Yelp is celebrating Pride Month by making it easier for consumers to support LGBTQ-friendly businesses and find safe and welcoming spaces to enjoy June’s festivities.
Starting today—a week before the official revelry kicks off—Yelp invites business owners to self-identify as LGBTQ-owned on the directory service, which will highlight Open to All members with rainbow-colored map pins for the entire month.
Simply log into your Yelp for Business account, navigate to the Amenities section, click Add/Edit, and select “yes” next to “LGBTQ-owned” and/or “Open to All.” Don’t forget to save your changes, which will appear on the Yelp mobile app (business page > “more info” ) and website (business page > “amenities and more”). The free, opt-in-only attribute leaves the decision to self-identify as LGBTQ-owned up to individual merchants; Yelp is proactively monitoring pages for hate speech and will remove any content that violates its guidelines.
“Though many strides have been made in the decades since the Stonewall riots in 1969, there are still urgent opportunities for change as we strive to create a world where laws and society treat all people equally,” Miriam Warren, chief diversity officer at Yelp, wrote in a blog announcement.
Consumers are increasingly looking for businesses that are part of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer community: Yelp saw a 150% increase in searches for LGBTQ-owned companies in April compared to the same time last year. “That’s why we’re excited to make it easier than ever for people to discover and support LGBTQ+ business owners, as well as allies to the community,” Warren added.
Whether you’re marching in a Pride parade or want to expand your shopping horizons, starting June 1, users can look for rainbow map pins highlighting LGBTQ-owned and Open to All restaurant, food, and nightlife businesses—including Ben & Jerry’s, which will display the multicolored pins at nearly all of its US Scoop Shops throughout the month.
“With hate violence at an all time high, it’s more important than ever for people to be able to find safe and welcoming spaces to celebrate LGBTQ+ equality,” Open to All director Calla Rongerude said in a statement. “We’re thrilled to partner with Yelp to help users identify not only LGBTQ-owned businesses, but also the [581,000-plus] Open to All businesses that will celebrate equality not only during Pride, but year round.”
To commemorate the Stonewall riots of 1969 and recognize the impact LGBTQ+ people have had in the world, June’s annual Pride Month often involves rallies, parades, parties, concerts, memorials, campaigns, and plenty of colorful flags. This year, Yelp will be sharing stories of LGBTQ+ business owners, hosting virtual events, spotlighting inclusive bars, and distributing pronoun pins and mugs to members of the Yelp Elite Squad.
