Why?

   1. Tulsa is committed to fostering a safe, inclusive, and welcoming city that works for all of us.

On March 8, 2023, the Mayor of the City of Tulsa signed a resolution passed by the City Council, publicly declaring that Tulsa is committed to fostering a safe, inclusive, and welcoming city for all Tulsans, visitors, and businesses. It also declared: 
 

The City of Tulsa reaffirms Tulsa is a welcoming, compassionate, and inclusive city to all regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, marital status, familial status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or disability.

The City of Tulsa disavows conduct, rhetoric and practices that do not uphold Tulsa's commitment to welcoming and serving all Tulsans, visitors, and businesses.

The City of Tulsa is resilient in the face of and condemns discrimination, bigotry, and violence toward any community member, visitor, or business.

Building on that commitment, this coalition seeks to demonstrate a local, collective commitment to safety and inclusion, condemning all discrimination or harassment in any business or public accommodation.

Living in a welcoming city takes all of us!

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   2. Social safety is a public health imperative.

Social safety is a reliable sense of social belongingness, recognition, and protection. Social safety at a community level is imperative for the well-being of all individuals. Without social safety, the human mind and body have an inability to thrive. Each of us gives social safety cues many times a day without even realizing it: smiling at or opening a door for a stranger; showing interest in other people’s families and lives; making room for someone to sit down on a bus. Most of us take these cues of inclusion and safety for granted.

However, once stigmatized individuals (e.g., people of color, 2SLGBTQ+ individuals) realize that some people consider them abnormal or worthy of rejection, for self-preservation, it becomes imperative to consider all people unsafe. This creates a state of threat-vigilance that over time wears on the body and creates negative health effects. As a community, we have the power to protect against some of these effects by giving visible cues of social safety, such as the 600 for Safety sign. Such cues act by removing uncertainty about the type of environment one is entering and assures one that this is a safe place to be, and consequently, threat-vigilance dials down. Research suggests that visual cues of social safety may protect the health of individuals who are members of  stigmatized populations. This reduces the community-wide burden of disease and needless suffering.

Society-wide public health initiatives have benefits for everyone! 

   3. Inclusivity drives economic growth.

We know that openness to diversity and inclusivity in the workplace are key to economic growth and a thriving business community. Organizations that are explicitly inclusive of LGBTQ+ people demonstrate positive impacts on profitability and improving financial performance. Employees at inclusive businesses are also likely to be more productive and devoted to their jobs . When companies embrace LGBTQ+ inclusion, the byproduct is attracting and retaining key talent and improving relationships with local and national stakeholders. From the consumer perspective, commitment to inclusion can also attract a larger customer base and improve community rapport, leading to increased brand loyalty and satisfaction. 

Living in a community of welcoming people benefits our businesses and residents!