Buy local and support the community
Over the course of several years I have found a place within Utah’s LGBT community, a home, if you will. As we end 2012 and move into a new year (unless, of course, the Mayans were right) I think it’s important to slow down the pace for a minute and take a look at the things that really matter.
I’m going to try to go beyond the typical friends, family and job things and get into something a bit deeper — our community. For me, a community is a broad network of people, businesses and organizations within which a person decides to exist. In my view, a community is a bigger version of a family of choice, encompassing acquaintances, business relationships and ideas — as well as the closer-knit family of close friends and loved ones.
Like a family, a community comes together and supports its members. In fact, we witnessed that recently when this community came together to help sustain this publication. We’ve seen it in other areas as well, as many of our local businesses have come together to help with fundraisers and to support the people of this community in various ways.
It is time, though, to look at our community in a different light. We need to evolve beyond the point of coming together in times of need and stand together all the time.
A few months ago, Seth Bracken wrote an article about the value of the “Pink Dollars,” that is, money spent by the LGBT community. More and more “mainstream” businesses are now courting the LGBT community with the hope of being on the receiving end of some of those pink dollars. And while I recognize the social advances that have been made that enable that kind of courtship, I think it’s also important that we recognize some potential potholes in this road.
First and foremost, I’m a local guy. I firmly believe that we build stronger communities and a stronger economy when we invest in our local businesses. We do this by giving them our patronage. Yes, it’s easier to go to a big-box store and pick up everything on your list in one place, many times it’s even a bit cheaper; but is it the best way to spend your money?
There are a number of local businesses that have spent years supporting this community, in good times and in bad. They’ve been there to donate to various charity events, help with fundraisers and awareness campaigns, and give us jobs. We, as a community, have an obligation to those businesses who are a part of this community. It is our patronage of those shops, caterers, insurance agents, fix-it people and others that allows them to stay in business, to hire our friends and family, and to support the community at large.
It isn’t always the easiest or the cheapest path, but supporting our community’s businesses pays dividends in innumerable ways. As you enter the new year, I encourage you to look at your spending habits and look at ways you can help support the businesses that support this community.