The LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance will celebrate 2023’s Pride Month with a variety of events to educate LGBTQ+ people about homeownership opportunities and showcase the LGBTQ+ community to the real estate industry.
Activities throughout the month include:
June 8 and 29: Alliance Certified Ally Course
The Alliance will offer two sessions of its popular and important Alliance Certified Ally™ course during Pride Month. Led by alliance director of education Alex Cruz, the thought-provoking and interactive session helps attendees develop a better understanding of the LGBTQ+ community and provide them with knowledge on how to work with potential homebuyers and sellers who identify as part of the community. Intended for straight Allies, this course opens eyes to discrimination LGBTQ+ clients may face, and helps attendees enhance their cultural competency.
June 8 Register Here
June 29 Register Here
June 13 – 14: Alliance at WomanUP!
LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance President Erin Morrison will deliver a TED-style presentation during the 2023 WomanUp! Retreat in Oceanside, California, on June 13 – 14. Morrison will address her rise to her leadership role with the Alliance, what she has learned about herself during her tenure, and why the Alliance is so important today, especially with the anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric the community faces around the nation.
June 15: Alliance to Host Roundtable for LGBTQ ERG Leaders
Employee Resource Groups (ERG) have become an important and influential force in company culture as Corporate America has expanded the way it fosters inclusion for its workforce. This invitation-only event will allow LGBTQ+ ERG leaders from the nation’s largest financial institutions and real estate companies to exchange experiences and share ideas.
June 21: Third Annual First-Time Homebuyer Seminar
In celebration of PRIDE and National Homeownership Month, the Alliance will host its third annual First-Time Homebuyer Seminar. Training is delivered by agent and lender members. All consumers who attend the training receive a copy of the Alliance’s First-Time Homebuyer Guide and a comprehensive understanding of the process behind homeownership.
June 22: LGBTQ+ People in Real Estate
The Alliance will showcase “LGBTQ+ Leaders in Real Estate” during a virtual event on June 22. Farrah Wilder, an Alliance member and former vice president of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for California REALTORS®, will host the program, which allows LGBTQ+ people in real estate to share their perspectives and experiences as “out” leaders in the industry. Guests include:
- Tommie Wehrle, chair of Anywhere LGBTQ+ ERG group and Alliance National Treasurer
- Jennifer Green, director of DEI for Mortgage Investor’s Group
- Ryan Adams, VP of government affairs for Birmingham REALTORS®
- Cody Gilkeson, head of DEI for eXp Realty.
June 29: Financial Literacy Training for LGBTQ+ Consumers
The Alliance is teaming up with Freddie Mac to deliver financial literacy training to the LGBTQ+ community through Credit Smart Essentials.
“Pride Month is incredibly important to the LGBTQ+ community, and so much of what occurs this month comes from the allies who care about us,” said Erin Morrison, national president and chair of the board of the LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance. “This month around the globe, millions will attend parades and events, and in most cases experience a genuine outpouring of love and support. Pride Month also allows the LGBTQ+ community to reflect on how far we have come in societal acceptance. But the reality of today’s environment, where there are more than 700 anti-LGBTQ+ bills being discussed, voted on or passed in statehouses around the nation, we are reminded of the fight we are still engaged in for basic civil rights. It’s also critically important for all of us in real estate to remember that sexual orientation and gender identity are still not protected classes under the 1968 Fair Housing Act leaving the LGBTQ+ community susceptible to housing discrimination.”
Visit the full LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance Pride Month calendar here.
