The Stonewall Inn Gives Back Initiative (SIGBI) has refreshed a program that supports businesses and organizations seeking to fight intolerance and oppression directed at lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and other (LGBTQ+). Participating organizations become SIGBI-certified LGBTQ+ Safe Spaces after undergoing employee training and community support reviews.
SIGBI, the nonprofit arm of the historic Stonewall Inn bar, was launched in 2017, and the Safe Spaces program debuted in June 2022. The refresh includes an update to SIGBI’s logo, changes to the organization’s Safe Spaces badge, and new self-imposed challenges regarding the number of participants SIGBI hopes to enroll during 2025.
“Right now, LGBTQ+ people, especially here in America but literally all over the globe, are under attack, especially our trans and non-binary community members,” Stacy Lentz, CEO and co-founder of Stonewall Inn Gives Back Initiative told The NonProfit Times.
“The idea of safe spaces and what they mean since we founded this initiative in 2019 has taken on greater importance, given the current administration and what they are doing to our community,” Lentz added.
Some of the brand refresh reflects specific recognition of marginalized communities. The 10-color ring that now makes up the Safe Spaces badge includes representations for people of color and the trans community, in addition to the six colors of the Pride flag. “We also wanted to make sure that we did a circular logo, which kind of dates back to the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval,” Lentz noted.
On a programmatic level, SIGBI revised some of its certification criteria. Even in its original incarnation, participants had to do more than, as Lentz framed it, throw up a rainbow flag and claim to be LGBTQ+ friendly. Participating organizations need to complete training modules, invest in relevant community organizations, codify codes of conduct within their employee manuals and refrain from supporting politicians or business partners with histories of working against the LGBTQ+ community, among other criteria.
The certification costs are on a sliding scale, with organizations that employ fewer than 100 individuals paying $500. Fees top out at $5,000 for organizations with more than 5,000 employees. Participating organizations need to re-certify annually.
SIGBI’s revenue has run around $400,000 during the past two years, according to Lentz (the most recent Form 990 on file covers the year ending December 31, 2022). Its revenue covers the organization’s salary and overhead expenses — Lentz is the only full-time employee — with between 60% and 70% of proceeds designated for programming and grants.
As of mid-February, 25 organizations have been designated SIGBI Safe Spaces, with another 20 in the pipeline. Lentz hopes to have 100 certified organizations in place by June 1, which is the start of Pride month.
The refresh comes amid a time of increased anxiety among the LGBTQ+ community. Under President Donald Trump, the federal government has rolled back anti-discrimination protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity, undercut medical care provisions granted by executive order under the Biden Administration, restricted participation in the military by transgender individuals, denounced, unfunded and prohibited diversity, equity and inclusiveness (DEI) initiatives across the board and taken many other anti-LGBTQ+ actions.
The Trump Administration has also expressed hostility toward organizations that espouse DEI principles. The Administration is also discouraging, if not outright banning, government entities from engaging with private-sector organizations that promote DEI programs.
So far, SIGBI’s supporters are holding fast. “We have not lost one corporate sponsor because of this,” Lentz said. “And, I was scared. I’m not going to lie. I was worried. Now, that’s not to say that won’t change. But I think why DE and I is under attack is people don’t understand what it means. They’ve been misinformed. There has been misinformation from the far, far right like, oh, an unqualified person, you’re just hiring them based on all these things.”
Lentz believes DEI-style initiatives will remain, but will likely have to undergo a rebranding. She speculated that the dialog surrounding DEI will have to reflect the pursuit of the most qualified individuals for specific job, with initiatives put in place to make sure those qualified individuals feel welcomed.
