I hope you enjoy this special issue of Camp, which includes a supplement about the good work of SAVE Inc. and its Nov. 1 fundraiser, HomeComing: A Mad Affair. Flip the magazine to the back cover to read this special supplement.
It’s been our pleasure to work with SAVE Inc. ever since Chadwick Brooks, who has been coordinating much of the planning, and Sara Gardner, development and operations director at SAVE, brought this event to our attention. We hope HomeComing goes very well.
This is not the first time we’ve worked in a partnership with SAVE Inc. We did so for several years when the group had its Corroboree fundraiser at the Kansas City Zoo. We’ve also worked over the years on supplements with Out in the Crossroads, the Heartland Men’s Chorus, AIDS Walk, Pride, and the Missouri Gay Rodeo Association. And we have more special issues and supplements planned for 2014.
Years ago, there was an LGBT magazine in Kansas City called Verge that tried to capitalize on being a free “gay lifestyle” magazine. They gave us a back-handed compliment when they said they were about “lifestyle” while Camp was “just a community magazine,” as if there’s something negative about the word community. But Camp has embraced community and partnerships in Kansas City since its beginning.
Verge is no longer publishing. Camp, however, is entering its 10th year in 2014. I guess the community thing wasn’t such a bad idea after all.
We hope you enjoy this informative supplement about SAVE Inc. We have the highest respect for the work they do in Kansas City.
MAGLCC Business Equality Conference
I enjoyed attending the second annual Business Equality Conference on Oct. 10, which was sponsored by the Mid America Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce. The all-day event, held at the law offices of Shook, Hardy & Bacon, was well-done and had a full house of participants.
Marcus Markle, account manager for the Supplier Diversity Initiative of the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce in Washington, D.C., pointed out that our local group, only in its second year, is the fastest-growing chapter of the NGLCC.
Just as we’ve done with this month’s SAVE Inc. supplement, Camp has worked with MAGLCC since the group’s launch in May 2012. That month, we had a cover story about its launch, and in May 2013 we had a cover story about its anniversary. The group also writes a monthly MAGLCC column for the centerspread of Camp. This month’s column features Danny Zaslavsky of Country Hill Motors.
Markle also spoke at the conference about how NGLCC has 510 certified LGBT businesses, more than 140 corporate partners, 52 domestic and international chambers and 15,000 members worldwide. The Kansas City chapter has a membership of more than 150 local business members of gay- and straight-owned businesses and corporations, including Hallmark, Cerner, and more. In addition, there now are 12 locally certified MAGLCC companies. Being certified as an LGBT-owned company allows MAGLCC and NLGCC members to compete for contracts awarded to companies that seek out diversity in their suppliers.
MAGLCC has monthly business networking socials at member companies, monthly morning “Masterminds” brainstorming meetings, a website business directory and much more. If you haven’t yet checked out the group, visit www.maglcc.org and become a member. Fees are modest, and you’ll gain access to a great membership of LGBT-owned and LGBT-supportive businesses.