Federal Reserve-hosted LGBTQ event looks for new venue due to Trump's DEI order
LGBTQ business group looks for new venue
Organizers of an LGBTQ networking event at the Federal Reserve of Atlanta say they won’t be welcomed back this year. That’s in keeping with an executive order from President Donald Trump banning any federal endorsement of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
ATLANTA - A Georgia group that advocates for members of the LGBTQ community in business says the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta will no longer host its annual Economic Inclusion Summit.
It is due to new orders from President Donald Trump's White House related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
OUT Georgia Business Alliance searches for new venue
The backstory:
A spokesperson for the Atlanta Fed said President Trump's executive order banning federal affiliation with DEI initiatives has it reviewing all of its programs.
That's left the OUT Georgia Business Alliance in a tough spot.
"We're in a position where we're trying to figure out how to host about 200 people," said Andi Monroe, interim director of the alliance.
The Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta has hosted an LGBTQ networking event for the last couple of years. Following a new executive order from the Trump administration prohibiting federal involvement with DEI initiatives, the Atlanta Fed has decided to reevaluate its event schedule. "The Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta is looking at all scheduled events to ensure we are appropriately aligned with the Trump administration’s executive order as well as with existing policies and applicable laws," a spokesperson for the bank told FOX 5 in an email.
As a result, Monroe said the Out Georgia Business Alliance will most likely need to find a new venue. That news was first reported by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Response to Trump's DEI executive order
What they're saying:
"The changes feel very heavy," said Monroe. "There's a really somber tone throughout the community."
Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, stood firm on the President's messaging.
"It means no more funding for illegal DEI programs," she said. "It means no more funding for transgenderism and wokeness across our federal bureaucracy and agencies."
Atlanta Fed President Raphael Bostic, who was appointed in 2017 during the first Trump administration, became the first Black and openly gay president of a regional Federal Reserve Bank.
Monroe emphasized the broader implications of these changes.
"0.9% of members of our community are in Fortune 500 boardrooms. To say that their American dream is something that is outside of national concern is greatly concerning as a citizen."
Dig deeper:
The Greater Houston LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce faced a similar situation in late January, when it had to abruptly relocate its networking event due to the executive order.
The OUT Georgia Business Alliance has been operating for decades, focusing on empowerment and networking for LGBTQ professionals and business owners.
The Source: FOX 5's Rob DiRienzo spoke with Andi Monroe, interim director of the OUT Georgia Business Alliance. A spokesperson for the Atlanta Fed emailed a statement to FOX 5, which was also used in this report.