In the 12 years Tyler Prescott has lived in Greer, he has dedicated his time to creating a more accepting environment for LGBTQ+ residents. Along with the help of many friends, Prescott has advocated for a more inclusive and diverse Upstate. He also created the LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce Spartanburg, Greenville, Greer and its surrounding communities.

“There’s a very loud contingency of people who are not excited that gay people live here,” he says. “But, there is an equally loud and incredibly proud LGBT business community here that is just doing really, really good work.”

The idea for Upstate S.C. LGBT Chamber of Commerce came from a multi-decades old policy on the books in Greenville County. In 1996, the board of commissioners voted to approve a resolution “condemning [the] gay lifestyle as counter to traditional family values,” according to an article from the Greenville News. The policy was overturned in 2020, over five years after same-sex marriage was legalized in the U.S.

Prescott said one of the reasons commissioners ultimately decided to overrule the resolution was because of larger corporations coming in and expressing how the homophobic language harmed their businesses, too.

“We had … Fortune 500 companies who are located here go to the county council and say, ‘This is bad for us, too,’ and 60 days later, it went away,” he explains. “We know big business wants to work in a place that you can attract talent to — you can’t do that when you’re being bigoted.”

Prescott and other contributors began exploring ways to get businesses more involved with the LGBTQ+ community in Upstate South Carolina and to help provide more equitable opportunities for queer residents and business owners. The group contacted the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce to try to connect with the South Carolina chapter. Turns out, there wasn’t one.

“I wanted to see a community that big business could get involved in, local folks knew where it was safe to go and that provided education, advocacy and networking opportunities for small businesses, so they didn’t leave and close down,” Prescott offers. “So we started [a chamber] ourselves.”

Upstate S.C. LGBT Chamber of Commerce’s main mission works to focus on “the economic empowerment of the LGBTQ people who live here and their allies,” according to Prescott. This is done through advocacy work, educational programming, networking events and more. The resources Upstate S.C. provides helps to create a level playing field for all business owners, regardless of their identity.

“There’s 250 businesses or Chamber members right now and, give or take, about 200 of them are LGBT owned,” Prescott explains. “We’re working to break down some of those barriers historically to say ‘queer businesses are underfunded.’ The Community Development Financial Institutions are not targeting funding our businesses, and it’s because we have been historically locked out of the rooms where capital decisions are being made.”

One of those business owner members is Troy Legere, the owner of Out & About Travel — a luxury travel planning service specializing in planning travels “geared towards the LGBTQIA+ community.” Legere says.

During the same time Legere was working on creating Out & About, he heard talk of an LGBTQ+ chamber of commerce opening in the Upstate area. He immediately knew it was something he wanted to be a part of.

“There are unique challenges and opportunities for queer owned or run businesses and having access to that community and learning from those who’ve ‘been there.’ [That] is what I find most helpful,” he says. “I’m not alone and I have support if I need it. Because our community is so close, it’s also a great way to find queer businesses to spend your money with. I know I use [the chamber] to help find products and services.”

Legere said being gay adds a layer of complexity when running a business.

“Can I do what I want, and will people support me? Will this banker give me a loan when I mention my husband is also a business owner? Will catering to my community alienate others?” Legere asks. “It’s a layer of complexity and frankly, anxiety.”

Through camaraderie, LGBTQ+ and ally-owned businesses can share their experiences and support one another. That’s where Upstate S.C. comes in — Legere said through the chamber, he’s able to network with other businesses and entrepreneurs who understand the struggles.

“Regardless of the hate and anti-LGBT+ politics in the South, the ignorance is pervasive,” he offers. “I’m a cis-white male, which gives me advantages, but I also experience my straight peers expressing confusion at why our community needs representation … or why it’s different.

“Meeting with my community peers lets me get back to running my business [so] I don’t have to validate myself first before I get the help and guidance I’m looking for. If we are going to make an impact, we need to push forward in business.”

Prescott said discrimination is still taking place against LGBTQ+ businesses and their owners, but it goes beyond potential customers. He said there’s been a history of pushing out LGBTQ+ individuals from conversations about decisions impacting their livelihoods. 

“I love roads and bridges and taxes just as much as the next person does, but there are issues at the state House and in our local elections that are not being talked about that would negatively impact every business and, also, LGBT issues,” he says.

Through the Upstate S.C. chamber, Prescott said he hopes there will be more opportunities for business owners — like Legere — to take part in decision making processes and have a say in policies that impact them.

“We need a seat at the table to help make these decisions that are already being made in our communities, and if no one is sitting at that table saying, ‘Hey, pay attention to your LGBT community,’ our businesses could close or leave,” he states. “We spend $1.7 trillion in the United States every year, I’d like to make sure that ends up in the LGBT community’s hands.”

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