National LGBT Chamber of Commerce endorses Joe Biden, calls him ‘champion for inclusion’
Biden campaign said it was "deeply honored" by NGLCC's endorsement
The National LGBT Chamber of Commerce has endorsed Joe Biden for president, calling the former vice president a “champion for inclusion.”
NGLCC, the nation’s largest advocacy organization for LGBTQ businesses, said Biden had a “commitment to LGBTQ equality” and would help LGBTQ business owners to thrive and succeed despite “ongoing discrimination.”
“The NGLCC is proud to endorse a champion for inclusion. We need to elect a president with a commitment to LGBTQ equality, ending racism and racial violence, promoting small businesses and entrepreneurship, and ensuring a safe and equitable society for every American. Joe Biden is that candidate,” Justin Nelson, NGLCC cofounder and president, said in a statement.
“Joe Biden proudly affirms an essential core value of the NGLCC: that we all deserve our shot at the American Dream, and that our economy only succeeds when it is available to all LGBT and allied Americans,” Nelson added.
The Biden campaign said it was “deeply honored” to receive NGLCC’s endorsement.
Reggie Greer, the campaign’s LGBTQ+ Vote Director, wrote in a statement: “LGBTQ+ businesses add $1.7 trillion to the economy each year, making LGBTQ+ business owners central to Vice President Biden’s plans to build a stronger, more equitable economy, promote entrepreneurship, tackle structural racism, fight systemic injustice, and end discrimination against LGBTQ+ people once and for all.”
Despite being founded in 2002, the NGLCC has only endorsed one other candidate for president: former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, during her 2016 campaign.
The endorsement of Biden was approved unanimously by NGLCC’s board of directors, citing his record on supporting small businesses and pushing for greater LGBTQ equality.
NGLCC said electing Biden as president was “imperative to the well-being of America’s economy and the monumental gains achieved in recent years for the LGBT community, such as recent victories for LGBTQ workplace protections, the passage of the Equality Act in the US House of Representatives, the upholding of DACA, and more.”
Biden’s economic recovery plan, which aims to rebuild a pandemic-ravaged economy, as well as his detailed plan for reinstating and expanding LGBTQ protections and rights, were both cited as justifications for the endorsement.
“The stakes have never been so high for the future of our country and the LGBT business community. Joe Biden is the champion our businesses and our families need to thrive,” Chance Mitchell, NGLCC cofounder and CEO, said.
“The LGBT community has come too far to lose its seat at the table, and we are certain that a President Biden will continue fighting for the collective economic and social longevity of America’s 1.4 million LGBT business owners and the more than $1.7 trillion they add to the US economy despite ongoing discrimination.”
Earlier this year, Biden’s campaign announced its “Out for Biden” initiative, which will seek to drive LGBTQ people to the polls in November.
The initiative will reach out to and engage the estimated 11 million LGBTQ voters nationwide, with particular focus on those in key battleground states, such as Florida and Michigan, providing advice on voter registration as well as encouraging LGBTQ allies to vote for candidates that support LGBTQ equality.
Donald Trump’s allies have repeatedly tried to portray him as the “most pro-gay president in history,” a statement that has led to derision from LGBTQ organizations, which point to his administration’s lengthy record of attacks on LGBTQ rights and equality.
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