By Terry Eaton
Pride Month is more than a celebration; it’s a call to action. It reminds us that inclusion, equity and representation must be embedded in everyday decisions that shape our industries, especially hospitality. While inclusive messaging can set the tone, true progress depends on what happens behind the scenes: who companies choose to partner with and elevate.
Along with the support of meaningful allyship, an effective way to bring these changes to life is through supplier diversity. By intentionally collaborating with LGBTQ+-owned and certified businesses, hospitality brands help build a more authentic supply chain and gain access to cultural insight, creative innovation and perspectives that resonate with today’s socially conscious travelers.
Supplier diversity is inclusion in action
Collaborating with certified LGBT Business Enterprises (LGBTBEs) through organizations like the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) demonstrates true, systemic inclusion and supports LGBTQ+-owned firms, creating a more representative and authentic supply chain. Our firm, alongside Los Angeles-based design firm beleco, both certified by the NGLCC, exemplifies the meaningful impact of this approach in action.
A great example is our collaboration with Kimpton Hotel Monaco Salt Lake City, which brought diverse perspectives and cultural depth to the guest experience. For this project, we curated an art collection that complemented beleco’s design vision, resulting in a thoughtful, immersive environment rooted in the local context. This collaboration illustrates how supplier diversity does more than just impact who’s involved, it transforms how the creative collaboration connects with today’s travelers. This approach creates a more diverse and representative supply chain and directly contributes to the values we celebrate during Pride Month and throughout the year.
Visibility and certification matter
Certification through the NGLCC creates opportunities and helps turn those opportunities into meaningful partnerships. For LGBTQ+-owned businesses, becoming a certified LGBT Business Enterprise (LGBTBE) provides visibility in corporate procurement channels, where access has historically been limited. LGBTQ-owned businesses certified by the NGLCC generate more than $1.7 trillion in economic impact, underscoring the significant contributions of our community and the value of inclusive partnerships. Collaborating with certified suppliers for hospitality brands with defined DEI goals provides measurable impact and third-party validation, offering a clear and accountable way to turn values into impact. This level of accountability matters: certification confirms that businesses are genuinely LGBTQ+ owned and operated, reinforcing authenticity and helping to guard against performative inclusion. As companies strive to align principles with actions, certification becomes a powerful tool for both credibility and connection.
Strategic business value
Equitable sourcing is more than a socially responsible initiative, it’s a strategic business advantage. Partnering with diverse suppliers often brings fresh perspectives, cultural nuance, and innovative thinking that directly enhance the guest experience. For the hotel industry, in which personalization and emotional connection drive loyalty, these insights are invaluable. Major hospitality brands like Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, MGM Resorts International, Caesars Entertainment and others have recognized this, integrating supplier diversity into their broader ESG and DEI commitments. By embedding inclusion into procurement strategies, these companies are advancing equity, strengthening their competitive edge and future-proofing their brands for a more value-driven market.
Building inclusive guest experiences
Inclusion begins long before guests walk through the door; it starts behind the scenes, with the designers, curators and suppliers shaping the environments they encounter. For example, our firm curated an art collection that offers cultural authenticity and diverse narratives in the public spaces at Limelight Hotel Aspen that engages both guests and locals. Highlights include a Robert Rauschenberg print, “Earth Day, 1990,” chosen for its environmental message and Rauschenberg’s significance as an openly gay artist. The collection also features art by Scott Reeder and U.K.-based David Shrigley, known for their text-driven art that blends humor and social commentary. Additional pieces include works by Brooklyn-based artist Derrick Adams, which explore pop culture and contemporary Black American identity, alongside a screen print by Brazilian artist Beatriz Milhazes, inspired by her heritage and the styles of Matisse and Mondrian.
By thoughtfully integrating diverse perspectives into the fabric of the spaces, these collaborations create richer, more meaningful guest experiences that celebrate a broader spectrum of identities and stories.
The power of representation at all levels
Leadership representation matters. As an openly gay business owner, I’ve had the privilege of building this business alongside my husband, Robert. Together, we bring authenticity and lived experience to every collaboration. Leading a nationally recognized art consultancy has shown us that LGBTQ+ businesses can not only succeed but thrive within major hospitality networks. Our journey is proof that it’s possible to build, scale, and lead on your own terms—while staying true to who you are.
Pride is year-round
While Pride Month brings much-needed attention to LGBTQ+ visibility in June, the true impact comes from year-round commitment from our community and all allies. Genuine inclusion isn’t about token gestures or surface-level actions—it’s woven into procurement strategies, partnership decisions and long-term business values.
Hospitality brands like Kimpton Hotels, American Airlines and United Airlines, as well as those listed above, exemplify what it means to be true allies—not just during Pride Month, but every day of the year. Their support extends beyond supplier diversity; it reflects a deeper commitment to equity, representation and meaningful collaboration. We cannot advance without allies like these.
For hospitality leaders, this means going further than symbolic gestures. It means actively engaging with the LGBTQ+ community and certified LGBTQ+ businesses and creating opportunities that are ongoing, measurable and mutually beneficial. When we integrate supplier diversity into how we do business every day, not just in June, we demonstrate that inclusion is not just a value we speak about, but a standard we live by.
As the president/chief curator of Eaton Fine Art (EFA), Terry Eaton has curated engaging and memorable art collections for hotels and resorts around the world for over 32 years.
This is a contributed piece to Hotel Business, authored by an industry professional. The thoughts expressed are the perspective of the bylined individual.
