ahead. Critical discussions and commitments that take place in Davos this week provide a platform to engage in constructive, forward-looking dialogues and help find
GLAADTony Morrison
9 LGBTQ entrepreneurs and CEOs paving the way for future generations
Meet nine inspiring LGBTQ entrepreneurs making waves in their industries. From tech to fashion, these trailblazers are changing the game.
PinkNews | Latest lesbian, gay, bi and trans news | LGBTQ+ newsErik Niewiarowski
Little Gay Bookstore continues to make strides as new business, works toward Columbus storefront
While on a trip to downtown Los Angeles, Reese Steiner and Lauren Branch happened upon a labyrinthine bookstore they were eager to explore. Steiner said she was on the hunt for a section dedicated to queer books amongst the vast corridors of shelves but was disheartened to realize none such sections existed. The couple joked […]
The LanternTristen Gulasa

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Assets

Good News in Queer Business, Politics, and Culture

The Struggles and Triumphs of Trans Inclusion in Indian Tech
The current state of LGBTQ+ representation in the Indian tech ecosystem is slowly improving, driven by millennials and Gen Z queer professionals.
Analytics India MagazineShritama Saha
Art and activism mingle for queer performance night in aid of Palestine
House of Boussé have planned a night of poetry, drag, and lip syncs along “to galvanise action”
Bristol 24/7Andy Leake
Supreme court bows out of fight over bathroom access for trans students
In yet another case seeking to strip protections from transgender students, the high court decides not to weigh in.
alMakaelah Walters
Tina Fey made these ‘Mean Girls’ characters explicitly queer for the remake
The “Mean Girls” remake knows Gen Z is queer as hell, and it’s updated these iconic characters to reflect it…
INTOJude Cramer
Texas’s anti-LGBTQ+ book ban law blocked by federal court
The law requires book sellers to rate sexual content in books... or else…
LGBTQ NationDaniel Villarreal

Facts & Figures

Data to Digest

Aunts and Aunties Provide Crucial Support for LGBTQ+ Youth, Study Finds
Extended family can be crucial to supporting LGBTQ+ youth, especially those rejected by their nuclear family.
Them.Condé Nast

Liabilities

Challenges to Overcome

As DEI Comes Under Legal Attack, Companies Quietly Alter Their Programs - OutSmart Magazine
Diversity, equity, and inclusion programs targeted by conservative activists.
OutSmart MagazineAssociated Press
Russia’s queer artists fight growing persecution - The Street Journal
In 2020, the world was heralding a new wave of queer creativity in Russia, a state that had outlawed much LGBTQ cultural life. “The country’s LGBTQ+ music and nightlife scene is changing how the world looks at Russian youth,” beamed i-D magazine in April that year. Gay artist, model and musician Angel Ulyanov embodied this
The Street Journal
This American town has banned Pride flags on town property
The Enfield Town Council in Connecticut has voted in a majority ruling to ban pride flags on town property.
GAY TIMESAlice Morey

Future Outlook

Opportunities & Events to Know About

Men Having Babies 2024 Atlanta Surrogacy Conference & Expo

MHB is coming to Atlanta for the first time February 23-35 to offer everything you need to know and everyone you need to meet to start your parenting journey! Learn about:

  • The basics: medical, legal, and financial aspects of surrogacy
  • Surrogacy Costs: budgeting & insurance considerations for surrogacy
  • MHB’s member resources, discounts, and financial assistance
  • Evaluating various surrogacy destinations
  • Accessing benefits from employers

Learn more and register here

Read more