ABOVE: The National LGBT Chamber of Commerce endorses Biden-Harris 2020. Photo via the chamber.
The National LGBT Chamber of Commerce, the nation’s premier association for LGBTQ small business owners, has become the latest organization to endorse the Biden-Harris presidential ticket.
“The NGLCC is proud to endorse a champion for inclusion,” Justin Nelson, president of the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce announced Monday in a statement. “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.”
According to the statement, the vote to endorse Joe Biden was unanimous. In its nearly 20-year history, the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce has only endorsed a candidate for president once before, when it endorsed Hillary Clinton in 2016, so the Biden is the second presidential candidate the organization has supported.
Cited by the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce is Biden’s support for the Equality Act, comprehensive legislation to ban anti-LGBTQ discrimination the candidate has pledged to sign into law within the first 100 days of his administration.
Although the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling this year in Bostock v. Clayton County against anti-LGBTQ discrimination in the workforce applies to all laws banning discrimination on the basis, including credit, the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce cited as a concern lenders refusing to give money to LGBTQ-owned businesses, saying the Equality Act would fix that.
Biden continues to rack up endorsement of LGBTQ advocacy groups. Others supporting him are the Human Rights Campaign, the National Center for Transgender Equality Action Fund and the LGBTQ labor group Pride at Work. National Log Cabin Republicans, on the other hand, endorsed President Trump for re-election last year.
Reggie Greer, LGBTQ+ vote director for the Biden campaign, welcomed the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce’s support in a statement to the Washington Blade.
“Our campaign is deeply honored to receive the endorsement of the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce. 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,” Greer said. “NGLCC’s endorsement of the Biden-Harris ticket — the most pro-equality ticket in American history — is a testament to their work to ensure LGBTQ+ people from all walks of life have a real and fair shot at the American dream.”
