The North Texas, Austin, Greater Houston and San Antonio LGBT+ chambers of commerce have founded the Texas LGBT Chambers of Commerce Coalition to “prevent any and all anti-LGBT, economy-damaging measures from becoming law in Texas at the state and local levels.”
The coalition, representing over 1,000 LGBT+-owned Texas businesses, was formed partly in response to Republicans’ failed attempts to pass a bathroom bill in 2017. A 2016 Texas Association of Business study found that such a bill could have cost the state as much as $8.5 billion in lost business.
“Our goal is, first of all, to be very visible as a group – folks interested not just in social issues, but in the business implications of those issues. And really to serve as a resource to legislators, and look for those items that we as citizens can reach across the aisles and find common ground,” said Tony Vedda, president of the North Texas GLBT Chamber of Commerce.
Read more at Dallas News.