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Weekly Wrap-Up: March 13, 2020

The Weekly Wrap-Up 03/13/20
Your MEMBER ONLY email on all things the Chamber worked on this week
and you need to know about, to get the most of your membership.
Thank you for being a member.
CEO Brief- ?
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Sending you a virtual elbow bump! It is the new handshake for the foreseeable future. I wish I could give you all a hug as it feels like we need one.

The hits just keep on coming. I thought last week after the tornado things could not get much worse. As this week is ending I see that they can. We were knocked low by the tornado and as we were getting back up the coronavirus has come along and kicked us again. We are working hard to help our members and the city get through these uncertain times. 

There is more information and updates below on the coronavirus, tornado recovery, discriminatory bills at the legislature, as well as all the other things we have going on. Please read and let us know what we may be able to help you with, in these trying times.

We thank you for your membership and are here to assist and welcome anyone else that wants to be a part of the Nashville LGBT Chamber. We will get through this together.
Coronavirus Response
We sent an email on Monday with information about the coronavirus and what businesses can do. The world looks very different in just the 5 days that have passed. I am not going to try and update you here, as the news changes hour by hour on what is happening. We are continuing to post updates and connections to resources on our social media. Please follow us there for new information and we will continue to update you in emails like this one and the one sent Monday. 
The economic impact is being felt by everyone. We have been in close contact with our small businesses, especially those in the hospitality and catering business. The cancelations by universities, businesses, and tourists are hitting them exceptionally hard. Because of the tornado and now corona we need to shop with our local LGBT and ally businesses. There are so many that are going to face challenges. We can support each other in this hard time. 

Nationally the NGLCC sent a letter to congress about relief for small businesses and nonprofits that we are supportive of. We are also coordinating with the Small Business Administration on tornado recovery loans and whatever programs or loans that might come from the coronavirus response. We will keep you updated. 
Everything is being canceled, postponed, or closed at the moment. This is to 'flatten the curve' of infection rates. I recommend reading this Vox article or this Economist article to get a great understanding of why you are seeing what you are seeing.

We are doing our part in this and canceling our Brewing Up Business at Top Golf scheduled for this coming Thursday, March 18th. Top Golf was hit hard by the tornado and plans to open this weekend. We wanted to help support them but due to corona we had to cancel.

We are happy to announce that we will be going back to Top Golf on Wednesday, April 29th, for Brewing Up Business where we will announce the finalist for the Pride in Business Awards (assuming we are having social events again as a society at that time). 
New and Renewing Members
We are proud of the continued participation from the following individuals and businesses who RENEWED or upgraded their membership this week:

  • Networking- Debra Fish
  • Networking- Lloyd McDonald
Legislative Update
Even though Governor Lee instituted a state of emergency for Tennessee, the General Assembly continued to meet for legislative session this week. We are one of a few legislatures that continues to meet with the coronavirus crisis raging. 

We had some good news with one bill we were fighting going down, the 'library bill'. We had some bills advance forward with amendments. SB 2233 by Senator Haile amended his bill to specifically codify the current practice of hormone replacement therapy, despite testimony and arguments from medical professionals, it was sent to Senate Government Operations with the amendment and House Public Health Subcommittee for 3/17/2020.

We are facing a tough week again next week and we need you to take action again with these campaigns.


On Monday, SB 1736, an anti-trans athlete bill, by Cepicky will be in Senate Education Committee. SB 2077, an anti-trans athlete bill by Rep.Griffey, will be in House Education K-12 Subcommittee and SB 2215, anti-trans hormone bill by Sen.Bowling, will be in the House Criminal Justice Subcommittee.

Wednesday, SB 1736 will be in House Education Committee, SB 2290, an anti-equal marriage bill by Sen. Bowling, will be in House Children & Families Subcommittee and another anti-equal marriage bill, SB 2625, by Sen. Bowling will be heard in House Children & Families Subcommittee.

See the Bill Report for a full breakdown of where things stand. 
Nashville Tornado Recovery
Tornado recovery is still underway. There are still areas without power. See a recap of week one post-tornado and ways you can receive or donate resources as we rebuild. The response has been huge but must be sustained. There are many events planned but they are not certain they will be able to happen due to the coronavirus response.
Tennessee is truly the volunteer state. Our community and came together this past weekend for the first wave of tornado cleanup. We had Chamber and community members help in Historic Buena Vista neighborhood in North Nashville on Saturday.

We still have a lot of work to do. Make sure you check Hands On Nashville's volunteer opportunities if you want to help in the coming weeks/months. Volunteer efforts are still on for this weekend and the need is still there.
Due to severe weather concerns, we had to postpone Thursday's event, Business Disaster Recovery Open House , until Thursday, March 26 at the same time and place.

If you have a business that was affected by the tornado, join us March 26th for an Open House. We will focus on education and tools available to aid recovery from the economic impact of the tornado. Available business loans, FEMA assistance, and the insurance claims process will be explored. RSVP below.
The United States Small Business Administration (SBA)  has opened a Business Recovery Center (BRC) in Davidson County – as of Monday, March 9 to help businesses apply for disaster loans. 

SBA representatives at the Center can provide information about disaster loans, answer questions and assist businesses in completing the SBA application.
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Read the press release below to find out who is eligible, how to apply for loans, and much more.
Tribe & PLAY Dance Bar held fundraisers for tornado relief to support those impacted by the devastating Nashville tornadoes. Many in the Middle Tennessee LGBTQ+ community were affected directly by this tragic event.

More than $16,000 was raised, including a $7,000 match from Play.

?See the entire press release below.
From our member Pins Mechanical Co: We at Pins Mechanical are heartbroken over the devastation left by the tornado in Nashville. We are thankful that all of our team members are safe, but wanted to come together to help those that weren't as fortunate. On Wednesday, March 18th , we are donating $1 for every game of duckpin bowled at all five of our locations (Columbus, Dublin, Cincinnati, Charlotte & Nashville) to The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. Please come out and show your support for Music City!
What We Did
You are hearing it here first!

?The Nashville LGBT Chamber Foundation is very pleased to announce AllianceBernstein has joined as the presenting sponsor of the annual Pride in Business Awards , to be held on June 5, 2020.

AllianceBernstein is a long standing supporter of diversity, inclusion and the LGBT community at large. AllianceBernstein is a Gold level member of the Nashville LGBT Chamber and support a variety of different LGBT organizations in the Nashville community. There work around diversity and inclusion has raised the bar regionally in regards to this work.

We want to share this information with our members first. Look for our official announcement to the public and press on Monday.
Our Development Committee met on Monday to talk about our Foundation and upcoming events. The Big Payback is on May 6th and 7th so mark your calendars!
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If you are interested in volunteering your time and talents to one of our many committees, please reach out to Lauren. These committees meet once a month and work to keep our growing Chamber operating.
Joe spoke on a Vanderbilt HIV/AIDS Clinical Trials Community Advisory Board lecture series on Tuesday.

He spoke to them about several initiatives that the Chamber is working on and looks forward to partnering on more programs in the future.
We attended MTSU's LGBT+ Cocktails & Conversations at Waller on Tuesday. Chris Sanders of TEP, Jarod Forsythe of Nissan, Jamie Fuson of Volunteer State Community College, and Ashe Tuck of Dell spoke to an audience of students and community members about how access and opportunity intersect with identity.
Partnership 2030 is continuing to come together. The final plan will be ready in a month and we are proud of the work we have put in to it on Advisory Committee.

We look forward to being a part of the unveiling and working on several initiatives in the plan. We will update our members on the full plan when it is released.
We attended the Moving Forward Transportation Listening Session on Thursday where we heard from Faye DiMassimo, senior advisor for transportation and infrastructure. Mayor Cooper’s office is currently in the first step of the planning process in determining Nashville’s transportation priorities, with the goal of releasing initial recommendations in June 2020 and releasing a full transportation plan by the end of September 2020. Learn more about these planning efforts below.
Connections
March Brewing Up Business
Unfortunately, we have to cancel our March Brewing Up Business. As the situation regarding COVID-19 (coronavirus) continues to evolve, the Chamber team is monitoring the COVID-19 outbreak. 
April Brewing Up Business
We are thrilled to announce that April's Brewing Up Business is set! Join us on Wednesday, April 29th at 5:30 pm at Topgolf Nashville. *Please note that this date is not the recurring date for BUB.

Our drink sponsor is BAM! Social Business.

Join Nashville LGBT Chamber members at Topgolf Nashville for the announcement of the finalists for the 2020 Pride in Business Awards . Guests will network as we announce finalists in the categories of Corporate Diversity, Small Business Diversity, Business Leader, Entrepreneur, Ally, Community Service, and Leadership in the Arts. You will also have the opportunity to swing the golf club.

We know this is going to be a packed event, make sure you REGISTER today!
Out & Equal Workplace Advocates Briefing Call
From our partners Out & Equal Workplace Advocates:

Our mission-critical work is proceeding. The Supreme Court will soon hand down its ruling on a trio of cases that will determine whether LGBTQ employees are protected from discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. 

Join this briefing call to learn more about the Supreme Court decisions. This is a great opportunity for you to get ahead of the curve and start figuring out what actions you will want to take after a decision comes down.

Thursday, March 19th
4:00 pm-5:00 pm Eastern Daylight Time
Pride in Business Awards 2020
The Pride in Business Awards presented by AllianceBernstein will be held on Friday, June 5th at the JW Marriott! This event will kick off what will be an incredible PRIDE month!

The deadline for nominations is on March 31st. Please take some time to submit your nominations now. Please use the form below to nominate a company, small business, friend, co-worker, boss, spouse, peer, mentor, mentee, or yourself for an award from the LGBT Chamber.

We will announce all finalists at our Brewing Up Business program on April 29th at Topgolf Nashville. Help us recognize individuals, businesses, and organizations who are making a difference in our community!

Tickets and sponsorships are on sale now. Sponsorships are going fast, so reach out to Lauren if you want to make your mark on our signature event!
Dine Out for Life at The Mockingbird
The LGBT Chamber is excited to support  Nashville CARES  and host lunch at  The Mockingbird Nashville  for Dining Out for Life 2020. Come eat lunch and talk to other Chamber members that will gather to support this great cause.

Dining Out For Life is a national event that helps fight HIV/AIDS in our community through the good work being done by Nashville CARES. 100% of all the money raised during this event will go to provide Preventive Education Services, as well as other services - all FREE - to people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS.

Visit the DOFL Website   to see a list of participating restaurants if you are interested in supporting another restaurant for dinner .

Please RSVP to this event by registering and join us for lunch on Tuesday, April 21st! We strongly encourage guests to make reservations as well.
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Joe Woolley
CEO

Lauren Bland
Membership Manager

Nashville LGBT Chamber
615-507-5185
41 Peabody Street
Nashville, TN 37210
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