The Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) civil rights organization, and SHOWTIME® are proud to announce the 25 recipients of the 2022 “Queer to Stay: An LGBTQ+ Business Preservation Initiative” which supports and uplifts small businesses that focus on LGBTQ+ people of color, women and the transgender community, and have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the inaugural “Queer to Stay” initiative awarded funds to 10 LGBTQ+ businesses across the country. In 2021, the initiative expanded to support an additional 20 businesses. Since then, it’s been reported that LGBTQ+ businesses were less likely to receive COVID relief funds. At the same time, some LGBTQ+ small businesses have been the target of outrageous, extremist anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric and attacks. Due to these circumstances, many LGBTQ+ businesses have continued to struggle in the economic aftermath of the global pandemic, which is why the Human Rights Campaign and SHOWTIME have scaled up the initiative to include 25 businesses this year – five more than in 2021.