Last Thursday we concluded our tour through Poland part of the project „Zarabiaj więcej! Otwórz się na osoby LGBT”.
The last two months proved to be very busy for us. In this time ProDiversity experts visited more than 50 county towns in Poland. We met many amazing people, owners of small and medium-sized businesses, whom we showed the benefits of opening up to a new group of customers – LGBT+ people. Some of them declared that they already support our community, however, there were also many for whom this was a completely new topic.
What did the meetings focus on?
During the meetings we explained why it is so important to create places where LGBT people can feel safe. Especially since there are currently no laws in Poland that protect any consumers from discrimination in accessing goods and services. LGBT people are, as research indicates, particularly vulnerable to exclusion.
We also pointed out why it is beneficial for businesses to open up to this audience. Among other things, LGBT people as consumers are characterized by high loyalty especially to companies that take their side; even a small flag is enough to attract attention and win sympathy. LGBT people make for conscious consumers who often choose local products over those from chain stores. At the same time, this group has far more funds and often buys on impulse.
Entrepreneurs also got to learn how to make everyone feel comfortable in a simple and affordable way. Actions such as responding to homophonic attacks on the premises or addressing customers with their preferred pronouns are the simplest ways to show support. It’s also important to make sure that other employees know the company’s stance on the issue.
We are not stopping here!
We are proud of what we have achieved over the past 60 days. However, we don’t plan to rest on our laurels. We are already getting down to work on a series of webinars on inclusivity in business as well as starting preparations for the distribution of materials for entrepreneurs.
Our project would not have been possible had it not been for funding from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through the EEA Funds under the Active Citizens – Regional Fund Program. The amount of funding received is 78,727.89 euros.
To be up to date with our activity visit miejsce.lgbt or join us on social media!