LGBTQ+ Small Business Owners Rising in the US: Survey

By Sierra Campbell, Managing Editor for small.news

(small.news) — LGBTQ+ small business owners in the United States are becoming increasingly more common, according to a study from Gusto.

Around 10% of small business owners identified as LGBTQ+ in 2024, which was a 50% increase from 2023. Gusto’s senior economist, Nich Tremper, said, “For too long, LGBTQ entrepreneurs have faced barriers to capital, visibility, and opportunity… more LGBTQ people are not only stepping into entrepreneurship, but doing so on their own terms…”

Around one-third of those small business owners said they created their business to be a positive influence in their community, according to CNBC. Lissete Briggs, a 38-year-old who goes by Liz Whalen, said she opened her hair salon Rebel Rebel in Illinois to give her clients a safe space.

She co-founded the salon with her former co-worker, Ashley Levin, in 2020 after they both worked at a salon that was “very conservative,” according to Whalen. “I have a lot of gender queer, non-binary, and trans clients, and they definitely did not feel comfortable there, so it was not a good fit for me. We wanted a more inclusive space,” she told CNBC.

Whalen said, now, all she feels is support from her clients and her community, which includes an LGBTQ+ center. “They support us. We support them. It’s really a beautiful thing to see everybody kind of come together and support our little business.”

President Donald Trump signed executive orders against DEI programs

In recent months, President Donald Trump has signed many executive orders that have negatively targeted Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs. He has also proposed cutting parts of the Small Business Administration.

The senior vice president of campaigns and communications at the Human Rights Campaign, Jonathan Lovitz, told CNBC, “LGBT business owners are extraordinarily resilient… They’re already good at sticking it out through the tough times.”

He claimed that the average small business in America will close around the five-year mark. However, he said that businesses that are certified LGBTQ+ are typically 12 years or older.

“The pendulum swings back and forth on government and corporate support, but these companies are thriving because they’re great companies,” he said.

The National LGBT Chamber of Commerce reported that these small businesses have contributed $1.7 trillion to the United States economy, which continues to show how important small businesses are.