|
Members and Supporters,
As we close out LGBTQ+ History Month and finish out October, it's been another busy month at the Chamber. This month’s Chamber Connection newsletter shines a spotlight on our incredible members making an impact, encourages everyone to Get OUT the Vote as early voting continues and Election Day approaches, and takes a look back at where we’ve been OUT & About across the region.
From community celebrations and member milestones to moments of advocacy and connection, October has been a powerful reminder of the strength and vibrancy of our LGBTQ+ and Allied community.
We also know that, for many, every day can feel like a challenge right now, and that's why being in community matters more than ever. One way you can make a difference is through what we call Intentional Spending: consciously choosing where you spend your dollars. As we head into November, let's be intentional about spending our dollars with LGBTQ+ supportive businesses. Check out the Chamber Directory to explore our member list and shop with purpose.
Not a member yet? There’s never been a better moment to get involved—your voice and your presence matter. Join now.
In community,
| |
Tammi Wallace (she/her)
Co-Founder, President & CEO
Greater Houston LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce
| | |
LGBTQ+ History Month
As part of our Honoring Our Past, Building Our Future month-long series, we are highlighted some of Houston trailblazers, landmark events, and Chamber members continuing the legacy. In this last week of LGBTQ+ History Month, we honor those who have made history and had an impact on our city and region.
| | Standing Strong for LGBTQ+ Community Visibility 🌈 | | |
In recent weeks, several developments have affected the LGBTQ+ community across our region. The Chamber responded swiftly working with community leaders and standing in solidarity with our members and partners.
Chamber Co-Founder, President & CEO Tammi Wallace joined community leaders to address the removal of the Pride Crosswalk in Montrose, a longtime symbol of visibility and belonging. Ahead of its removal, Tammi and other leaders met with Mayor John Whitmire to discuss this important marker and to explore both immediate and long-term opportunities to ensure that Houston’s LGBTQ+ community remains visible, valued, and represented.
In addition, several community organizations, including the Chamber, participated in a press conference organized by Council Member Abbie Kamin in response to the pending crosswalk removal. Many elected officials joined the press conference to speak out against the removal of the Pride Crosswalk and to share their support of the LGBTQ+ community. Read the Pride Crosswalk statements released below.
Lastly, in the wee hours of the morning, the Pride Crosswalk was removed. See the Chamber's statement about the removal. While the crosswalk may be gone, our community will not be erased.
| | Photo Credit: Nora Dayton | | Also, the Chamber stood firmly with Member Katy Pride following the abrupt cancellation of their Pride Celebration by the original venue just days before the event. The Chamber issued a public statement condemning this action and reaffirming support for visibility, inclusion, and equality and the important work that Katy Pride does throughout the year. | | Last Week of Early Voting! | | |
Your voice matters, and your vote is powerful. We encourage everyone to take part in our annual Get OUT the Vote campaign and vote early!
🗳️ Early voting is the best way to make sure your voice is heard.
Avoid the lines, plan ahead, and make your vote count on your schedule.
Use our Get OUT the Vote Resource Page to find voting information resources from Chamber Member, League of Women Voters of Houston, including:
✅ Check your voter registration
✅ Find your early voting location and hours
✅ Learn what’s on the ballot before you go
✅ Encourage friends, family, and coworkers to vote early too!
👉 Get OUT the Vote Voter Resource Page - https://tinyurl.com/ynwca9yx
🗳️ Your voice matters. Your vote matters. Let’s make it count.
When our community votes early, we help ensure strong representation and send a clear message about the power and pride of our collective voice.
💜 Vote early. Vote informed. Vote with Pride.
| | |
👏 We applaud Elation Physical Therapy, a Chamber Member, for stepping up to serve the community during this election season! 🗳️
The company's commitment to civic engagement reflects the values of leadership, inclusion, and community that drive our Chamber network. Whether helping patients reach their wellness goals or supporting a stronger democracy, Elation Physical Therapy continues to make a positive impact. 💪🌈
Join us in recognizing their dedication to our community — and remember, your voice AND vote matters!
Stop in on Election Day and cast your vote.
📍Elation Physical Therapy, 734 North Loop, Houston, TX 77009
| | City of Houston Adds New LGBTQ+ Economic Empowerment Coordinator Role | | This week, Council Member Mario Castillo hosted a press conference to announce the hire of Kel Victor (they/them) as the new LGBTQ+ Economic Empowerment Coordinator role. Kel is also one of our LAMBDA NextGen Young Professionals Members. | |
Kel Victor, CHW, CNP (they/them)
Community Relations Specialist
City of Houston
Office of Business Opportunity, External Affairs Division
This liaison role was championed by Council Member Castillo and supported by the Chamber. The liaison will work closely with the Chamber through the City of Houston Office of Business Opportunity department, a longtime partner of the Chamber. When you see Kel at an upcoming Chamber event, please be sure to say hello.
👏 Congratulations to Kel! We look forward to working with you.
| | |
2025 Chamber Holiday Food & Supply Drive -
YOU Can Make a Difference
The 2025 Chamber Holiday Food & Supply Drive is now less than a month away—and we need YOU to help power the impact!
This year marks the 6th year of this annual tradition and we are proud to call Tony’s Place our beneficiary this year. The organization is a Chamber Member serving LGBTQ+ unhoused youth in our community. Through your support this year, you help provide essential supplies, care, and hope during a time of increased need.
We have two drop-off locations this year!
| | |
This is the year to show up. With more LGBTQ+ youth at risk of homelessness and isolation, we must come together as a community to say: you matter, you are not alone, and we care.
Listen to Carrie Rai, Executive Director, with Tony's Place about the importance of the Drive and the support from the Chamber to help LGBTQ+ unhoused youth.
| | | | Sponsorship opportunities are still available—show your support, gain visibility, and help drive change. Support the Drive and help us make a difference this holiday season. You can also donate to the Virtual Drive and make a monetary donation. | | |
Learn more at chamberholidayfooddrive.lgbt.
We need you this holiday season! The need is great. The time is now. LGBTQ+ youth need us more than ever. 💜
| | Anchored in Purpose, Leading Through Change. | | |
Thank you to everyone who joined us and supported the LGBTQ+ Workplace Alliance Summit, including our speakers, panelists, and sponsors. It was another successful year of professional development and connecting our Impact Partners from across the region.
Throughout the day, we heard such powerful and positive feedback about the impact of the panels, speakers, and the opportunity to engage with colleagues across the region, plus with nonprofit and small business members. Just some of the feedback we heard:
- "I learned so much today."
- "This was definitely food for my soul."
- "I have so many great ideas and took so many notes."
- "Wow...this was even better than last year!"
- "Today was so much about a message of hope that I needed."
| | Thank you to our host and generous sponsors! | | We appreciate our Presenting Sponsor, ExxonMobil, for making this year's Summit possible! Much appreciation to Amegy Bank for hosting and sponsoring the Summit this year. Check out our full list of speakers, panelists, and sponsors at lgbtqworkplacealliancesummit.com. | | Congratulations to our many members and Chamber Leaders who were winners this year as part of OutSmart Magazine's Gayest & Greatest 2025 Readers' Choice Awards. There were also many members who were Finalists in various categories. | | |
The Chamber is deeply honored to be selected as a recipient of the Ada Edwards Humanitarian Award by our incredible Chamber Member, Allies in Hope (formerly AIDS Foundation Houston). 🏆
This recognition will be presented at the 3rd Annual Hope for Houston Ball on Friday, November 14th, at The Revaire — a night dedicated to celebrating compassion, advocacy, and the fight to end HIV in our region.
💜 Join us! We invite our members, partners, and the community to join us in supporting Allies in Hope and their vital mission to end the HIV epidemic in Greater Houston.
🎟️ Purchase tickets or tables: aihhouston.org/hopeforhoustonball
🙏 Thank you to Allies in Hope for this incredible honor and for your steadfast work in the region to advance community health and equality.
| | |
Recently, OutSmart Magazine highlighted one of our LAMBDA NextGen Members, Gianna Christina Ramirez. The article, as part of OutSmart's Gayest & Greatest Readers' Choice Awards, shines a light on her work as an advocate for the trans community.
Gianna was voted Most Valuable Female Volunteer, Most Valuable Female Trans Community Volunteer, and Leading Trans Community Fundraiser.
| LAMBDA NextGen is the Chamber's Young Professionals Group. Learn more here. | | Sponsorship Opportunities! | |
We have some other great upcoming sponsorship opportunities coming up:
We'd love to talk with you about any of these sponsorship opportunities or more coming up next year. 2026 is the Chamber's 10-Year Anniversary, with sponsorship opportunities to help us celebrate this milestone anniversary.
Contact the Chamber Office at 832-510-3002 or info@houstonlgbtchamber.com or complete the sponsor form, and a Chamber team member will follow up.
| Did you know sponsorship is a win-win? Brand visibility for your company or organization AND supporting the Chamber's work and mission. WIN-WIN! | | Ready for your next career move? One of our Chamber Impact Partners, Sesh Coworking—Texas’s largest female-centered, LGBTQIA+-affirming coworking space—is hiring an Administrative & Membership Assistant. This role is perfect for someone organized, welcoming, and tech-savvy who’s passionate about community and inclusion. Click below for more details. | | Stay up to date on how the Greater Houston LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce is making headlines! Visit our In the News page to see recent media coverage highlighting the Chamber’s work, advocacy, and impact across the region. | | | | |
🍽️ What a fantastic First Friday Meet & Eat!
Huge thanks to everyone who came out and made this gathering such a fun lunch. Your energy, conversations, and connections are what make these events so special!
A big shoutout to our amazing host Gristworkz.
Mark your calendars: our next Meet & Eat is happening Friday, November 7, at Puttery! You won’t want to miss it.
| | |
Community Conversations Luncheon
Thank you to everyone who joined us for the Community Conversations Luncheon: The Pulse of Our Region, featuring the team from the Kinder Institute for Urban Research at Rice University.
| |
The discussion offered a fascinating look at the findings from the 2025 Houston Area Survey and beyond, exploring how Houstonians feel about key issues like the economy, public safety, education, and equity—and what those insights mean for our city’s future.
A special thank you to our panelists Katherine Perez, Dan Potter, and Dylan Simburger, and to Professor Ruth López Turley for moderating this engaging discussion. We’re grateful to our event sponsors and to Hilton Houston Plaza/Medical Center for hosting and supporting this important civic conversation.
| | | | | |
🍳 3rd Thursday Breakfast
What an incredible morning celebrating LGBTQ+ History Month at our Special Edition 3rd Thursday Breakfast!
A huge thank you to our special guest speaker, Harris County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth, for a phenomenal presentation on the role of her office, as well as civic engagement and the importance of participation in our democratic process. Truly inspiring!
We are also grateful to our generous sponsor, Horizon Advisory Group, for sponsoring the breakfast and your continued partnership with the Chamber community.
| | |
Families with Pride
What an incredible morning at Families with Pride! We’re so proud to have partnered once again with Council Member Abbie Kamin to celebrate love, inclusion, and family in all its beautiful forms.
A huge thank you to Discovery Green for hosting this vibrant event and to everyone who came out to share the joy, laughter, and community spirit. It was wonderful connecting with so many members and friends of the Chamber — your energy and support make this community shine!
Together, we make Houston a place where every family belongs.
| | | |
BE A PART OF OUR UPCOMING EVENTS!
The Chamber calendar is regularly updated, so bookmark it! We are continually updating the calendar with events so check back often. Our Event Calendar provides the details and all you have to do is register. We hope you'll join us - as always, we'd love to see you! We have so many ways to engage and be involved every month.
| | |
Celebrating Member Milestones!
Congratulations to the following members celebrating milestone anniversaries this year! We recognized these incredible members with a Milestone Award at the 3rd Thursday Breakfast this month.
| | | | Congratulations to Tracey Shappro, with Chamber Impact Partner, VISION Production Group, who was recently named a 2025 Women on the Move Honoree by the Texas Executive Women. The award recognizes exceptional women whose vision and leadership create meaningful impact. The 2025 honorees embody the spirit of progress and community that this milestone year represents. | | |
We ❤️ seeing collaborations between Chamber Impact Partners and Members. Recently, the HP Pride Leadership Team spent some time with Chamber Member, The Ranch Houston. The business is a woman and LGBTQ+ owned business. Learn more about them at theranchhouston.com.
As The Ranch Houston said..."We love when companies entrust us with their teams’ needs to unplug and recharge. Today was a beautiful day to spend time with fellow Chamber Impact Partner the HP Pride leadership team with fresh air, dirty hands, and gorgeous florals."
| | | |
Recently, President's Circle Member, Meow Wolf, was featured in the Houston Chronicle. The article shared the exciting news that Meow Wolf has unveiled its first major addition with an outdoor mural by local artists.
| | |
We love seeing our members highlighted across the city! Congratulations to Corrie Domingo, Custom Clothier, with BALANI. She was recently featured in VoyageHouston, sharing her story.
| | | Do you have some good news to share? From time to time, the Chamber highlights significant accomplishments, big milestones and other good news about our Members and Corporate Partners. Please submit news about your member business via the form below. | | | | |
BBB Awards for Excellence Luncheon
Congratulations to our friends at BBB Greater Houston and South Texas on a fantastic Awards for Excellence Luncheon! The Chamber was honored to join you, alongside some of our members, to celebrate excellence in business.
Special kudos to Dan, Jennifer, and the entire BBB team for their outstanding leadership and commitment to our region’s business community.
Congratulations to the Chamber members who were honored at the event!
| | |
Rainbow Crosswalk Press Conference
Earlier this month, the Chamber joined community leaders and elected officials at a press conference organized by Council Member Abbie Kamin to speak out against the removal of the Pride Crosswalk in Montrose.
The Pride Crosswalk isn’t just paint — it’s a symbol of love, inclusion, and history for Houston’s LGBTQ+ community.
We were proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with so many voices saying loud and clear: we won’t be erased.
Visibility matters. Pride matters. Our community matters.
| | | | | |
BALANI Opening
Congratulations to Chamber Member, BALANI, on their new space! We were thrilled to join them as they opened the doors to their new location at 4310 Westheimer Rd., Ste. 230.
| | | | |
Katy Pride
What a beautiful and powerful day of love, unity, and celebration at Katy Pride! Congratulations to the organizers on another successful Pride celebration — your resilience and dedication truly shine, especially after all the challenges this week.
A huge thank you to Commissioner Lesley Briones and the Precinct 4 team for stepping up and helping secure a new venue so the celebration could go on. Your support made a world of difference.
Here’s to continuing to uplift and celebrate every voice — today and every day.
| | |
OUToberfest
October was all about connection and celebration! Our team joined Pride events across the region — from Houston to Katy to Bryan — where we celebrated at OUToberfest with the Pride Community Center.
Three Pride events in one weekend, one incredible message: showing up matters. Supporting our colleagues and partners across Greater Houston and beyond is what it’s all about — inclusion, visibility, and pride in action!
| | | | | |
Third Coast Pride Fest Parade
We had a blast participating in the Third Coast Pride Fest Parade on The Strand.
We love being on the island — and as a regional Chamber, we’re proud to have so many amazing members in Galveston.
Celebrating love, inclusion, and community — that’s what Pride is all about.
A huge thank you to our incredible volunteers for showing up and representing the Chamber with Pride.
| | |
The Woodlands Pride Festival
We had an absolute blast at The Woodlands Pride Festival — indoors and in full celebration mode!
Congratulations to The Woodlands Pride on pulling off another successful festival and for their quick pivot to move everything indoors due to the rain. You made it happen!
A huge thank you to Chamber Member, The Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel & Convention Center, for stepping up at the last minute and saving the day. That’s the magic of community and connection at the Chamber!
| | | |
⭐ Share Your Chamber Experience on Google!
Have a great experience with the Greater Houston LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce? 🌈
We'd love your feedback! You can also help others discover our work by leaving a quick Google Review! Your feedback not only supports our mission—it helps more businesses, organizations, and community members find and connect with the Chamber.
👉 Leave a Review on Google
Your voice helps amplify the impact of our incredible community. Thank you for taking a moment to share your experience! 💜
| | |
TGX Certification Scholarship
This scholarship is sponsored by Chamber Impact Partner, Wells Fargo, and is for Transgender & Gender Expansive (TGX) owned businesses to apply to have their local affiliate LGBTQ+ chamber membership dues sponsored for their first year of membership in order to become NGLCC Certified LGBT Business Enterprise® (LGBTBE) suppliers.
| We appreciate the partnership with the NGLCC to offer this scholarship opportunity. Thank you to Wells Fargo for supporting small businesses! | | |
NOT A CHAMBER MEMBER? JOIN TODAY!
With over 550+ members, it’s a great time to be part of our growing and thriving Chamber community! Learn more about membership benefits and levels.
| | |
Stay up to date on the latest happenings!
Follow the Chamber on social media!
Are you engaging with the Chamber Member Groups?
Also, check out the Facebook and LinkedIn Member Groups where members can post information about their organizations. Are you a new Chamber Member? Post up an intro video and let us know about you and your member business or organization!
| | |
Baylor College of Medicine
Cadence Bank
UPS
| | |
Greater Houston LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce
www.houstonlgbtqchamber.com
| | | | | |
