How to Find and Support LGBTQ+-Owned Businesses in South Carolina

Supporting LGBTQ+-owned and queer-affirming businesses is one of the most direct ways to strengthen our community in South Carolina.

Where we spend our money is a statement about the kind of state we want to live in — one where everyone can build a business, serve their neighbors, and be seen for who they are.

Why it matters

Visibility has economic weight. When queer-owned businesses thrive, they create jobs, anchor neighborhoods, and prove a simple truth: LGBTQ+ South Carolinians are not a political abstraction — we are entrepreneurs, employers, and customers woven into the fabric of every community from the Upstate to the Lowcountry. Spending intentionally at these businesses, and at the allied businesses that welcome all customers openly, turns everyday transactions into acts of support.

This matters most in a state where LGBTQ+ people don't always have clear legal protections in commerce and employment. Choosing where to spend is a form of power that no legislature can take away.

How to find LGBTQ+-owned and affirming businesses

Finding these businesses takes a little intention, and it gets easier every year:

• Look for the signals. Many businesses signal their values openly — Pride flags, inclusive hiring language, visible support for the community.

• Ask your networks. Local LGBTQ+ community groups, social circles, and online communities are often the best source of trusted recommendations.

• Follow the movement. During Pride Month and beyond, SC Equality highlights queer-owned and queer-affirming businesses across the state. Follow @scequality to discover new ones.

Join the Spend Out movement

This Pride Month, SC Equality is asking supporters to spend out: spend $30 at a queer-owned or queer-affirming South Carolina business, then tag @scequality. Every tag helps us build a living map of the businesses that make our state more welcoming — and helps other South Carolinians find them.

Own an affirming business in South Carolina?

If you run a queer-owned or openly affirming business, we want to know you. SC Equality's business inclusion work connects affirming businesses with a statewide community of customers who choose to support them. Get on our radar by joining our network, and help us show that an inclusive South Carolina is good for everyone — including business.

Want to support the advocacy behind this work? Make a gift to SC Equality.

Equal means everyone.