Okay, so we know this is a gay blog and all, but we have a question: how do you folk feel about gay business owners banding together to fight the good fight?
We ask because we came across a story over at The Advocate about a group of Florida real estate professionals who’ve formed a group called the Gay Real Estate Executive Network.
While we’re not exactly sure what it is that they do, we gather that they provide support – both emotional and economic – to fellow members and work to spread the gay real estate gospel. The Advocate reports:
The titular head is Donald Geikie, a Realtor with Michael Saunders & Co., who describes GREEN’s goal as supporting one another in the quest to “sell more houses and make more money.” At the meeting, Geikie serves as moderator and cheerleader.
While there are undoubtedly some “greenie” advantages, some people may argue that so-called gay economics only distances gays from mainstream society. (You can guess where we stand.) So, beautiful readers, tell us what you think: should gays primarily support gay business or should we spread the love to the rest of our struggling nation?
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
(By the by, the house pictured is George Michael‘s love shack with Kenny Goss. Notice the bushes. Loverly.)
The Heiress
Gay’s have to support each other. In order for gay businesses and neighbs to be successful the community has to organize. The benefit to other communities, ie straight, is when gays move in and start businesses, property values go way up.
Jerry
Heiress:
Nice thought in theory, not so easy in practice. Kind of like supporting gay cinema even though most of it is crap. Gay businesses don’t always offer the most competitive pricing nor do they necessarily always put their money back in to the gay community (which, if I remember correctly, was supposed to be the whole point).
Then there’s the whole issue of gay businesses that choose to discriminate as far as which segments of the gay community they’ll most effectively serve, but we don’t need to go there right now.
In a nutshell, I’m all for supporting gay business, but I’m not so sure that gay business is interested in actually serving the gay community as much as they may profess.
Kate
Jerry – it’s a bad idea all around to lump all LGBT businesses into one group and say that group behaves in one way.
I’m a big proponent of supporting local LGBT businesses when those businesses offer a competitive product, at a competitive price. I’ll even shop LGBT if the price is a little higher.
It’s called voting with your wallet. If we’re not going to support us, who is?
Nick
Heiress, honey, neighborhoods’ property values start going up when gay white people with double disposable incomes (especially white male ones) start moving in. It doesn’t have much to do with the virtues of gay businesses. The queers who gentrify neighborhoods tend not to be the ones who organize on behalf of other queers, I hate to break it to you.
Aethlos
Competition Drives Quality. Work with the best – regardless of gender/sexual-preference identity. Isn’t this just reverse sexism? What would we think of “Hetero-Home Sales”? Eek. Sounds strange. “Breeder Realty”. lol I don’t know… if we don’t want people to focus on our “difference”, then why do we so often? Or maybe I’m wrong.
david in manhattan.
Just as Americans are often disliked in many countries for being Americans, members of the LGBT community are often disliked for being who we are. I think as Americans, and as homosexuals, we need to be ambassadors of the communities we represent, and work to represent our communities in a positive light. That said, I try to support gay and gay-friendly businesses whenever possible, but not to the exclusion of non-identified businesses that provide better services or significantly better prices. I do think we have a responsibility to support our communities. My professional services group (physician, dentist, etc.) are gay. I tend to frequent gay restaurants, but that’s about the extent of it. On the other hand, I will not patronize businesses that are homophobic or known to not be supportive of the LGBT community.