LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance has kicked off the annual June Pride Month celebration and will host more than 25 events for the real estate industry and consumers, the organization has announced.
“A lot of folks don’t realize that Pride Month, which is now celebrated around the world, was founded in June of 1970 when Manhattan’s Greenwich Village community returned to Stonewall, a well-known LGBTQ+ club, to honor the one-year anniversary of a revolt against police who had violently raided the bar marking the start of the modern LGBTQ+ movement,” said LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance CEO Ryan Weyandt. “This is an incredible month for the LGBTQ+ community as we celebrate the importance of living our lives authentically and the strides we’ve made. This celebration honors our movement and recognizes the challenges we’ve faced as a community to get us to the point where the largest companies and brands in real estate fully engage with us with a focus on the needs of our community.
“Pride Month is also special because of the amazing support we receive from the Ally community in our industry,” Weyandt continued. “While this is only the Alliance’s second Pride season, we are honored to do our duty and carry the real estate industry’s PRIDE flag while we welcome so many professionals and consumers at our activities and look forward to growing our programming each year.”
The Alliance says its signature consumer event will be the second annual LGBTQ+ First-Time Home Buyer Seminar on June 14 at 7 p.m. ET. The virtual event is free with registration required. It will feature a variety of important topics for potential homeowners including discussions about down payments, mortgage types, pre-approval and the lending process. The program will also provide insight into selecting an agent, home and neighborhood while offering perspectives on the offer, negotiations and the different steps to closing. The Alliance will also provide resources to help combat potential housing discrimination against sexual orientation and gender identity.
The Alliance will also host another Alliance Certified Ally™ course on June 16 at 2 p.m. ET. Led by LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance Director of Education and Member Services Alex Cruz, the thought-provoking and interactive 2.5-hour session will help attendees develop a better understanding of the LGBTQ+ community and provide important information on how to work with potential homebuyers and sellers who identify as part of the community, the organization stated. Intended for straight attendees, this course opens eyes to discrimination issues LGBTQ+ clients face and helps attendees further their journey in building cultural competency. Click here to register.
Cruz will deliver the program in-person on June 22 at the South Shore (Massachusetts) Association of REALTORS®.
Also on June 16, Weyandt and Alliance Policy & Advocacy Council Co-Chair Chris Suranna will represent the organization at the U.S. States Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) celebration of Pride Month and speak alongside SAGE, Cindy Lauper’s True Colors Foundation, the Trevor Project and prominent LGBTQ+ groups. Alliance national board member and activist Feroza Syed will speak about her journey as a transgender real estate professional, a release stated.
Weyandt will also participate in the Alliance’s first RealTalk event moderated by Farrah Wilder, vice president and Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer at the California Association of REALTORS® on June 29. The program is designed for local, regional and state REALTOR® associations to learn about the challenges their LGBTQ+ members and consumers face. Attendees will learn about the findings of the Alliance’s second-annual LGBTQ+ Real Estate Report that showcased how discrimination impacts real estate professionals and consumers and where it occurs. Leadership from the National Association of REALTORS® will lead a discussion about the importance of the Equality Act, which is currently stalled in the U.S. Senate, and renew their support for this landmark legislation.
The Alliance announced that the following organization chapters will also have events during June:
| Ft. Lauderdale | San Diego | Los Angeles | Virginia |
| Cleveland | Nashville | Tampa | Central Maryland |
| Austin | Chicago | Arizona | Denver |
| Nashville | Boston | Idaho | |
A complete list of the Alliance’s Pride Month activities can be found here.
For more information, visit realestatealliance.org.
