How to Be a Better Ally to Queer-Owned Businesses This Pride Month - and Beyond

Canada is home to over 100,000 2SLGBTQI+-owned businesses—a vibrant and vital part of our economy. Together, these businesses generate over $22 billion in economic activity and employ more than 435,000 Canadians.¹

Despite these contributions, queer entrepreneurs continue to face significant barriers. Many report difficulty accessing traditional funding sources. In 2024, about 0.5 per cent of venture capital funding was allocated to 2SLGBTQI+ owned businesses despite representing an estimated 7.6 per cent of the Canadian population.²

Many face discrimination, so much so that in 2024, 75 per cent of queer founders reported concealing their identity and 2SLGBTQI+ ownership status.²

Still, queer entrepreneurs continue to lead with innovation, creativity, and resilience. They are more likely to adopt inclusive practices, challenge conventional business models, and create workplaces that reflect diverse identities and values. Their businesses serve as safe and affirming spaces for both customers and employees, reflecting a commitment to equity that extends beyond the bottom line.

Pride Month (June) is a powerful time for celebration but also for reflection and action. As Pride Month invites businesses across the country to show support for 2SLGBTQI+ communities, there is an opportunity for the allyship to go beyond temporary campaigns. One of the most meaningful ways your business can show up is by becoming an ally to queer-owned businesses, not just in June but year-round.

Here’s how you can be a better ally to queer-owned businesses:

Celebrate Loudly but Authentically

Rainbow logos on social are a decent step, a baby step, because on their own, they're not enough. True inclusion is shown through long-term partnerships and actions that redistribute opportunity. If you are updating your social media for Pride Month, back it up with real action. Highlight the queer-owned brands you support. Share stories of your partnerships. Show your customers and employees how your business is investing in equity—not just during Pride, but every day.

Share Your Platform

If your business has a large audience or industry influence, use it to amplify queer-owned businesses. Promote their work through social media shoutouts, newsletter features, or collaborative products and campaigns. Allyship means passing the mic and letting others lead the conversation.

For example, you can invite a queer business owner to co-host a panel or guest write a blog post for your website. It creates new opportunities while showing your audience you are committed to elevating underrepresented voices.

Educate Yourself and Your Team

Allyship is an ongoing practice, not a one-time gesture. Offer your team training on 2SLGBTQI+ inclusion and encourage open dialogue about unconscious bias. Partner with queer-led organizations to run sessions that have had real-life experiences and are designed to lead to change.

Also, take time to educate yourself about the legal, financial and social barriers queer entrepreneurs face. Understanding these issues equips you to be a more informed ally and a better business partner.

Rethink Procurement and Partnerships

Review your list of suppliers, contractors and consultants. Are there opportunities to include more queer-owned businesses? Supplier diversity programs are not just about checking boxes. They are about building a more equitable business ecosystem.

Commit to investing in partnerships that reflect the diversity of your customers and communities. Even small shifts in procurement can have a major impact on queer entrepreneurs trying to scale.

Inclusive Marketing Practices

One of the most powerful ways your business can demonstrate authentic allyship is through the way you communicate. Marketing is often the public face of a brand, and it shapes how your values are perceived. To be truly inclusive, your marketing efforts need to reflect the diversity of sexual orientations, gender identities, and family structures across all their channels and not just during Pride Month. This includes everything from website imagery and paid ads to product packaging and internal recruiting materials.

Pro Tip: Feature real community members and creators rather than relying only on stock images to normalize representation and integrate it into everyday storytelling.

Create a Welcoming Environment

If you want to be an ally to queer businesses, start by ensuring your own workplace and customer environment are inclusive. This includes using gender-neutral language, offering diversity-focused employee benefits, and taking a stand against discrimination.

Your business can be a model of inclusive entrepreneurship. When queer business owners see that your values align with theirs, they are more likely to trust, collaborate and refer you.

Be Consistent Beyond Pride Month

The true test of allyship is what you do after the parades are over and July begins. Continue highlighting queer businesses in your content calendar. Keep learning, keep listening, and keep investing in equity.

There’s no perfect checklist for allyship—but there is a clear choice: to build a more inclusive economy by intentionally supporting queer entrepreneurs with your time, money, and platform.

This Pride Month, commit to celebrating 2SLGBTQI+ entrepreneurs and championing them year-round.

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