Durham LGBTQIA+ business owners celebrate anti-discrimination law - WRAL.com
Posted November 9, 2021 6:20 p.m. EST
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Durham, N.C. — LGBTQIA+ business owners are celebrating after Durham becomes the latest in a wave of cities, counties and towns in North Carolina to adopt a non-discrimination ordinance.
The ordinance simply put means if you’re at work, dining-out, or at a local book store – there is a law to protect you from discrimination. Durham County leaders voted unanimously to approve the ordinance, calling it long overdue.
Rofhiwa Bookcafe in Durham is a black-owned and LGBTQIA+-owned business where people come to crack open an insightful book, learn and listen.
“I’m excited to hear the news,” said owner Beverley Makhubele.
Makhubele said this move in local government is a major step forward where many can feel heard.
“I have worked across several different industries. I worked in operations. I’ve worked in HR. Far too many times where I’ve been in situations where particularly in the matter of discrimination based on gender identity, or even sexual orientation because there’s language that slacking in many ways,” said Makhubele. “I’ve seen so many folks get stonewalled.”
The bookstore owner said the language in the law is needed to protect everyone.
“When the language is missing in legislature or when the language is missing in laws it really comes down to the workplace," said Makhubele. "If that’s not something that folks prioritize in the workplace then we get into a lot of situations where people are harmed.”
That’s what the new law aims to prevent. Durham County’s non-discrimination ordinance reads it will ‘provide protection and promote the equal treatment of all individuals.’
The owners and chefs of Indulge Catering, LLC and Indulgent Essential Spices are also celebrating.
“Our company doesn’t discriminate. We are married. We are black-owned. I am Muslim,” said Queen Precious-Jewel Zabriskie-White standing next to her wife Jay White.
The two know first-hand how this move can change a life.
“We had to drive to the Bronx, New York to get married because it was legal there,”said Zabriskie-White.
In 2012, it was not yet legal for them to get married in Durham.
Before starting the catering business, Zabriskie-White worked in corporate America where she expressed she couldn’t be her full self. Then, when Indulge launched about seven years ago, the couple shielded their identifies in fear they wouldn’t get catering jobs.
“As a business owner, to see that it might look better if I walked through the door versus Jay White walking through the door – that needs to stop,” she said.
Now the owners can fully and non-fearfully embrace who they are.
The successful company is expanding to a storefront location for the first time.
Jay White applauds Durham leaders for taking this step, which could impact the lives of many LGBTQIA+ youth and future entrepreneurs.
“I couldn’t expect anything less from Durham. Bull City is the city to be in. When it comes to the community love, inclusiveness for all kind of all people. It feels really good,” she said.
While this passing of the ordinance is being applauded, some believe more funding for youth programs and LGBTQIA+ businesses should be the next priority.
“It becomes an extra hurdle that people don’t understand – that we have to overcome, not as only as black business owners, but female business owners, but now gay or LGBTQIA+ business owners “ said Zabriskie-White, discussing financial barriers some owners face.
“I’m hoping that what we are seeing in the various counties that are doing the right thing that is hopefully the momentum to build up to language we need to see changed federally as well,” said Makhubele.
Durham County’s ordinance will officially go into effect July 2022.
Indulge Catering’s grand-opening is Friday from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at 7 W. Mason St. in Franklinton.
source: https://www.wral.com/durham-lgbtq-business-owners-celebrate-anti-discrimination-law/19971840/
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